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Around Alone Report December 8

Class I hauls the Mail

Weather forecasts predicted the best wind south of 40 degrees South Latitude.  All 5 of the Class I Open 60's are + 40 degrees south latitude.  And they are hauling the mail.  Speeds range from PRB's 11.9 knots to Fila's 15.6 knots.   Unlike yesterday the courses of the Class I boats are close ranging from the 098 of PRB to the 116 degrees of Group 4.

Fila is the race leader.  Fila leads 2nd place Group 4 by 7.5 miles.   3rd place is held by PRB. Isabelle Autissier reports good sailing: "All is well on board, except for spending the night sitting around in damp foul-weather gear."  4th is Somewhere the farthest south of any of the fleet down at 44 degrees south.  The final Class I yacht is Gartmore 65 miles out of 1st.  Gartmore is the farthest north of the Class Iers. 

Class II is still led my Magellan Alpha.   At this point Magellan is 66 miles ahead of Cray Valley.  Magellan's Mike Garside is sailing aggressively while in the lead: "I'm struggling to write at the moment. This is very tough sailing and I am driving hard to try and make a gap between J-P Mouligne and myself."  It seems to be working as last report showed Magellan sailing at 12 knots, while Cray Valley made 9.9.

From Cray Valley J.P. Mouligne reports Force 10 conditions: "I have 3 reefs in the main sail and am thinking about taking the main down altogether as some gusts are now approaching 50 kts."  His plans as Mike Garside suspected are to: "sail conservatively for the next few days; it is a long leg and I cannot afford to break anything at the start."  It looks like a classic case of decision making roulette.  Garside playing for the short term, with J.P. thinking long term.  Garside is trying to beat Mouligne for the first time, while Mouligne has a slight lead which allows him to be more conservative.

Still sailing well is the first 40 footer Wind of Change.  Viktor Yazykov has Wind of Change north of most of leaders.   Still, he is making 8.7 knots, the same speed as the 50 foot Balance Bar.

Balance Bar is in 4th 102 miles back.   Brad Van Liew is seeing how fast he can safely go: "I am trying to find a groove that will preserve the boat and can see how easily one could make a mistake of going too fast."

www.no-barriers.com is 5th in Class II.  Neal Petersen has kept No Barriers well to the north of the fleet.  Currently No Barriers is at 36 south.  This does not mean Neal has had easy sailing.  In fact No Barriers suffered a knockdown.  Neal describes the knockdowns effects: "Not only did I get flung out of my bunk, ten feet, but my bunk was torn off its supports leaving screw holes in the water ballast tank. I landed across the nave station and galley. In my flight, I tore the radar screen off its mounting."  However, Neal reports no lasting effects: "I picked myself up, and was unhurt except for a few bruises, and spent the next hour restowing items."

Next is the last of the three 40 footers, Paladin 2.  Paladin 2 is proving a handful in the wild conditions: "I have three reefs in the main and no headsail and she still rounds up in the gusts."

Last of the yachts racing is Shuten Dojhi II, 440 miles back of the leader.

In Cape Town lie three boats.  George Stricker has made it to Cape Town.  He has disposed of his broken carbon fiber boom.  A Cape Town company will fabricate an aluminum boom.  Stricker hopes to have Rapscallion III racing by this afternoon.  Also, leaving Cape Town today will be Modern University for the Humanities. Finally, South Carolina hopes to depart by Wednesday.  Reports from Cape Town show that shore crews from three other boats are helping Robin Davie in readying South Carolina.  Among the remaining tasks are fixing self steering gear, and the headsail furling system.