Around Alone Report for October 16

Balance Bar continues to lead in Class II as leaders pass Equator

Confused by the wide disparities in yesterday's position reports ?  Well, there is good reason.  According to Around Alone race officials: "Race operations technicians in Charleston, S.C., are working to fix the anomaly that surfaced late yesterday. When the first boats in the fleet crossed the equator and began reporting their locations as zero latitude, position reporting software went berserk, kicking the boats back north of the line."  This problem has now been fixed, and it also puzzled Group 4's Mike Golding: "The data coming from Race Ops has been totally up the creek for several days now and I am needing to manually plot positions to make any sense of it."

Speaking of the Equator, the fleets top 4 boats have crossed it.  Somewhere still leads Class I with a 29 mile lead over PRB.   Somewhere skipper Marc Thiercelin is justifiably proud of this: "I am tackling my 10th day as the leader in the race and that makes all the hardship I've put myself through worthwhile."  This crossing of the equator was Isabell Autissier's 10th.   Isabelle thinks that "the next 24 hours are going to be decisive."   So far she has cut Somewhere's lead from 52 to 29 miles, which indeed is decisive progress.   Next is Gartmore at 81 miles out of 1st. Josh Hall comments on his 3 weeks at sea: "We are approaching the end of our 3rd week at sea now but the intensity of the contest has made that time race by for me and I am sure that before I know it we will be making landfall off Africa."  In 4th is Group 4 96 miles back.  Mike Golding wonders: "when I have a day where I make all the right sail changes and stay in good breeze, I keep losing miles."  Does Murphy's Law apply ?   Still in the northern hemisphere is Fila 280 miles out of 1st.

In Class II the lead has changed.  Now in 1st is Balance Bar with an 7 mile edge over Magellan and 8 miles over former Class II leader Cray Valley. These boats should cross the equator today.   Still Brad Van Liew on Balance Bar is wary of Cray Valley: "I have taken a tack to get a little more east to cover JP. I don't like what happens when I let that French guy out my sights."  J.P. Mouligne of Cray Valley did not have a good time in the Doldrums: "It has truly be a night from hell, absolutely no wind for 12 hours and squall after squall." 

South Carolina has closed to within 291 miles of Class II's 3rd place boat Cray Valley.  South Carolina continues to sail in heavy weather, "All that crashing and banging has taken its toll though, with the Windex on top of the mast coming off during the night."  Shuten dojhi II continues to be next.   The heavy weather has allowed the larger Rapscallion III to overtake www.no-barriers.com.  On board www.no-barriers.com Neal Petersen reports beating in winds of up to 33 knots with 2 reefs and staysail.  These conditions have affected Neal's outlook: "It has been miserable. Everything is damp. I have felt queezy, bordering on being seasick and have felt listless."   Further he adds: "This is not part of the dream, yet it is."  Look for Neal to make gains as this group gets to the equator and the lighter air and sea conditions.

This 2nd group of Class II boats should get into the Doldrums today which start at about 10 degrees north.  Currently the Doldrums are packed with squall activity.  These squalls have winds up to 45 knots.   Should be much like some of the leaders experience, no wind followed by too much wind in no particular order.

Project Amazon:  This Class I entry has retired from Around Alone.  In his own words here is what Sebastian Reidl told Race Headquarters: Please accept this communication as my official withdrawal from the race. I am releasing the AROUND ALONE 1998-99 of all responsibility they may ever had for my participation in this race.   As I am not able, with on board facilities, to rectify my technical problems, fuel, rigging, etc.; I decided that my arrival in Cape Town would be to late to repair my now existing deficiencies and be ready for the next leg of the race.  I would like to express my thanks to everybody who helped me get to the starting line, which was not an easy task. I hope this is not the last time we have reason to communicate and I may well be better prepared then. Thank you all at ROC for your support. Best reg. One disappointed skipper, Sebastian.

Project Amazon Sebstain Reidl's unique Cat Ketch Rigged Yacht