Around Alone Report for October 19

Updates on all the groupings within the Fleet

As another work week beings, the Around Alone fleet is still sailing Leg 1 from Charleston South Carolina USA to Cape Town South Africa.   The status of the fleet is in large part the same.  Somewhere continues to lead Class I by 42 miles over fellow French yacht PRB whose skipper Isabelle Autissier celebrated her birthday yesterday.  Next are the two British Class I yacht, Gartmore (105 miles out of 1st) and Team Group 4 (111 miles out of 1st). 

Group 4's Mike Golding is sailing at full effort. Still, "I watch each schedule expecting to make some miles only to find that everyone is pushing, pushing pushing"  Also, Golding has altered his thinking in terms of sail plan.  He feels "it may be better to pull the boat along rather than push it and I tried putting two reefs in the main and leaving the genoa in place, this seems marginally better, lifting the bows but I worry about the long term effect on the genoa which has a nasty tear in the clew that I cannot get at until things slow down."   The position reports will tell the correctness of his new theory.

Steady ESE to E breezes should continue for the Class I and Class II leaders.

Class II is still led my the American yacht Balance Bar.  Only 13.5 miles back in 2nd is Cray Valley. In 3rd farther back than normal is Magellan Alpha.  Further proof that Around Alone is never easy:  despite leading Brad Van Liew has no working wind instruments (not even a WIndex) and has several broken battens. 

It seems as though Magellan Alpha is   affected by problems with her canting keel.  This means that what Mike Garside is now sailing is an Open 50 with a fixed keel and no water ballast.  Garside plans to press on regardless: "I do not intend to put in to Recife or anywhere else other than Cape Town."  However, the position reports show that Magellan continues to drop back.  South Carolina has closed to within 216 miles of Magellan.  This despite South Carolina's battling the variable conditions of the Doldrums.

From the doldrums South Carolina skipper Robin Davie gives this report: "Light winds overnight gave way to a massive cloud and rain storm this morning -- the rain was torrential, lasting over an hour, then the rain moved on, the skies cleared and the sun came out, but someone forgot to switch on the wind."  The next yacht is Rapsacllion III, creeping through the Doldrums at 3.2 knots.  The next yacht www.no-barriers.com is also engulfed in the Doldrums.  Neal Petersen's life is a series of stops and start like this one he describes: "...soon I was engulfed in a thunder squall and having to reduce headsail. Made progress for 20 min. and came to a stop till after sunrise." Neal has lost one of his autopilots so, now on www.no-barriers.com , "So I am down to my last electronic pilot, which I am saving for very light airs only. I am using my Monitor Windvane now totally as the main driving force. It is doing a good job, but does wander a bit and demands more of my attention." Shuten Dojhi II follows www.no-barriers.com.   Skipper Minouro Saito recently spoke to Neal Petersen on VHF radio www.no-barriers.com showing how close their race is. 

This group of yachts will have to get below 3 degrees north latitude to have a chance of steady wind.

The final 2 boats in Class II are Paladin II and Wind of Change.  In this race within the race,  Wind of Change has closed to within 58 miles of Paladin II.

Both of these yachts should make good progress as they are in an area of good tradewinds.