28.11.2007
Temenos II approaching the Fernando de Noronha gateway
Slipping along at a cracking pace on a nice reach, the fleet are continuing their southward descent of the Atlantic. The skippers seem to be adapting to this change of pace, the slowness of the first days of racing now seeming far behind them. The monohulls are devouring the miles on this particularly fast point of sail.
Benefiting from some particularly stable sailing conditions, the duos can now rely on their automatic pilots again, and thus freed from the helm can concentrate on trimming their boat.
Trimming, recuperation and weather tactics form the programme of this 18th day of racing for the skippers questioned at today's radio session.
This was also the case aboard Temenos II, as Dominique confirmed when contacted this afternoon: “We passed the equator last night without even realising. We’re rediscovering the pleasures of life heeled over, accelerating according to the flurries of air and the passage of the clouds. The conditions are stable and we are benefiting from our off-watch to rack up some sleep, which hasn’t been the case for a good while.
We’re beginning to look at the long term scenario for the next part of the course. The models agree with each other and for the time being it doesn’t look as if we have got any calm patches dotted across our path. The Saint Helena High is very far South, practically level with Cape Town, which will mean that the playing field will be fairly open throughout the Northern part of the South Atlantic."
However, before taking these high pressure zones into consideration in the choice of their trajectory, Michèle and Dominique first have to get through the Fernando de Noronha gateway. This passage is likely to take place at the end of this afternoon.
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