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Around Alone Report April 17   

Weekend front will be key

Please consult The Around Alone Report Users Guide for an explanation of this report. 

Brad Van Liew and his Balance Bar team have had to put their plans on hold.  High winds producing horizontal rain make it much too windy to step Balance Bar's new mast.  So, Balance Bar will not be back racing today, although due to uncontrollable circumstances. 

Fleet Round Up:

Fila has a 42 mile lead on Somewhere.  So far Fila has resisted Somewhere's challenge for the lead.  Sailing in northerly winds of 20 knots Fila is making 9.4 knots. 

Somewhere is showing a speed of 9.6 knots only  .2 knots faster than Fila.  Obviously Somewhere continues to pressure Fila.

Magellan Alpha leads Class II by 12 miles a 6 mile decrease.  Magellan has a slight speed deficit so may see further lead shrinkage.

Cray Valley is 2nd.  J.P. Mouligne looks ahead from his 2nd place position: "At 25 South I have a minimum of 300 miles North to do before I can hope to start getting the trade winds of the Southern hemisphere, they usually start around 20 South and blow toward the Northwest."

Next is the first of the 40 foot Class II entries, Wind of Change.  Wind of Change is 158 miles back a gain of 10 miles. 

www.no-barriers.com has passed Shuten Dojhi II and is 323 miles out of 1st. Neal Petersen reports:"A few hours after dawn I shook out all the reefs and hoisted a full mainsail, and set a full genoa, going along nicely with a confused sea and strong currents against me.

Next is Shuten Dojhi II.   Shuten lies 353 miles from 1st place. 

Paladin 2 is 414 miles back.   Neil Hunter says, "Crazy night with the wind doing wheelies and going up and down between 30 kts and becalmed. The seas were, like me, some what confused."

Unofficial entry South Carolina sailed by Robin Davie has arrived in Punta Del Este.  Davie plans to quickly restore and leave in tandem with Balance Bar.

What does it all mean ?

It's still several days until the smoother sailing of the tradewinds.  Until then the fleet will battle winds from behind and due to the Brazillian current seas from ahead.  As Neil Hunter said, confusing.