Around The World Of Sailing

Amundsen Trophy

Twenty-two days in, leading most of the race since the starting-gun was fired on February 5th in Doha, with the wind at 70 knots NW, the sea good, flying full main and clocking speeds of 29 knots, yesterday at 0210 hrs GMT, Doha 2006 spectacularly took the first record in the Oryx Quest 2005. All eyes were on the instruments as they crossed the Amundsen Gate at longitude 163° West when they went in to the history books as the first boat to be awarded the Amundsen Trophy for this record in this non-stop round-the-world yacht race, a staggering 1500 nautical miles (approximately) ahead of the US entry, Cheyenne.

The Amundsen Trophy is named after the legendary polar explorer Roald Amundsen, considered to be the greatest polar explorer of all time. The Amundsen Gate lies at 163° West longitude and lies on the same route taken by Amundsen on his legendary trip to conquer the South Pole in 1911.

Brian Thompson, skipper of Doha 2006, reported back to Oryx Quest Race HQ who were closely monitoring the boat’s progress, “We are delighted and proud to have just claimed our first trophy and our first record for the boat. The Amundsen Trophy stands for courage, fighting spirit and determination - it is a fantastic achievement for the boat and the crew. It was an extraordinary feeling to pass the Amundsen Gate. Really quite historic with Roald Amundsen base camp in mind.”

Jørgen Amundsen, Founder and President of Amundsen Oslo and relative of Roald Amundsen, called Brian Thompson, Doha 2006 skipper on their mobile satellite phone to congratulate him and the crew on their achievement. He added “I wish you all the best for the remainder of the race. I am greatly looking forward to welcoming you back in Doha and presenting you and your crew with the Amundsen Trophy”.

The Amundsen trophy, measuring 70cm in height, was created by British artist, John Mellows, and will be presented to Brian Thompson and the crew of Doha 2006 at the official prizegiving in May 2005.

Amundsen Oslo, the first and only Norwegian watch brand, was founded in 2002 by Jørgen Amundsen. They produce three categories of unique, high quality wristwatches: Polar, Yachting and Aviation Timepieces. Amundsen Oslo timepieces are dedicated to pioneers expecting and demanding high performance and reliability in all situations on their way reaching their goals and realizing their dreams.

The Oryx Quest 2005 is the first around-the-world race for Amundsen Oslo as an official timekeeper.

Doha 2006 continues to lead the fleet about 700 nautical miles ahead of the US entry, Cheyenne, at speeds of between 22 and 30 knots heading east towards Cape Horn.

Orange II needs Rudder Repair

Since its accidental encounter with an orca at the end of yesterday, the maxi-catamaran Orange II is continuing its course towards the NE while awaiting a sea and wind state that enable it to come to a standstill and make a general inspection of the boat. The main focus of Orange II's skipper is to send down a diver under the hull to inspect the damaged rudder. According to Yann Penfornis, the boat's architect : "the impact on the port rudder has provoked delamination across a 30cm area on the leading edge of the rudder. It is the outer carbon skin which is peeling away, so there is no major concern for the moment. The rudder is unlikely to split in two as it made from a single piece of carbon. However, the second carbon skin must not then begin to delaminate. As a result I am moderately optimistic".
Several solutions are open to Orange's crew: Work directly on the rudder and carry out the lamination of the zone of impact, underwater. Or remove the rudder, lift it onboard, repair it and then put it back in place. This second solution is not the one retained by Bruno Peyron in principle, as the skipper is seemingly more in favour of an underwater repair. Answer in two days...
For the time being, the giant Orange II is continuing to rack up the miles with an average of 25 knots whilst sailing on port tack, thus putting the stress on the starboard daggerboard and rudder. The damaged rudder is not under any stress at present as a result.

Extract from today's radio session with Bruno Peyron and Bernard Stamm :

The impact: "There's nothing we can do while the sea isn't calm. The zone of calms is forecast in two days. We really hope the rudder will hold until then. We have noticed that the top skin has come away and that the fences have disappeared too. We cannot see if the second layer of fibre is coming away or not. Everyone is keeping a permanent eye on it. We have some resin that sets in the water so we can make repairs underwater. If we decide to dismantle it, we know how to do that too but to get it back together again it would need to be very, very calm. In the open sea, it is never very flat. If we could avoid this man—uvre, it would be much better. We have virtually gone round the world on starboard tack and in two days we will need the port rudder. As a result we are focussing our attention on an underwater solution as soon as we can bring the boat to a stand still."

Eight and a half day lead over Fossett: "We will certainly go slower, though for the moment we are still going well as we are not using the damaged rudder. We have an eight and a half day lead over Cheyenne and that should increase further still after tomorrow. The boat is structurally intact. The crew is well even though we are tired. Though this problem may slow us up, it won't prevent us from getting to the end. It's going to take more than that to stop us! In 1993, we hit two whales with an exploded daggerboard in the same place, and that didn't stop us picking up the Jules Verne!"

