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Brad Van Liew sailed the jury rigged Balance Bar into Punta Del Este harbor yesterday. Van Liew hopes to acquire a replacement mast and complete Leg 4.
To make the award ceremonies the end of May in Charleston Van Liew needs to be sailing again in 2 weeks. He is considering several mast options. One is to have a new mast built in Argentina. Another is to acquire an already fabricated mast in South America. The final one is to have Balance Bar's mast from the past Around Alone air freighted from Newport Rhode Island.
If Balance Bar can make one of these options happen a Class II podium spot can still be had. Balance Bar leads 4th place Wind of Change by 23 days.
Fleet Round Up:
Fila has retained a slim .3 mile lead on Somewhere. With the wind down Fila is still making 8.3 knots on a course of due north.
Somewhere is sailing a course of 075 degrees.
Magellan Alpha leads Class II by 7 miles. Magellan is a knot slower than Cray Valley and so may lose the lead.
Cray Valley is 2nd. J.P.
Mouligne feels things are coming around after a tough start, "The first 2 days were
among the most difficult sailing conditions I have ever encountered and I feel lucky to
have kept my rig." Currently his stove is not working and he comments: "I
hope that I can fix it, because the idea of a month of cold dried food is depressing."
Next is the first of the 40 foot Class II entries, Wind of Change. Wind of Change is 63 miles back. Wind of Change is sailing at a speed of 7.8 knots, even with Cray Valley and a knot quicker than Magellan.
Next is Shuten Dojhi II. Shuten lies 183 miles from 1st place.
www.no-barriers.com has passed Paladin 2 and is 217 miles out of 1st. Neal Petersen reports: "Water ballast tank on port side is leaking badly, dumping content into bilge."
Paladin 2 is 222 miles back. Neil Hunter comments that even though this is the last leg, "We still have 5,600 miles to sail across King Neptune's domain and this must be done cautiously and with due respect."
What does it all mean ?
In the history of Around Alone a boat that started Leg 4 has never failed to finish. With the attrition rate this edition has seen making a statement like this is tempting fate. Still, it looks like Balance Bar will be able to keep this truism true, although in difficult fashion.