Around Alone Report for October 22

Wind of Change on the Move

Around Alone has yachts ranging from 40 to 60 feets in length.  3 of them are 40 footers.  For various reason, 2 of the 40 footers- Paladin 2 and Wind of Change started the race days after the fleet.   Although these boats are still near the tail end of the fleet, both are racing hard.  In the last 24 hours this hard sailing has led to gains for Wind of Change.  Yesterday, Wind of Change trailed by 37 miles.   This morning that has been turned into a 22 mile lead, in all a 59 mile swing.   Next up for Wind of Change is Shuten Dojhi II 240 miles away.

At the front of Class II Balance Bar is still # 1.  2nd place Cray Valley is 5.1 miles back.  Life on the leader Balance Bar is good: "Even though we're still going to windward this is as good as conditions one could hope for to do so."  On board Cray Valley J.P. Mouligne is cosidering his strategy for the rest of the leg.   What goes into strategic consideration ?  J.P. puts it this way: "I am using all the tools I have at my disposal: daily forecast from the race organization, grib files, weather faxes from the single-sideband, satellite pictures, Brazilian forecast downloaded automatically in the computer, and, oh yes, looking outside...!"   Still, in the end J.P. expects:  "Intuition, experience and some luck is still what makes you win races."

3rd place is still held by Magellan Alpha, now having dropped to 257 miles out of 1st.  Although Magellan's canting keel miseries have been solved, skipper Mike Garside is not entirely happy in his mind with his yacht.  Mike was hit with this reality in mid ocean: "But the discovery that my perfect yacht was flawed in concept and was unable, in practice, to compete effectively in upwind conditions has knocked me off balance a bit." 

Keels differences are an issue when you consider the differences in Balance Bar and Magellan, and Cray Valley.  Balance Bar has a fixed keel and uses water ballast to add righting moment, as does Cray Valley.  Magellan Alpha swings her keel from side to side, and has no water ballast.  So far, it seems edge to the ballast boys, but Magellan's keel has not been entirely healthy.  Again, points to the ballast boys for reliability.  Perhaps the swing keel set will comeback in the legs to come.

After Magellan comes South Carolina 197 miles back a gain of 168 miles from yesterday.  Robin Davie reports all is cheerful on South Carolina, except:  "LOST - and not yet found - The ships dividers - they have gone AWOL from the chart table - gone walkabouts - they are missing."  George Stricker's Rapscallion III trails South Carolina by 118 miles.  Stricker wonders: "The debate is when can I tack, because I am going too far west."  Last report shows that Stricker has tacked to clear Brazil and is steering a course of 104 degrees.   Behind Rapscallion is www.no-barriers.com.   No Barriers is also steering an easterly course to get around Brazil: "So going east has postponed my Equator crossing untill tomorrow. I want to say it will be Friday, but as long as I can make easting, I want to keep going, otherwise its back to Brazil."  Next in Class II is Shuten Dojhi II and as mentioned above, Wind of Change and Paladin II.

Class I is still led by  Marc Thiercelin sailing Somewhere.  Today his lead is 22 miles over PRB.  3rd in Class I is Group 4 104 miles back.  Group 4's Mike Golding gives a strategic summary: " I also want to maintain my right hand position as it looks as though Josh is moving to try to do the same and Giovanni, although a long way back in terms of distance to go, has positioned himself with the benefit of having seen our track abruptly halted, it's not impossible for him to sail around the whole lot of us." 

Fila is 376 miles back, but has gained 19 miles in the last 6 hours.  Fila's postion is evidence of Soldini's latest stategic concept.  Usually Soldini applies no half measures in strategy.  In this case, Fila has moved to the right of the leading group of 4.  Fila is at 33 degrees west latitude with the 4 boats ahead anywhere from 26 to 28 degrees west.  Soldini's presents his strategy this way: "I decided to skirt around the large high pressure area building up in the Southern Atlantic off Rio di Janeiro from the south With high pressure area behind me, I will be able to head directly for the finishing line. It’s seems to me like the right thing to do even though it will be a struggle."  As Golding says, it's possible that this could work.  Last report shows Fila steaming along at 11 knots, which is faster than any of the boats ahead.  Looks like Soldini's gambit is off to a good start.