The injured orca: "You'll have to tell the children that it must have a big bump on its head ! The rudder is half out of the water the whole time and you can clearly see the traces of it where it is deformed and the impact at the front."

Mentally: "We're all very well. The level of experience aboard is such that everyone has seen other moments like this. At the time you react without speaking, without losing time. The observation was unanimous and at the same time. The general feeling is that it was a good thing. In the iceberg zone, we managed to get through it intact, in the seaweed zone, we got through unscathed too. We've had sail damage and now in we've hit something. We consider ourselves lucky that it was an orca weighing a few tonnes and not a 30 tonne whale... You have to find the positive things in these situations!"

Fatigue: "We've all felt a bit tired since yesterday. We haven't stopped since the Horn. We've had 40 knots of wind and squalls of up to 50. There is an accumulation of physical and nervous fatigue...Looking back, we see that we've been flat out since the start. Normally we make long trip with transition zone. Here though, we've swallowed up the transition zones without losing any speed. It's a different level of fatigue to when we hit the Southern Ocean."

ETA at the equator: "In three days time, we will continue to use the lift from the depression which is the same as we have been using since Australia. We will continue to use it for two more days as it leads us under the horn of NW Brazil. After that, we enter a transition zone before picking up the classical trade winds again. We are lucky to be able to use this air flow and it will enable us to gain an extra day over Cheyenne over the coming days. The offspin of that is that we can give an ETA at the equator of 5 February at 2300 GMT."

Bernard Stamm: "The main worry was knowing whether we had broken material or not. When we can see it, we look to check if there is anything missing and if we can feel anything different when helming. It seems fine though. We've eased off the pace a little but that's due to the sea state. We are in an area with a lot of current and messy seas and it's impossible to go through it at high speed. There are a few of us aboard who know a fair bit about composites. Personally I was a little misfortunate during the Around Alone when I hit something that began to delaminate the hull. I think we're just going to need to put a new skin on top to stop it haemorrhaging with the resin which works in the water. We can easily do it, even in the open sea or in a place where there is less wind and we can bring the boat to a stand-still."

Data
Day at sea : 36th
Date : 28/02/2005
Time (GMT) : 1110
Latitude : 38 34.44' S
Longitude : 47 01.60' W
Instantaneous speed : 27.3 kts
Instantaneous heading: 16
Average speed : 27.4 kts
Speed over 24 hours : 22.6 kts
Distance over 24 hours : 543 nm
Speed since the start : 23.9 kts
Over distance : 20102 nm
Distance remaining : 5806.90 nm
Gaps on day 35 :
- J.Verne Record : +3975 nm (ahead)
- Outright record : +2854 nm (ahead)

The Montego Bay Baro

Lots of good sailors (Bob Johnson, Ted Turner, Steve Benjamin, Kevin Burnham etc.) have arrived at Montego Bay Yacht Club.

At the MBYC's generally open bar a barometer resides. As a weather instrument it's in the retired/no longer working category.

The built in thermometer still I don't think works. It's stuck near 80° so it's accurate often enough.

It's an aged and weathered piece. Salt air and salt water have done their worst. It's almost copper in color. A mounted chemistry experiment. Metal and salt combine to make it corrosive.

The glass is cracked from side to side, right thru the center. The two indicator arms are different colors. One is gold, the other blue.

The internal works are open. View them if you will. Chains and gears moved by air.

Mounted on a bar pillar it overlooks the patio dining area. Red Stripes are frequently ordered and de-capped right next to it.

Sailors leave while it stays. Stuck though it maybe it will glance at sailors still to come.

Linky Sailing News

Racing Shockwave takes pre worlds. Doha 2006 takes trophy named after Explorer

Records Cape Horn in 32 days, then wale mishap

News SA AC base

Great Lakes Warren Jones passes away. Logging

College Sailing Old South

Old South

Old South
University of Florida (at USF)
February 26-27, 2005

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 TOT

1
Charleston A 2 1 3 2 3 2 1 1 15
B 1 1 4 3 1 5 1 4 20
3 5 12 17 21 28 30 35 35

2
Eckerd A 1 4 7 3 1 1 2 2 21
B 2 2 2 1 7 7 2 2 25
3 9 18 22 30 38 42 46 46

3
South Alabama A 3 7 1 4 2 3 5 6 31
B 3 3 1 5 2 3 4 1 22
6 16 18 27 31 37 46 53 53

4
USF A 6 2 2 6 6 7 3 5 37
B 4 7 3 4 4 4 3 3 32
10 19 24 34 44 55 61 69 69

5
Florida A 7 6 6 5 5 4 6 10 49
B 7 5 5 6 5 1 5 5 39
14 25 36 47 57 62 73 88 88

6
Miami A 5 9 9 7 4 8 7 4 53
B 8 8 8 9 10 8 7 6 64
13 30 47 63 77 93 107 117 117

7
USF Women's A 4 3 5 1 7 5 4 3 32
B 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 104
17 33 41 55 75 93 110 126 126

