Please consult The Around Alone Report Users Guide for an explanation of this report.
Much quicker than though possible Class II's Balance Bar will be making a return to the race course. Since reaching Punta Del Este Balance Bar's fortunes have been all good. First the team's title sponsor Balance Bar company increased their sponsorship by matching each dollar the team raised. This combined with local fundraising support from the Yacht Club Punta Del este and Conrad Resort and Casino took care of the financial end.
Hall Spars/Argentina has been selected to build a new mast of aluminum. The mast will fly sails and equipment donated by fellow Around Alone team. Somewhere will provide the mainsail which happens to be the one that Marc Thiercelin used on his Falklands/Punta passage. Cray Valley and Magellan Alpha have donated head sails.
Hall Spars will be able to build the spar in 30 hours. Then the mast will journey down the River Plata from Argentina to Uruguay by ferry. A test sail is planned for Friday.
A total of 10 people are on this project full time. Balance Bar estimates a return to racing of Saturday 17 April.'
Fleet Round Up:
Fila has a 62 mile lead on Somewhere. However, Fila is showing a speed of only 4.9 knots. Giovanni Soldini explains his strategy to keep his lead: "because in a couple of days once we're ahead of the front, the wind will be from the north-northeast and whoever is further east will be upwind. So I'm sailing now in an effort to anticipate the wind change." Currently both Class I boats are at the same longitude of 42 degrees 21 minutes west. However, Fila steers a course of 033 degrees compared to Somewhere's 358 which shows that Fila does intend to try and gain some eastern leverage.
Somewhere is showing a speed of 8.4 knots perhaps benefiting from a filling and following breeze. Due to this situation Somewhere has gained 16 miles in the last 6 hours.
Magellan Alpha leads Class II by 11 miles. Magellan is 2 knots slower than Cray Valley. Cray Valley has posted a 12 mile gain in the last 6 hours. Mike Garside is feeling above average and it's not due to his lead. He explains how, what and why: "When it's ready to be quaffed, the brew looks like a thin sort of soup made with chopped wet cabbage leaves and wrinkly beige maggots. Viktor{Yazykov of Wind of Change} assures me it is Russian green tea with rice. I don't give a damn what it is. I can't wait for my next mug of the stuff."
Cray Valley is 2nd. J.P.
Mouligne is puzzled by the conflicting weather information he receives. In the end
he says, "I spend hours analyzing all that weather data and often, at the end, I
still base my decision on gut feeling and a barometer."
Next is the first of the 40 foot Class II entries, Wind of Change. Wind of Change is 156 miles back.
Next is Shuten Dojhi II. Shuten lies 291 miles from 1st place. Minoru Saito reports on some on board difficulties: "again and again no good morning for me. That No. 2 jib torn 2 places off the middle, about 2Ms each."
www.no-barriers.com has passed Paladin 2 and is 312 miles out of 1st. Neal Petersen reports: "I am tired, and going slowly in this dying breeze."
Paladin 2 is 222 miles back. Neil Hunter says, "Margaret brought over a few new books and I swapped a heap with Neal Petersen so now I have a stack to keep me occupied. All in all quite enjoyable at the moment."
What does it all mean ?
If Balance Bar is back racing by Saturday it will be less than a 1 week turn around from here dismasting. Situations like these show just how well all the people involved with this race can focus under pressure. The 8 boats in the fleet seem to be easing into their at sea routine. The reasons vary from a lead to russain tea to a new stack of books, but the result is contentment.