Please consult The Around Alone Report Users Guide for an explanation of this report.
Yesterday's close racing in Class I has seen a change. Fila has moved out to a 112 mile lead.
Fleet Round Up:
Fila now owns a 112 mile Class I lead. At last report Fila was sailing a course of 192 degrees, moving at 9.1 knots. Reported weather near Fila shows winds ranging from East by North to South East at strength levels of Force 3 & 4- a moderate breeze. Looks like Giovanni Soldini is off to a good start in light of this observation: "I think it's going to be a fast leg too and reckon we can finish in 25 days or less."
Gartmore has moved up to 2nd. Gartmore is steering a course of 191 degrees, sailing at a speed of 8.3 knots.
PRB is now 3rd 117 miles back. PRB is moving at 8.9 knots steering 189 degrees. Isabelle Autissier offers this take on the early sailing: "No sleep, because we're close to the coast."
Somewhere is 4th in Class I, 136 miles back of PRB. Somewhere has the fleet's top speed of 10.2 knots, on a course of 196 degrees.
Balance Bar again leads Class II by 11 miles over Magellan. Balance Bar continues to revel in the moderate wind on the wind conditions.
2nd is Magellan Alpha 11 miles back.
3rd is the current overall Class II leader, Cray Valley. Cray Valley is 31 miles from 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 53 miles back.
Next is www.no-barriers.com, also a 40 footer. Neal Petersen is 79 miles back. After a productive Auckland stopover, Neal says: "I have left Auckland better prepared than when I left Charleston."
Paladin 2 lies 84 miles out of 1st.
The last boat in the fleet is Shuten Dojhi II. Shuten lies 91 miles from 1st place.
What does it all mean ?
The forecast says strong favorable winds will be at 48 to 50 degrees south, by midweek. The question is who will be the first benificiary ?