8
Vanderbilt A 11 8 8 8 8 6 8 8 65
B 6 9 10 7 8 6 13 13 72
17 34 52 67 83 95 116 137 137

9
Miami of Ohio A 13 5 4 10 11 10 9 7 69
B 9 10 9 10 11 10 6 7 72
22 37 50 70 92 112 127 141 141

10
Rollins A 9 12 11 11 12 12 10 9 86
B 11 12 11 11 9 11 8 8 81
20 44 66 88 109 132 150 167 167

11
Clemson A 12 11 12 12 10 11 13 13 114
B 5 4 6 2 6 2 13 13 71
17 32 50 64 80 93 119 145 185*

12
Florida JV A 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 104
B 12 11 12 12 3 9 13 13 85
25 49 74 99 115 137 163 189 189

13
NC State A 10 10 10 9 9 9 13 13 103
B 10 6 7 8 12 12 13 13 101
20 36 53 70 91 112 138 164 204*

* 20 pts added per division for failure to sign RP forms

MAISA Team Race

Saturday:
39 Races sailed in 6-12 knot W winds shifting to NW. One round robin was completed with 11 races sailed in the second round robin.

Sunday:
7 Races sailed, including one resail from Saturday, in a 4-10 knot NE
breeze which died out completely by 11:30am. Races were postponed and ultimately cancelled for the day.

Four protest were heard using a three-minute justice format.

Since the second round robin was not completed final score represent
totals from the first round robin only. Races sailed in the second round robin between tied teams were used as tie breakers.

Final Scores:
1. Washington College 6-1
2. Maryland 5-2 (won tie breaker over Georgetown)
3. Georgetown 5-2
4. St. Mary's College 4-3
5. Hampton University 3-4
6. SUNY Maritime 2-5 (won tie breaker over Kings Point)
7. Kings Point 2-5
8. Old Dominion 1-6

Winning Team: Washington College
Colin Robertson / Nicole Luckett
Carl Horrocks / Alexandria Starks
Chad Hillyer / Vanessa Anderson
Parker Mitchell / Hanna Lee

Barking Mad Ready to Defend

With the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds due to begin at midday tomorrow in Sydney, there is a nervous tension in the air at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia. The results of the Pre-Worlds might have revealed something of the expected pattern of play, but picking a winner from this fleet remains next to impossible.

As reigning World Champion from the 2004 Rolex Farr 40 Worlds in San Francisco just six months ago, Jim Richardson and his Barking Mad crew are as good a bet as any. Richardson saw his fourth place last week as a good omen. "We came in fourth in the Sprint series a couple of weeks ago, and then we won the Australian Nationals. Now we've come fourth in the Pre-Worlds, so hopefully that means we'll win the Worlds."

Richardson has used the two intervening days to take it easy and to get his head away from sailing. "We're as prepared as we ought to be. I don't think it helps anyone by pushing it too hard. We're in a beautiful city, and it's important to have some fun while you're here."

Barking Mad wasn't quite firing on all cylinders last week, but the American feels pretty good about his prospects despite the demanding conditions out on the Pacific Ocean. "In San Francisco, everything went together for us perfectly. This is a different venue and a different style of sailing. In San Francisco we were able to start in the middle of the line. Here, I think the sides tend to pay more, and so we've been playing the edges a little more here. The Australian boats might have somewhat of an advantage because they've been sailing in this stuff all their lives."

By winning the Pre-Worlds, local sailor Neville Crichton has found himself thrust into the list of favourites for the World title. But Team Shockwave's skipper is playing down his chances. Last week was the first time he had raced the Farr 40 in a year, although perhaps coming into a regatta so fresh and without the weight of expectation could be seen as an advantage? Crichton doesn't see it that way. "We haven't done enough sailing to know whether we're good or bad. I think it's a disadvantage because other guys know when to change gear. We don't have that sort of knowledge."

Italian boat TWT is another team that has come into the frame following a very creditable 3rd place last week, but like Shockwave, the young crew skippered by Marco Rodolfi prefer to stay out of the limelight. Tactician Tiziano Nava believes fellow Italians Nerone to be a stronger bet for the championship. With finishes of 4-1-2 in the previous three Rolex Farr 40 Worlds, it would be foolish to rule out this Italian team co-skippered by Massimo Mezzaroma and Antonio Sodo Migliori. However, they need to stay out of trouble better than they managed in the Pre-Worlds. But for a close-quarters incident on the run with Team Shockwave, which resulted in Nerone's forced retirement from that race, the Italians could well have won the regatta.

There were many early starters and general recalls during the Pre-Worlds but the CYCA's race management are expecting the 28-boat fleet to be on their best behaviour. Principal Race Officer Peter Reggio says that the absence of a discard in the series means teams cannot afford to take risks, such as pushing the start line: "When it's on the line they'll behave, because they know it's too expensive if they get it wrong." Very few boats managed to salvage a good finish after being ordered back to restart, so perhaps the fleet will be a little more line shy than last week.

