Around Alone Report December 22

Fleet Wide Storm is building

Please consult The Around Alone Report Users Guide for an explanation of this report.

Highlights from the current fleet weather forecast are: "Wild weather will be developing for the entire fleet over the next 24-72 hours. Winds in excess of 50 kts are possible for the last 2 boats in the within 24 hours and the remainder of the boats will experience high winds and big seas by Tuesday."  In fact the coming weather is described as a"monster storm."  It is expected to his all the boats, from tail ender South Carolina to fleet leader Fila.

Fleet Round Up:

Fila continues to lead Class I and the race.  Soldini's lead is currently 95 miles.  Soldini's 16.3 knots is the fleet's high speed.  Soldini is well aware of the weather on the way saying: "From Today (Monday 21 December) and for the next 72 hours it looks like we can expect winds of up to 60 knots, almost 110 kph, from the NW."  Even before the storm, Giovanni acknowledges how hard the racing has been: "I'm beginning to feel the pinch. I'm sleeping very little, 15 minutes maximum at a time, and I'm lucky if I get four hours a day." 

Group 4 has moved up to 2nd place and is sailing at 14.7 knots.  Mike Golding's race has been recently difficult: "So now it's dark (isn’t it always), I am in a 60-foot yacht, crash gybed with no working pilots and sails which I can't get down because they are jammed at the mast and need a winch -- most of which is on the 4-kilometer journey to the bottom to free them."   One of the lasting effects of this incident is that Golding's main halyard winch is not in good working order, as "It’s now held in place with a cat's cradle of Vectran to prevent a reoccurrence."  This could be highly troublesome in conditions where reefs need to come in and out.

Somewhere is now 3rd 145 miles back, 33 more than yesterday.  Somewhere's speed is 11.8 knots, lowest of the top 3 boats.

PRB is sailing in 4th.   She is now headed for Adventure Bay in Tasmania.  Awaiting her there is PRB shore crew and previous Class II winner David Adams.   Isabelle Autissier provides this description of the damage to the mainsail track: "What this means is that half of the mainsail isn't attached to the mast. That's all right in a following wind, but out of the question when close-hauled. For the moment, I'm sailing with the mainsail double- reefed. I must absolutely avoid bad weather, because if I have to strike the mainsail, I won't be able to raise it again."  How does Isabelle feel about completing Around Alone ?   She puts it this way: "Right now, the race is only half over. . So you never know... I haven't given up hope of getting onto the podium; but actually winning will be harder."

5th is Gartmore 1188 miles out of 1st.  

6th in Class I is Modern University for the Humanities. 

Cray Valley is the Class II leader, at this point by 135 miles over Magellan. J.P. Mouligne is pleased so far: "CRAY VALLEY is just incredibly fast downwind and I have pushed hard in total safety."  J.P. knows of the weather warnings and is ready should the weather break: "I am keeping a close look out, ready to jump outside to reduce sail and adjust water ballast."

Magellan now sits 2nd in Class II. Mike Garside reports a nasty 24 hours.  Among other things he spent an hour on deck sewing up a rip in his staysail, and had a knockdown.  It's tough going and Garside says: "And, right now, I feel every one of my fifty-four years. Still, Auckland gets closer day by day."

Balance Bar is 3rd, 581 miles back.   Brad Van Liew view on the weather is this: "I suspect it could get pretty hairy so I will remain on my toes."

Wind of Change is 4th, 632 miles from the lead, 47 more than yesterday.

5th is now Shuten Dojhi II, which has overtaken no barriers.  Shuten is currently faster than No Barriers and so should stretch her new lead.

6th is www.no-barriers.com.  Neal Petersen has not yet picked up the heavy weather, moving at 4.3 knot lowest in the fleet.

7th is Paladin 2, sailing along at 5.9 knots.  Neil Hunter reports: "Plenty of food to chose from so had some hot soup yesterday which warms one up quite nicely."

Rapscallion III has now officially dropped out.  George Stricker reports on the gooseneck that broke: "Looks like gooseneck underbuilt. Just an add-on part with layers of carbon and no substantial build up of carbon."  Rapscallion is now returning to Cape Town.

South Carolina has finally started. Robin Davie reports: "Some good Southern Ocean type weather hasn't taken long to find me, and its been puffing up to gale force since early morning with gusts and rain squalls into the 40 knot [Force 8/Fresh Gale] range."  Due to this South Carolina sailed 215 miles in 24 hours, an average of 8.96. 

What does it all mean ?

The next cycle of weather will likely be a gear buster.   The boats and sailors have been pounded and softened up making mistakes more likely.  One hopes the events are crucial only in a competitive and not survival sense.

Standings Table