Around Alone Report for October 8

Fleet Escapes Major Damage from Tropical Storm

The fleet has come out of Tropical Storm Lisa without major damage.   However, they probably would be liking the windy tropical storm conditions better than what the current winds are.  Cray Valley's J.P. Mouligne sums up the aftermath this way: "As it turns out, the tropical depression''Lisa'' moved quicker to the East than anticipated and the fleet is safely on the west side, so it did not create as much havoc as it could have. The problem is that the moving depression has also sucked all the wind with it and we are left with a very light North wind."   The breeze is so light that at last report Cray Valley was sailing at only 2.6 knots.  Worse, Magellan Alpha has closed to within 6 miles, and Balance Bar is now only 22 miles back.  Light air does not seem to be a good scenario for Cray Valley.   The concentrated and close racing between Magellan and Cray Valley causes Mike Garside to report in this spirited fashion: "To take me for a sucker three times in 1,800 miles is too much. There's 5,000 to go before we get to Cape Town, more than enough for me to get even. The gloves are off!"

Class I is still led by Somewhere.  Her lead over 2nd place Group 4 is 23 miles.  This should improve Mike Golding's outlook.  In a recent report Golding said: "I crashed out by the nav station feeling that every time I get into a good position in the leading bunch I blow it by pushing to hard and breaking. I need to be more conservative with the boat, I thought as I nodded off."  Further good news for Golding and Group 4 is his current 9.2 knots of boat speed 2nd in the entire fleet. Seems as though what he doing is working.  3rd in Class I is Gartmore 34 miles back of Somewhere.  4th in Class I is PRB, 46 miles out of 1st.

Then in 5th is Giovanni Soldini and Fila.  He has lost contact with this lead pack, as he is 347 miles behind 4th place PRB and 393 miles out of 1st place.  Speaking via satellite telephone Soldini said: "I'm calm and very concentrated, even though I'm very pissed off!."  He put his out of the hunt position in perspective this way: "Now I'm bringing up the rear with no wind to speak of: I'm making about 3 knots and it's tough knowing the others are doing 10 knots."  Perhaps the windless aftermath of the tropical storm will allow Fila to close.  Currently he is sailing at 8.8 knots and gained 37 miles in the last 6 hours. 

From 5th place on, Class II's yachts are moving well.   Robin Davie on South Carolina describes the pleasing turn of speed his yacht is showing this way: "Going below - even the bears were grinning. There are two of them, a dark brown bear called bruin, and a lighter brown with a white behind one called the white bum bear - the bears like speed."  All of the boats from 4th place on posted gains in the last 6 hour period, ranging from 13 to 44 miles.

The leaders should continue their light air sailing.  Light air extends currently from 22 north all the way down to around 2 north where tradewinds again start to blow.  Likely this will mean the trailing boats will continue to gain.

With the leaders slowing down, Mike Golding provides an apt way to look at the race:  "and as a Challenge crew member once said to me after a similar incident on the British Steel Challenge "all this will do is make the finish closer".