Barking Mad was one boat that showed a rare ability to bounce back from bad starts, although this is a skill that Jim Richardson would prefer not to have to use. Better than anybody, he understands the formula for winning Farr 40 regattas. "It's going to be a matter of consistency, and staying out of the deep finishes. It's just going to have to be a solid scoreboard, not a spectacular scoreboard. Last year at the Worlds in San Francisco for example, there were ten races and there were ten different winners."

The forecast is for good medium breezes tomorrow when two heats are scheduled. Richardson can't wait to begin his title defence. "I wouldn't bet against us, we feel pretty comfortable. However it comes down, we'll be ready for it."

Orange II Hits Whale

Bruno Peyron called Race Headquarters this evening to announce that the maxi-catamaran Orange II had just had a violent collision with a whale or an orca whilst making between 25 and 30 knots off the Argentinian coast. It was between 1700 and 1800 GMT, when the boat hit a big sea creature, initially with the port daggerboard, then with the rudder. Contacted shortly after1900 GMT, Bruno Peyron confirmed this double impact, adding that the boat was continuing on course downwind. The appendages do not seem to be broken and all of them will be carefully tested in two days time, as soon as the weather conditions enable the boat to be brought to a stand still and a diver to be sent under the hull. Contacted by telephone at 1935 GMT this evening, the skipper of Orange II had the latest information on the incident: «The two successive impacts were fairly s evere. The first one involved the port daggerboard, then just after a second impact with the rudder. The boat is not in danger. There doesn’t seem to be any leakage, but from the outside, you can see that some bits of material have come away. There is a vibration coming from the port rudder and for the time being we have the wind on the aft quarter to keep the boat flat and not put pressure on the appendages. We’re going to have to slow down and then bring the boat to a stand still as soon as we can, doubtless within the next 2 days, so as we can send one of the crew down to inspect under the hull. I think we hit a whale or perhaps an orca. We must have cut it in two given the speed we were going... Just goes to show, the race is never over... »

Bruno Peyron, by email, at 1745 GMT: « I did a talk this morning about th e dangers behind us and those that still lay ahead, including the most hazardous,the most unpredictable, a collision with a floating object or a whale...And there you go! We’ve done it...to the max! We were all in the windward cockpit and the boat was going flat out, between 25 and 30 knots, when we felt the impact with the daggerboard and then the rudder... Behind us was the sorry sight of the fin as it flicked up behind the transom! No doubt about it! Initial assessment:daggerboard, apparently intact but certainly damaged. Rudder, more serious... considerable impact on the leading edge...leaks, rudder stock inspections etc underway....".

What’s to be done?
Aboard Orange II, the debate is on as to what decisions to make and when? Bruno Peyron: "Remove and repair the rudder? ... possible but how will we get it back on? Finish the record attempt with a single rudder? ... possible but at a reduced pace! It’s a shame that it’s the port rudder which was hit as 3/4 of the round the world is on port tack (with the starboard rudder being more important than the other)... and the final quarter of our voyage must be raced on starboard tack, that means with the port rudder! ... ».

Doha 2006 Takes Trophy

The international crew on Doha 2006 have picked up their first piece of silverware in the Oryx Quest 2005 by winning the Amundsen Trophy. This exquisite trophy, created by British artist John Mellows, is made of stainless steel and measures 70 cm in height. It has been awarded by Amundsen Oslo, the official timekeeper for the race, to Doha 2006 for being the first boat to cross 163° West longitude. The line of longitude has important significance to Amundsen Oslo, the Norway-based company that was founded in 2002 by Jørgen Amundsen, a relative of the legendary polar explorer, Roald Amundsen. 163° West longitude was the route taken by Amundsen on his trip to the South Pole in 1911.

On the 14th of December 1911 Roald Amundsen became the first explorer to reach the South Pole after a close race with the British expedition headed by Captain Robert F. Scott. In 1926 he went on to fly over the North Pole in the airship Norge becoming the first person ever to visit both poles. Amundsen Oslo is closely linked to Roald Amundsen and his expeditions, and produces high-quality timepieces that focus on three distinct categories; polar, yachting and aviation. The trophy will be awarded to Brian Thompson and his crew when they arrive back in Doha.

There was other good news aboard the Qatari catamaran. At the 07:00 GMT poll on Tuesday Doha 2006 had further extended their lead over Cheyenne to over 1000 miles, 1002 nautical miles to be precise, and was recording instant speeds well in excess of those being recorded on Cheyenne. At the 07:00 GMT poll Doha 2006 was traveling at 26.2 knots against 14.3 knots on Cheyenne as both boats enjoyed perfect sailing in the deep south. Skipper Brian Thompson was reveling in the good news. “Today we notched up our second 600 mile day,” he wrote in his daily log. “That’s over 25 knots average for 24 hours, and we have had a 25 knot wind from the northwest allowing us to track due eastward. At the moment we are starting to get more westerly winds which will force us to gybe downwind over the next day or so. This will reduce our speed made good to Cape Horn, but will allow us to change our latitude easily and move from north to south over the course to position ourselves for the next wind direction. Behind us Cheyenne has now escaped the low and also reached the northwest winds. She is charging eastwards and over the next few days Cheyenne is going to be taking some miles back as she sails a more direct course.”

