Please consult The Around Alone Report Users Guide for an explanation of this report.
Two of the 4 Class I boats are in the news. For Josh Hall and Gartmore it's bad news, as Gartmore has been dismasted. From this low point experience, we go to Class I leader Somewhere which has set a new 24 monohull singlehanded speed record.
Fleet Round Up:
Somewhere surpassed the 24 hour record, set in October during Leg 1 by Giovanni Soldini and Fila. The new record is 392.3 miles for an average speed of 16.34 knots. Soldini had covered 386.9 miles at a speed of 16.12 knots.
PRB is 2nd trailing Somewhere by 65 miles. Isabelle has PRB at 48 degrees south, and is sailing at 14.6 knots .8 knots faster than Somewhere.
Fila is now 3rd 99 miles from 1st. Fila is to the north of the French boats. Also, Fila is steering a slightly more southerly course. Perhaps Soldini wants to get the benefits of being south that the French boats have had.
Gartmore reported the dismasting at
2315 GMT last nite. At the time of the incident Gartmore was under triple reefed
main and staysail. As skipper Josh Hall sat at the chart table doing navigation work
he looked out and saw his mast tumbling down. According to Josh:"My vague plan
at present is to reach safe harbor, organize a sensible jury rig, and sail to New
Zealand... Whatever, the race is run for us again prematurely, I am gutted, I don't know
what to say or do at the moment. A bewildered Josh..." This incident follows a
1994 Leg 1 occurrence when Hall's boat sank after striking a floating object.
Gartmore is currently under power at a speed of 3 knots. According to Brad
Van Liew of Balance Bar, Hall feels he has enough fuel to motor to the Chatham Islands.
Still, he will work on fashioning a jury rig. Hall's situation is not aided by the
case of flu he is currently battling.
Balance Bar is 1st in Class II by 11 miles. After receiving messages about Mexican food, Brad Van Liew has responded in kind: "Those two hours will be spent building the most awesome plate of Nachos the Southern Ocean has ever seen." As the boat closest to Gartmore Brad Van Liew has spoken to Josh Hall and says, "The man is devastated and I feel for him."
2nd in Class II is Magellan Alpha by 14 miles over Balance Bar. Mike Garside talks of a recent tactical decision: "If I get this right I could widen my lead. Get it wrong and I will hand it back sharply to Brad. J-P will be back in the running sooner than either of us expects. But the die is cast. Just do it!" Right now Magellan is making 10.6 knots best in Class II. Perhaps Garside has it right.
3rd is the current overall Class II leader, Cray Valley. Cray Valley is 79 miles from the lead. J.P. Mouligne reports: "The temperature has been mild since the start and I have not fired my heater yet." Cray Valley is heading more southerly as J.P. Mouligne feels this will be more beneficial.
Next is the first of the 40 foot Class II entries, Wind of Change. Wind of Change is 196 miles back. Viktor Yazykov reports: "BUT IT IS NOT TOO BAD AND THANK TO ALL OUR FRIENDS AND NEW ZEALAND HOSPITALITY THE BOAT IS BETTER PREPEARED."
Next is Shuten Dojhi II. Shuten lies 459 miles from 1st place.
Next is www.no-barriers.com. Neal Petersen is 462miles back.
Paladin 2 comes next 476 miles back. Neil Hunter comments: "All’s well on board, touch wood, and have just had one broken shackle since leaving Auckland." The last 3 boats mentioned are in a very slow way. Speeds range from .5 to 2.4 knots. Neil describes the less than ideal situation this way: "And the observant will notice I have gone back westward across the 180 degree meridian and will now have to cross it again when the wind allows."
What does it all mean ?
What were once high hopes for a British overall victory are all over. All editions of the Vendee Globe and the BOC Challenge (now Around Alone) have been won by French sailors. Now only Italian sailor Giovanni Soldini can end this string.