Torresen Sailing Site Presents Sailing Daily beginning June 1st

Around Alone Report May 13

Magellan is Class II winner for Leg 4

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

Around Alone 1998-99 now has a full compliment of winners.   Finishing at 0100 eastern/0500 GMT J.P. Mouligne is the final Around Alone winner to finish.  This finish signifies a 2nd place Leg 4 finish for Mouligne and his overall Class II triumph.

Leg 4 was slow for J.P. Mouligne both relative to his competitors and against the clock as he took 32 days 14 minutes and 17 seconds an average speed of 7.49.  With a Class II winning time of 132 days 4 hours 3 minutes and 9 seconds J.P. narrowly misses a new Class II race record.

Aside from Leg 4 J.P. Mouligne sailed Cray Valley in a consistently brilliant fashion.  J.P. began the race with a well prepared boat.  Cray Valley had been sailed for several years before Around Alone including a record setting passage from Newport to Bermuda and a victory in the Atlantic Alone tune up race.  The depth of J.P.'s preparation is shown in this statement: "I have been to 11 different countries with Cray Valley in 3 years (France, England,Bermuda, Netherland,Norway,Germany, Finland, Sweden, South Africa, New Zealand and Uruguay). As you view this list realize that Around Alone visits: South Africa, New Zealand and Urguay.  This means that in preparation Cray Valley visited 8 other countries!

Leg 1 saw Cray Valley take possession of yet another record in the form of the Class II mark from Charleston to Cape Town.  J.P.'s first experience in the Southern Ocean was a winning one as Cray Valley won Leg 2. 

Leg 3 from Auckland to Punta Del Este was another Cray Valley victory.

Leg 4 from Punta to Charleston took on added significance for J.P.    If he won Class II again he would become only the 3rd Around Alone sailor to win all 4 legs of a given race. At the start of the leg he hindered his chances with some bad tactics.  Then he was hit by two major hurdles.

One was a strep infection of his knee.  After receiving medical advice from shoreside doctors J.P. took a course of antibiotics.  This controlled the infection and he sailed on. 

The other was a mainsail on its last legs.  J.P. repaired the sail.  He lost time making the repairs and never had full confidence in it the rest of the leg.  Despite this J.P. continued to sail Cray Valley hard, but a Leg 4 win wasn't to be.

One of the patterns Cray Valley showed was a tendency to start slow.   On Leg 2 Cray Valley sat in 2nd 62 miles out on the legs 5th day, and on Leg 3 Cray Valley was in 3rd place 89 miles back and in 3rd place.  Still J.P. later commented: "I realize how much I like being at sea and competing."  This love of competition showed as J.P. usually got stronger as the miles passed by until he was at the front.

As he neared Charleston J.P. said: "So many have have tried this race and so few have succeeded that I am forever grateful to have been given the chance to realise my dream."  J.P. took the chance given, prepared well and no matter the circumstances finished strong on his way to a dominating Class II victory.

Fleet Round Up:

Wind of Change leads the boats remaining on course for the Charleston finish.  Wind of Change is 507 miles and is expected in Charleston Sunday.

Balance Bar is 1578 miles back sailing at 6 knots.  Taking note of Magellan and Cray Valley's finishes Brad Van Liew says: "I am truly happy for their victories, although I still wish I could have been standing on the docks for their arrival!"

www.no-barriers.com has again moved up to 4th place and is 1322 miles back.  Neal Petersen reports: "Now dreaming of BBQ steak."

Shuten Dojhi II shows in 5th place 1371 miles back. 

Paladin 2 is 1742 miles back moving at 5.6 knots.  Neil Hunter says: "Sky is clearing and looking like we’re in for another hot one."

What does it all mean ?

Cray Valley had pre race expectations of victory and met them.  Often times this is hardest thing to do.

Cumulative Standings Table

Last Updated: 15-Feb-05 08:40