Aboard Cheyenne navigator Wouter Verbraak was also enjoying the sailing. “Some days are just perfect,” he wrote in his log. “Today was such a day. Steady 23 to 26 knots of boat speed and at least seven albatrosses doing their stunts around the boat. The sun even came out for a while, and although it didn't provide much warmth, at least it brought a smile to the crews faces. Looking ahead for the next 24 hours, we will be close to the center of a large and rather strong low which is moving southeast. This will give us some good winds for the next few days to propel us towards the Horn. No record breaking stuff in sight yet, but for sure some good daily averages. Our route is relatively far north, which reduces the chance of running into ice bergs. Something nobody regrets.”

Eating up the miles and picking up some silverware is all well and good, but all the competitors know that there is still a long way to sail before they reach safe harbor. One of the toughest stretches of the race lies ahead; the remote south Pacific, an undulating stretch of water that ends at Cape Horn, currently 2,616 miles ahead of Doha 2006’s razor sharp bows.

Rounding the Horn

Concentration was the watchword for Captain Peyron, when he rounded the Horn for the third time in his life. The first time was during the first round the world voyage in less than 80 days. That was back in 1993 at the helm of Commodore Explorer. The second time was in 2002, when he won back the Jules Verne Trophy with the crew of the first Orange. For this third great voyage, it was in an incredible time of just 32 days, 13 hours and 29 minutes since starting out from Ushant that he finished with the Pacific Ocean. However, it was not because Orange II had more than a week’s lead over the outright record around the world that the skipper and his crew could ease off or let the stress disturb their work to the south of the American continent.

«The atmosphere was very studious for this rounding of the Horn, as we had a lot of manoeuvres to do to get by the islands off South America,» explained Bruno Peyron last night as his cat crossed the longitude of Cape Horn. «The weather is not very good. There’s no excitement on board at all. We’re all aware that there’s a trap around Cape Horn, as you tend to ease off, and it’s not the time to do that. As we are all professionals on board, who understand that, there is no particular stress, but we’re all remaining concentrated.»

No time for any contemplation, as concentration was the order of the day, especially considering the hostile environment in this place and the weather forecast, which was announcing very violent winds over the coming hours. «We weren’t really able to take advantage of the scenery, even if we were very close to the De Fonso Islands near the mountains of Chile. We gybed afterwards. It was very overcast, with dark skies, full of contrasts, a black and white picture, with drizzle and squalls. An atmosphere rather like Northern Scotland in mid Winter or the south of South America at the moment!»
< br />Orange II then got on a bearing for the Lemaire Straits, where they remained becalmed for twenty or thirty minutes. There is still a long way to go to cover the South and North Atlantic to reach Ushant. A year ago, Cheyenne took more than ten days to reach the Equator. That is also what Peyron and Roger Nilson envisage. «To head back up to the Equator, it will take us around ten days. But it’s going to be rather hit and miss, as we’re going to have to pass through several weather systems up the South American coast. We know they are extremely volatile, and we can only see clearly what lies ahead for the coming 4 or 5 days.»

Shockwave Takes Pre Worlds

Neville Crichton surprised a few people, including himself, by winning the Rolex Farr 40 Pre-Worlds in Sydney today. Crichton and Team Shockwave have competed in just one Farr 40 event in the past 12 months, so they had not figured as a potential winner of the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds which begin next Tuesday.

"Our target was to be in the top five and we thought if we achieved that we'd probably be doing better than expected," said Crichton. As one of the less practised helmsman in the technically demanding Farr 40, Crichton has exceeded many people's expectations. "It was total luck, absolute luck," he joked, "so we're going into the Worlds as novices."

With another Aussie boat, Ichi Ban, taking 2nd overall, there are genuine hopes of seeing a home victory in the Worlds next week. Matt Allen was delighted with his team's performance. "We've obviously done better than expectations. Our speed has come good in the lighter range. We've found that sweet spot in the 8 - 12 knot wind range, so the boat is going well upwind in all conditions now."

Today's two races took place in classic conditions, three miles offshore from Sydney's legendary surfing beach of Bondi. With southerly winds of 16 - 20 knots and big rolling waves, there was plenty of surfing going on in the 28-boat Farr 40 fleet. Team Shockwave was reveling in the wind and waves, rounding the windward mark of the morning race in pole position and holding the lead to the finish. A 6th place in the final race sealed overall victory for Crichton with a score of 40 points from seven races. Ichi Ban turned in a similarly strong performance with a 7-2 score to notch up 47 points.

The Italian teams appeared to struggle in the lumpy stuff yesterday, but today Marco Rodolfi's TWT got the measure of the waves. Tactician Tiziano Nava explained the improvement: "I think today we had a good set-up on the sails and mast, and we did many practice runs before the start. Marco Rodolfi steered for half an hour in these conditions before the start. He drove the boat very well."

