Please consult The Around Alone Report Users Guide for an explanation of this report.
While only 4 of the 11 boats in Around Alone are Class I boats, it looks like these 4 could produce an extremely high standard of racing. All 4 remaining Class I boats are Finot 60's of very similar performance characteristics. While there are differences in keel and rig configuration, all 4 match up very closely. This is seen in that although PRB leads, 4th place Fila is a mere 9 miles back. Look for many thousand miles of close racing from Class I.
Fleet Round Up:
PRB is the leading Class I boat. PRB is steering a course of 084 degrees and a speed of 6.8 knots. Data gathered from weather observations reported in PRB's area shows wins of 15 knots at 120 degrees, or South East by East.
Somewhere is just 1.1 miles back of PRB. Course is 123 and speed 6.1.
3rd is Josh Hall and Gartmore 2 miles from PRB. Gartmore's course is 078 degrees with a speed of 8.0 knots. Seems as though Gartmore is not sailing quite as hard on the wind and so may have a faster speed.
The final class I boat is Fila. Fila is 9.1 miles back sailing at a speed of 6.6 knots and steering 096 degrees.
Balance Bar leads Class II. As usual Brad Van Liew and Balance Bar are benefiting from upwind sailing. Balance Bar was the first boat to reach the area where a plane flown by an Italian sailing journalist crashed after Saturday's start. Van Liew reported that all he noted was the strong smell of aviation fuel. Later, bodies of the Italian journalist and his wife were recovered.
2nd is Magellan Alpha 9.4 miles back. Again Magellan is having a strong start. Mike Garside reports on the early going of Leg 3: "Life out here ain't no breeze. In fact it is, but it's dead on the nose and as we have had to tack through the Colville Channel and all its little islands all night there hasn't been a lot of sleep."
3rd is the current overall Class II leader, Cray Valley. It's 20 miles from Cray Valley to the lead. J.P. Mouligne reports: "Cray Valley does not like this upwind work and makes me feel it we are bouncing and crashing and not going especially fast. The skinnier Balance Bar is way ahead of me and I can only try to limit the damage until I get some more favorable conditions."
Next is the first of the 40 foot Class II entries, Wind of Change. Wind of Change is 38 miles back.
Next is www.no-barriers.com, also a 40 footer. Neal Petersen is 58 miles back.
Paladin 2 lies 60 miles out of 1st.
The last boat in the fleet is Shuten Dojhi II. Shuten lies 70 miles from 1st place.
What does it all mean ?
The fleet should stay in upwind mode for awhile. This is best for Balance Bar which benefits from the on the snotta sailing. Any lead Brad Van Liew can gain will help. None of the other boats seem to benefit nearly as much from upwind sailing. So for them, it's just to try and stay with the competition.