Atlantic Alone- Which way to go ?

	Sunday saw the 5 boat fleet depart Falmouth England
and begin the race to Charleston SC.  
	The race began in a 12 to 15 knot breeze.  Uneventful 
is the best way to describe the start.  Race Director Mark 
Schrader stated: "We had a clean start without incident 
and a steady breeze.  You couldn't ask for anything more." 
	Soon after the start the fleet began to grapple with 
the races main tactical issue, the Azores High.  The Azores 
Islands, which lie smack in the middle of the course, have a 
high pressure system that lingers around them.  There is 
little breeze to be had from this system.  
	So the fleet has two options.  One is to go north of the 
system and the other is to go south and ride the trade winds.  
To go north means going on the wind, and the Finot 
designed Open class boats are not a fun ride to weather.  
They are lightning quick off the wind though.
	At this point all of the fleet has dived south to one 
degree or another.  Farthest south is Giovanni Soldini and 
Fila at 43 degrees north.  According to Soldini's website, " The
other deciding factor [in his southern routing] has been 
the desire to avoid a close confrontation with his direct rival,
 the English yachtsman Mike Golding with his Team Group4."  
Golding and Group 4 are several degrees north of him.  Soldini is 
sailing faster, but also is covering more distance.  It's way 
too far from the finish to say who is correct, but it should 
be interesting to watch.
	Class II saw a similar north and south split.  
Shuten-Dohji II and skipper Saito are the farthest north at 
46 degress north.  Next is Mike Garside (".I'm eating bacon 
sandwiches dripping with butter like there's notomorrow.") 
and Magellan Alpha at  44 degress north.  Farthest south 
of the Class IIers is Cray Valley  at 41 degress north.  
	Magellan Alpha is closest to the finish of the three Class II 
boats with 2990 miles to go while Cray Valley is at 3155 miles to 
finish.  Again it is too early to say who is right.  
	The northern boats are sailing at a greater rarte of VMG,
while the southern boats have a greater rate of pure boat speed.  
As the fleet nears the Azores high, it will become clear that one 
route will be better. Currently there is a stationary high at 40 
degrees north.  Up around 50 degrees north, the barometric 
pressure is greater, with some better breeze pressure.  
	It seems, from my amateur weather analysis, that sailing
around 45   north latitude could be a risky proposition. Cray Valley 
Skipper J.P. Mouligne sees it this way: " The strategies appear to become
clearer now: both FILA and I are going south of the Azores while
Team 4 will pass North." Obviously J.P. feels the south will pay.  With 
the stationary high sitting at 40 degress, the southern boats need to go
signigigantly south to clear it.  Meanwhile Golding and Group 4 will sail
a shorter distance to skirt the high to the north.  
	The high pressure strattles the 40th lattitude line.  North is shorter, 
while south is a faster angle.  It will be intersting to see which option pays.
	The sailor who figures out the fast route around this high 
could win the race with this one decision.