Around Alone Report for October 27

Leaders head East

If you take a look at your world map and locate Charleston and Cape Town you will find that Cape Town is both south and east of Charleston.  However, so far the Around Alone fleet has been sailing largely the south component.  Movement to the east has been rare.

Finally the Class I yachts pacing the fleet have made a left hand turn for Cape Town.  At last report the first five boats were steering course from 099 degrees (Somewhere) to 118 degrees (Fila).   This group has got to 34 degrees south and headed east and for the finish line.   Speeds for them range from 10.5 knots (Somewhere and Gartmore) to 13.2 knots (Group 4) indicating lite air is not an issue. 

Still leading this group is Isabell Autissier and PRB. 2nd place is held by Somewhere 41 miles back.  Current Cape Town eta for PRB is Tuesday November 3rd.  Don't be so certain of this.   Isabelle predicts: "It [good wind] won't last forever, though, because the front is weakening. Tomorrow, we'll be stuck in the high, which now stretches all the way to 40 degrees south!"  Group 4 continues on in 3rd place 68 miles back of PRB.  Group 4's Mike Golding indicates: "This is a time for a big push as our courses slowly bend around towards Cape Town."  4th is Gartmore 175 miles back.  At this point Josh Hall is mulling how hard he can safely push Gartmore: "FILA also has damage to her mainsail though he has caught up well -- pushing very hard and setting a new solo 24-hr-day run record of 381 miles. We have posted 2 days of 335 miles. All the lead boats are capable of this record and better -- it's just a question of whether you risk the race for one day's run." Fila remains in 5th 275 miles out,  which is 48 miles more than yesterday.  Some reward for a world record, and an indicator of the level of competition.

Class II is still led by Cray Valley by 17 miles over Balance Bar.  In the lead Cray Valley is not having a fun ride: "It has been blowing 35 kts all night, I am straight upwind moving away from Cape Town and CRAY VALLEY is taking a terrible banging."   On board Balance Bar Brad Van Liew is modifying his autopliot to counteract his decaying rudder bearings: "The expert in New York who I called had some good suggestions and now the pump thinks the boat is some commercial fishing vessel in the North Sea."  Brad's weather conditions: "Heading: Going away from Cape Town Winds: 30-35 kts Southeast."  3rd place Magellan Alpha is now only 173 miles out of 1st.  This is a gain of 45 miles.  Magellan's eastern gambit appears to be paying. 

Still the 4th place yacht in Class II is South Carolina.  As Robin Davie sails south he again brings up the subject of tea: "A good mug of tea as the sun sets works wonders - airs appeared again."  Rapscallion III follows and then www.no-barriers.com.   On board Neal Petersen reflects: "The past is only memories, the future is expectation, but now is just about the very basics...living, surviving, advancing."   No Barriers is followed by Shuten Dojhi II, Wind of Change and Paladin 2.