However, Nava acknowledged that the local teams still hold the advantage in the wavy conditions that typically exist outside Sydney Heads. "I think that in these conditions the Aussies prefer the chop and the waves. For us it is not the normal conditions that we find in Europe, where we have flatter water and not so big waves. We need to practise to have good speed in these conditions."

The sole French team of Twins, steered by Erik Maris, was burning around the course in the final race, leading at the leeward gate by 45 seconds. But disaster struck down the final run when they tore their heavy-air spinnaker. They were still in with a good chance of winning when they hoisted the light-air spinnaker, but the 20-knot breeze got its claws into a small rip that soon started widening until this sail was shredded too. The French could only watch as the front-runners surfed past them, and they had to be satisfied with 8th place.

There were a couple of notable absentees from the race course. Richard Perini's Evolution, a local favourite for the world title, stayed ashore - perhaps wisely using the extra day to recharge their batteries after a poor showing in the previous two days of the Pre-Worlds. Hasso Plattner and Morning Glory started the morning heat but the German crew rounded the first mark in third-last place and subsequently retired from racing.

Perhaps some teams are keeping their powder dry for the big championship next week. Many will be hoisting new sails next week, and subtle changes like this could see a change in the pecking order. But 'new boy' Neville Crichton has certainly established himself as a contender, while other more fancied skippers have struggled.

The Italian contingent came on strong at the beginning but faded later on, although Crichton saw it slightly differently. "I think the Italians were on form at the beginning of the regatta, and we improved throughout the regatta. I don't think they've sailed worse, I think we've improved. We've done very little racing, just one Farr 40 regatta in the last 12 months. And we've never sailed with this crew, so it's a complete learning curve for us." Will his beginner's luck hold through to next week? It's hard to say in a fleet as tightly fought as the Farr 40s.

Cape Horn in 32 Days

It is at the speed of 28 knots that the maxi catamaran Orange II has rounded Cape Horn! Bruno Peyron's giant multihull crossed the longitude 67°16 W at 23:32 GMT on Friday February 25, 2005.

Orange II has joined Cape Horn in 32 days 13 hours and 29 minutes. She finishes with the Pacific Ocean with a 7 days and three hours lead over Cheyenne's time of passage in 2004 whereas Fossett's cat was going to establish the absolute record around the world in 58 days.

By the same time, Orange II establishes a new official reference on the crossing of the Southern Pacific Ocean between Tasmania and Cape Horn in 8 days time 18 hours and 06 minutes. This record will have to be officialized by the WSSRC, just like the record of Indian Ocean established one week ago between the Cape of Agulhas (South Africa) and Tasmania in 9 days 11 hours and 04 minutes.

Intermediate times of passage to Cape Horn are incr edibles. Orange II will have spent 18 days and 8 hours from the Cape of Good Hope, that is to say nearly three days better than the preceding time of reference on this course held by Loïck Peyron on Innovation Explorer during The Race. She also establishes a new time of reference between the Cape Leeuwin and Cape Horn in 10 days and 23 hours, which is nearly two days of better than the preceding time of reference established by Bruno Peyron himself aboard Orange I during the Jules Verne Trophy in 2002...

Various times of passage to Cape Horn

Ushant - Cape Horn
Orange II, Bruno Peyron, 2004 : 32 days 13 hours 29 minutes
Cheyenne, Steve Fossett, 2004 : 39 days 16 hours 16 minutes (+7d 02h 47’)

Good Hope - Cape Horn
Orange II, Bruno Peyron, 2004 : 18 days 08 hours 08 minutes
Innovation Explorer, Loïc Peyron, 2001 : 21 days 07 hours 05 minutes

Leeuwin - Cape Horn
Orange II, Bruno Peyron, 2004 : 10 days 23 hou rs 35 minutes
Orange I, Bruno Peyron, 2002 : 12 days 19 hours 30 minutes

Tasmania - Cap Horn (Pacific Ocean record WSSRC)
Orange II, Bruno Peyron, 2004 : 8 days 18 hours 06 minutes
Cheyenne, Steve Fossett, 2004: 11 days 20 hours 18 minutes

Tonite: Cape Horn

The crew of the Orange II maxi catamaran skippered by Bruno Peyron has every right to be beaming as they approach the Horn. Having set out from Ushant on 23rd January to attempt to smash the absolute crewed round the world sailing record, the 37-metre giant will be rounding the mythical Cape Horn tonight at around 22.00 GMT, after only 32 days at sea. This is an astounding feat, when you know that they will be entering the Southern Atlantic Ocean 7 days ahead of the amazing record set last winter by the American Steve Fossett (Cheyenne) during his victorious circumnavigation in 58 days.
As Orange II rounds the Horn, she will also be setting a new record time for the Pacific crossing between Cape Leeuwin and Cape Horn, set by Peyron's previous boat, Orange I, in 2002.

