Around Alone Report for October 3

Class 2 Tightens Up !

At 1215 today it will be one week since the start of Around Alone.  Since, the start Class II has paraded along with Cray Valley the leader, Magellan 2nd and Balance Bar 3rd.  Today, the distance between the leading Class II boats had declined from 26.7 to 3.6 miles.  

Cray Valley and Magellan are basically now sailing the same patch of ocean.  The reason for Magellan's comeback ?  The most basic of yacht racing's elements, boat speed.  Magellan's turn of speed is shown in the last position report.  10.2 knots was Magellan's speed compared to Cray Valley's 9.4.  Mike Garside confirms this saying: "Magellan Alpha is, as I know, and J-P suspects, faster than Cray Valley in light airs."  Should be a good race between these 2 boats.

In Class one the leader board is unchanged with Fila 1st, Gartmore 2nd, and Group 4 3rd.  Fila's lead is not 39.6 miles.

This weekend could see some uncertain times for the fleet.  The quandary is that there is a large high pressure system that carries little wind around 29-30 degrees north.  The fleet must make it through this in order to get to the consistent trade wind breezes which lie around 24 degrees north and will carry the yachts south.  It still looks like boats to the north should have better wind.   But, the boats who do the best through the high pressure system will get a trade winds induced boost.

This is not to say that the weather has been totally calm.  J.P. Mouligne passed through a squall that he called, "the most violent squall I had ever seen."  J.P. was momentarily trapped in the cabin as the boat heeled radically as the squall struck.  He made it on deck and released the main sheet. The squall was brief, but it gave J.P. a taste of the future.

Class I mariner Isabelle Autissier has let us in on a possible problem she faces.  It concerns again, the most basic element of yacht racing- speed.  She e-mailed the following statement:  "I am surprised that when I am sailing side by side with the newer boats, I have a definitely slower speed. I estimate that the deficit in speed is about 1%. On a circumnavigation that would add up to a day and a half!"  Needless to say this adds up to a serious problem.   Often times a sailor who perceives a boat speed deficit will take a differing tactical approach to compensate.  This definitely could explain PRB's southern position.

Robin Davie sailing South Carolina in Class II feels his boat is up to speed as "South Carolina sails well, but it's a whole new ball game, and it'll take a while to get her up to proper speed -- but she sure goes well and
has a great potential."  Look for Davie to climb the standings as he develops the boat en route.

In the next 24 hours it will be interesting to see how the high pressure and light work  on the standings.  The next race within a race is to the tradewinds and tommorow's report will telling who is winning.