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Around Alone Report May 24

Balance Bar finishes 3rd overall

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

Brad Van Liew finished the 1998-99 Around Alone on form.  His 50 footer Balance Bar whizzed across the finish line at 12 knots.   Official finish time was 1030 Charleston time/ 1430 GMT.  This finish capped a difficult Leg 4 for Van Liew.  A dismasting cost him a week time.  Still, he held onto his 3rd place over all for the race finishing the leg in 42 days 23 hours 30 minutes and 51 seconds. 

At the start of the race Balance Bar was the known factor and Van Liew the unknown.  Balance Bar had sailed the race 4 years earlier.   Van Liew had bought the boat and refitted it and the boat seemed likely to hold up.   On the other hand, for Van Liew there was no form sheet.  He was a young California pilot with no previous offshore singlehanded experience.

Leg 1 went well for Van Liew.  It became apparent that upwind his boat had better form than other Class II boats.  He even lead for a time.  Upon reaching Cape Town came a firm indication that Van Liew was a contender.   He had sailed Balance Bar to third place although his rudder bearings were frozen.   In Cape Town Van Liew said: "It was nearly impossible to steer the boat with the rudder, I have to get this fixed here in Cape Town because there is no way I am taking this boat into the Southern Ocean with that rudder."

He got Balance Bar back into fighting form and went forth to the Southern Ocean.  Although at first intimidated by the Southern Ocean, he came to not fear his environment.  Leg 2 ended for Balance Bar with another 3rd place finish this by just 2 minutes!

Leg 3 saw Van Liew experience how bad the Southern Ocean really can be.  Balance Bar sailed in winds of over 70 knots for 30 hours.   Brad reported: " The winds were so high that bare poles was way too much sail area."  Van Liew commented after this epic storm: "I feel like I was given the opportunity to see exactly what has killed so many sailors..... and passed through it."  Balance Bar again placed 3rd this time by 7 hours.

Heading into Leg 4 Brad had every reason to think that the worst was past.  After all no boat had ever failed to finish Leg 4.  He was ready to finally finish better than 3rd and perhaps even look into a 2nd overall finish.   That is until Balance Bar's mast was busted and tumbled down.

After the dismasting Balance Bar looked to be done.   However, his shore team became a fundraising and mast sourcing machine.   Balance Bar came through with funds, Somewhere provided sails and one week later Balance Bar raced again. 

One back in the race he trailed by over 1000 miles.   2nd place of any kind was not an option.  Still, Brad overcame three boats and finished 4th for Leg 4.

Upon his finish in a dockside ceremony Van Liew said: "At the risk of sounding egotistical I have to say experience has taught me that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to accomplish."  From my perspective there is no risk as Van Liew overcame all doubts and obstacles and finished Around Alone a very thorough test.

Fleet Round Up:

www.no-barriers.com will be the next finisher this afternoon.  At last report Neal Petersen was only 36 miles from completion.  His boatspeed was 6.1 knots.  Neal is ready to finish and says, "The South African Flag and the Irish Flag will once more fly on on this craft tomorrow when we prove...In life there are no barriers, only solutions. Dreams can be realized."

Shuten Dojhi II shows 355 miles from a finish which is estimated to occur this Thursday. Minoru Saito reports: "I had great one day, maybe drinking a lots of SAKE, whiskey, beer, and good sleeping, and only mainsails sailing beter than it."

Paladin 2 is 553 miles from the finish.   Paladin2's ETA is 28 May.

What does it all mean ?

Balance Bar's finish completes the Class II podium arrangement. 

Cumulative Standings Table

Last Updated: 15-Feb-05 08:40