This will be the third time that Bruno Peyron has rounded Cape Horn. Previously he passed the infamous cape on his two winning journeys for the Jules Verne Trophy, in 1993 on board Commodore Explorer and in 2002 on board Orange I.

The weather conditions forecast for tonight's rounding of the Horn look clement with 25-knot westerly winds. However, this weekend the story is likely to be very different. On Sunday, Orange II looks like paying dearly for rounding the Horn with rough seas, strong 40-knot winds gusting to 70 knots.

Extracts from today's radio session with Bruno Peyron:

The state of mind before the Horn: We're just keeping focussed, as the weather is a little bit unpredictable. The wind is fairly unstable blowing between 20 and 28 knots. It's difficult for us to find the right sail combination. We're making between 22 and 34.5 knots. The sea is choppy. Now is not the time to do anything stupid. We've just seen a first patch of blue sky, which is really nice. We're 230 miles from The Horn. We decided to tack a little further up, as the winds may not be so favourable closer to the Chilean coast, because of the likely effect of the coast.

Ushant - Cape Horn in 32 days: Honestly, it is a bit difficult to realise, as in general after thirty days, we would be off New Zealand. In the Whitbread, they reached the Cape of Good Hope in thirty days. I'm more surprised by the fact that we're managing to get almost the maximum possible out of the boat. We're pushing her all the way almost all the time, except in the periods, when we ease off, when we're down to around 92% of her capability.

The relief of reaching the Horn: You have to be careful about this idea. In 1993, it was really a moment of relief, as on the previous day we had 85 knots of wind. You have to be cautious, because it could well be the same on the other side. However, it's certainly a sort of symbol when you reach the other side, as it means you have left behind the hostile environment... even if it could be like that on the other side. This will be the third time I have rounded the Horn after the previous two Jules Verne Trophy races. I hope to be as successful as on the previous two occasions. It's a place that is really magical. It can be violent or very beautiful and peaceful. Between the storms, there are calm zones. The islands around the Horn and the Patagonian channels are fabulous places. On board we have a lot of experience. Together we have more than thirty round the world trips under our belts, so I don't need to point out the symbolic value of this exceptional spot. We're already looking ahead to the North Atlantic. We can see 5-6 days ahead.

Crossing the road: In 1993, we did the Jules Verne Trophy in a dragster, which was low in the water. We therefore established some safety rules, such as asking the helmsman, whether we could "cross the road" (to go from one hull to the other). This morning it was manageable, with smallish waves. Ludo wanted to go to the Right Bank to have a coffee without putting on his oilskin. When he returned, he asked the helmsman for permission. Bernard Stamm reasonably let him go across, and then the next thing was Ludo stuck in the middle of the net, soaked to the skin, so everyone burst out laughing!

Physical well-being: From time to time, there's a queue to see the boat's doctor. They go into his surgery. Roger Nilson is the doctor, and looks after the navigation and loves taking pictures too. We're not on board a toy, so we can't let the excitement get out of control. We're naturally focussing on our work, and know we're happy with each other, without having to make any comments such as telling each other that it's going well. Let's just hope it continues like that. But it will be down to each of us, if it does continue or not. You can't get through a journey like this one, without pushing hard at times. When I look at the faces, I think back to 93.

Around the world in 50 days? That really annoys me. It's like back in 93, when everyone kept saying after we rounded the Horn that we would be finishing in less than 80 days. Get it into your head that that is not the goal. The objective is to finish in less than 58 days. In 1993, during the whole climb back up, the pressure was on us... Firstly, we'll be trying to keep things under control, as best we can, working hard to try to bring the men and the boat home in good condition.

How things have changed: What has happened in our sport over the past half century is quite impressive. Sailing is a sport that has undergone an extraordinary evolution in just a short time, rather like car racing in the early days. In 93, we thought we could sail for 11 or 12 weeks non-stop without damaging anything, but we had no idea how to get a boat ready for such conditions. We sailed very conservatively, and set ourselves a rule of always sailing below 20 knots. Since then, we have acquired experience about the strength of the materials and the boats, and we have started to design racing boats specifically for this voyage.

The traps in the Atlantic: the first trap is that of breaking something. Then, there are the traps in the weather. We know them: the St. Helena high, the trade winds, etc... Then, there are other traps: we zigzagged around whales, ice and weed in the deep south. In the Atlantic, there aren't many difficulties like these, but as we get closer to civilisation, there are other traps with all the rubbish floating around in the water. In the North Atlantic, you can see something floating around every 300 metres! If it's a branch, that's one thing, but if it's a plank, that's quite another. If it's a container... I can remember our first night after the start, when we received a message telling us that there was a container floating around in the Bay of Biscay...

