22 January 2008
Day 73: Educación sin Fronteras rounds Cape Horn
Educación sin Fronteras has become just the second boat in the Barcelona World Race to round Cape Horn without stopping since the start of the race on November 11. On Day 73, in fifth place on the leaderboard, the tandem of Albert Bargués and Servane Escoffier, left the famed landmark to port and raced into the Atlantic Ocean.
"We're both very excited. It's been a long time without stopping and of course this is a big accomplishment. Servane is very excited and I am too, even if it is not my first time," Albert said today, as his boat was just 10 miles from the Horn. "It is going to be very emotional for sure."
The Pacific part of the southern ocean has been a good one for the crew of Educación sin Fronteras who have taken advantage of slow speeds from the leaders to gain 400 miles and pull within 2900 miles of the leading boat. That being said, just under 7000 miles still reindex before they reach the finishing line off Barcelona - there's still along way for this pair to go.
At the front of the fleet, now with just 4000 miles to the finish, Paprec-Virbac 2, has consolidated its race lead today, adding 50 miles over the past day to its buffer over Hugo Boss. A jubilant Jean-Pierre Dick enthused about the pleasure of cracking the sheets as the wind has shifted aft, allowing them to ease off the wind for the first time in what he says seems like ages.
"Over the last 24 hours we have had a good lift. We've been waiting for this for like, nine days or something!" Jean-Pierre said. "We've been beating upwind and it has been really, really tough - really hard. But now, what a relief to ease the sheets and head towards Europe! It's still not going to be a motorway, but hopefully we'll find a good track so that we stay in the lead."
Temenos II continues its hard fought duel with the surging Mutua Madrileņa, who drawn yet closer over the past 24 hours. This pair are now separated by just 56 miles in the battle for third place. And the Spanish duo on board Mutua Madrileņa aren't easing off their challenge. This fight looks set to continue all the way to the doldrums and probably beyond.
Day 73 - January 22, 14:00 GMT - Position report with distance to leader
1. PAPREC-VIRBAC 2 - Jean Pierre DICK / Damian FOXALL - 4001 to finish
2. HUGO BOSS - Alex THOMSON / Andrew CAPE - 581
3. TEMENOS II - Dominique Wavre / Michele PARET- 1783
4. MUTUA MADRILENA - Javier SANSO / Pachi RIVERO - 1839
5. EDUCACION SIN FRONTERAS - Servane ESCOFFIER / Albert BARGUES - 2899
Abandoned - VEOLIA ENVIRONNEMENT - Roland JOURDAIN / Jean Luc NELIAS
Abandoned - ESTRELLA DAMM - Guillermo ALTADILL / Jonathan MCKEE
Abandoned - DELTA DORE - Jérémie BEYOU / Sidney GAVIGNET
Abandoned - PRB - Vincent Riou / Sebastien JOSSE
In Quotes - Javier Sanso, Mutua Madrileņa: "I think we are unconsciously pushing - it is part of our character to be very competitive. With a boat so close it is hard for us to be conservative to the point that it gets away from us. Yet we know that they are faster - there were moments when we could have pushed harder, we are not taking stupid risks. We are being careful because there are a lot of miles to do still and the boat is tired - not in the mast, but other parts of the boat and there is a lot of racing left. Especially in the trade winds and up towards the north Atlantic there will be a lot of close reaching and we are aware that the boat is going to suffer. We are not going to push to follow the other boat on speed because we don't want breakage. But right now we are going with two reefs and a solent and the boat is flat and going well, and if we can continue like now and even a little faster, last night we had18 knots, then we are competitive and it is hard for us not to have a go!"
See the multimedia section at www.barcelonaworldrace.org www.barcelonaworldrace.orgfor all the latest photos, videos and audio clips from the race course.
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Lou Newlands
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