In this Issue:
Key West Race Week Update
Gold Race- Who, What, When, Where, and Why
Paul Cayard Whitbread Forum

Key West Race Week Mid Week Update

    Four days into this major regatta, there has been three days of racing and one day of no wind conditions. Obviously, the regatta is not over. But we can tell you who is trending towards a good week.

    In the big boat fleet Starlight (One Design 48) with Wisconsin's Buddy Melges at the helm is 2nd. In this always competitive class, any of these boats plus leader Abracadabra could end up top boat.

    In the IMS big boat Chicago home ported Flash Gordon is 2nd to Bright Star. This boat has lost nothing off her pace since this summer's Admirals Cup appearance.
    In IMS 2 the top 2 boats are Great Lakes boats. Vim III has 6 consecutive 1st's, while V Max is 2nd with consecutive runner up finishes.

    Division 2/PHRF Class 7 is being dominated by Chicago's X-Press looking very good with 6 straight bullets.

    In PHRF 9 two Great Lakes s2 7.9's are battling for top honors. Holland MI's Spot(2nd) leads Racine WI's Challenge (3rd) by 7 points. Strong finishes could put either one of these boats in the lead by week's end.

    There are numerous other Great Lakes boats competing this week. For full results and further details please see the Official Yachting Magazine Key West race week site.

The Gold Race-Who, What, When, Where and Why ?
   
    During the 1840's California Gold Rush, ships literally rushed along the New York to San Francisco route with immigrants and their dreams fueled by gold.

    The Gold Race is a modern day race in the spirit of the Clipper ships that used to rush along this route. Currently 3 Open Class 60 boats are in the Atlantic ocean competing. These are the boats normally sailed solo in the Vendee Globe and Around Alone races. For this race each boat has a crew.

    The 3 world famous boat are: Aquitaine Innovations skippered by Yves Parlier of France. Aquitaine Innovations has already been tested on one race around the world and in the Transat Jacques Vabre 1997. GEODIS which is skipped by Vendee Globe winner Christophe Auguin. And PRB skippered by Isabelle Autissier. She holds the current record on this race course: 62 days,5 hours, and 55 minutes.

    The Gold Race started on Saturday under the gaze of the Statue of Liberty. After a peaceful first nite the fleet hit a gagger of a gale. In this gale winds topped 50 knots. As the fleet passed Bermuda the gale blew on. On board Geodis there were no problems, "but two of the crew were washed out of the cockpit by a wave and were thrown back several meters onto the aft deck. Fortunately they were harnessed in. In this kind of weather wearing a harness is standard operating procedure whether you're working forward, or on the helm." PRB tore her main, and A.I. suffered batten damage.

    At 0630 Eastern on Friday Aquitaine Innovations was in the lead. In 2nd was PRB 16.25 miles back. 3rd was GEODIS 115 miles out of 2nd.

    The fleet is nearing the Tropic of Cancer. Speeds range from 8.0 to 9.7 knots.    This race will cover a total of 13,900 miles making it the world's longest crewed monohull race.

Look for more in Great Lakes Sale Online ! or surf to the Around Alone web site:

Torresen Sailing Site Chats with
Whitbread Skipper Paul Cayard

Thursday afternoon the Torresen Sailing Site had a chance to attend a Whitbread cyber conference. In attendance was race leading skipper Paul Cayard.

We opened our questions with a query that is web related:

Q:  A concept we have been kicking around- A live on board 24 hour a day camera that would be web cast 24 hrs. a day. How would you and the EF Language crew view this?

A: It would be hard for us to view it but real good for you all. I don't think the sailors would have a real problem with that.

Perhaps some of seen examples of web cameras, for such things as traffic. Wouldn't logging on after a hard days work and seeing a flat out Whitbread 60 in the Southern ocean be better than traffic ?
   
Next we asked a race related question:

Q:  Do you think Silk Cut's 24 hr. record will fall and will you be the boat that breaks it?
Cayard's Answer: Yes. I think it will fall and I think Slick will set the new record. They have the fastest heavy air, down wind boat.

No, 'Slick' is not a typo that is Cayard's term of endearment for British entry Silk Cut.
   
Later we asked Paul a question about the icebergs he will see on the next leg.

Q: Did you go to the ciniplex and see Titanic for how not to avoid iceberg tips?

A: I am avoiding the Titanic about a avidly as I will avoid the icebergs.
   
For the all of the questions and answers that the Torresen Sailing Site asked visit (where else ?!)  For the complete transcript of the forum head to the official Whitbread site.