Data :
Day at sea: 33rd
Date : 25/02/2005
Time (GMT) : 10h10
Latitude : 57 19.24' S
Longitude : 77 10.04' W
Instantaneous speed: 25 knots
Instantaneous bearing: 74
Average speed: 25.9 knots
Speed over 24h : 23.8 knots
Distance over 24h : 572 nm
Speed since the start: 23.8 knots
Total distance: 18289 nm
Remaining distance: 7455.80 nm
Lead on day 32:
- Jules Verne Trophy record: +3594 nm (ahead)
- absolute record: +2636 nm (ahead)

Daedalus Log

Date - Friday 25th February 2005
Time - 0820 GMT
Position - 047 . 24 S 139 . 27 E
Barometer - 1011 mb steady
Sea Condition - Very calm, following seas
Sky - Blue skies, with little cloud

We are at present on the edge of a high that is close to New Zealand. We have just gybed to allow us to go further South, to ensure that we do not get too deep into the light winds ahead of us. The sea state is really very light. I went on deck in the night, a little before l was going to take the helm, and was amazed at the calmness of the evening.

We know that some heavy weather is coming our way and before the day is out, we will be running in high winds and big seas, well battened down. At the moment, Nick Bubb is changing the broken battens in the mainsail. Although the No.1,2,3,and 5 battens are broken, we are only changing the No.1 and No.5 battens, and taking out the No. 2 and 3, to allow Nick to repair them, and then we will refit them. By the way, it\'s Nick Leggatt who is my navigator, and Nick Bubb who is responsible for battens, apart from other work briefs, names can be misleading.

According to our on-shore weather router, Lee Bruce, we should continue with light winds for the next 12 / 18 hours, and then we should prepare for some heavy weather sailing. The last time l went round the world and was not far from where we are now, we had 50 / 60 kts over the deck and the boat went well.

Nick Bubb and others are well on the way to fitting the repaired battens into the mainsail, Simon Redding is still trying to repair the starboard watermaker, we have jybed on to a starboard tack, l have had a shave and a real clean up, and now feel like a million dollars, Goncalo is off watch and is having a well deserved sleep, Nick Bubb is considering what to prepare for lunch and supper, it is his day in the galley, l could do with steak and chips and a couple of drinks, all the guys would go for that as well.

Life Goes On - Tony Bullimore

Linky Sailing News

Racing Schwab finishes Vendee Globe. Oryx Quest. Farr 40 pre worlds

Records 1 tack to the Horn

News PK on TP 52's. Ullman interview. Scully report. Cancer surivor sails. 100 day sailor. Ready for land. Schwab in context. Fusion M Team

Great Lakes PA ferry fever

American Schwab Finishes Vendee Globe

It was at 08 hours 00 minutes and 57 seconds GMT this Friday 25th February 2005 that the 60 foot monohull Ocean Planet skippered by American Bruce Schwab crossed the finish line of the Vendée Globe 2004, a single-handed race, without stopovers and without assistance departing and finishing in Les Sables d’Olonne (France).

The race time to make the 23 680 miles is 109 days 19 hours and 58 minutes and 57 seconds at an average theoretical speed across the course of 8.98 knots.

References (GMT):
Start and finish: Les Sables d’Olonne (France)
Number of miles to cover: 23 680 miles
Start date: Sunday 7 November 2004 at 1202 GMT

Schwab’s Race time: 109 days 19 hours and 58 minutes and 57 seconds.
Delay behind winner: 22 days 08 hours and 13 minutes and 02 seconds.

Schwab’s Race (Ocean Planet):
Passage of the equator (outward trip): 20 November 2004 at 0800 GMT 12 days 19 hours and 58 minutes

Passage of the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa): 7 December 2004 at 0805 GMT after 29 days 20 hours and 03 minutes

Passage of Cape Leeuwin (Australia): 23 December 2004 at 1900 GMT after 46 days 06 hours and 58 minutes

Passage of Cape Horn (Chile): on 19 January 2005 at 1050 GMT after 72 days 22 hours and 48 minutes

Passage of the equator (return): on 05 February 2005 at 2315 GMT after 90 days 11 hours and 13 minutes

ODK Explained

It was a still, summer morning in Fremantle, Western Australia when the massive trimaran Geronimo was towed out of the harbor to resume racing the Oryx Quest 2005. The water was flat calm, the towering mast reflecting on the glassy surface, and a thin line of bubbles the only wake as a Fremantle Yacht Club launch and a couple of RIB’s maneuvered the boat out to open water. The Cuben Fiber mainsail was raised, a large headsail hoisted, the tow lines dropped, and the boat heeled slightly to a new breeze as de Kersauson pointed the bows south. After 54 hours in port Geronimo was repaired and ready for the tough sailing ahead. “It is going to be hard to catch up,” de Kersauson said as they left the dock. “We are almost 3,000 miles behind the leaders.” Then he smiled, his eyes sparkling with anticipation. “But this is a yacht race and anything can happen.”

Olivier de Kersauson is one of those rare, larger-than-life characters. He is not an easy man to get to know, but like many great people, he is loyal beyond measure. Those who have sailed with him will attest that he prides himself on the fact that his crew come back year after year to race around the world with him. He was born on the 20th July, 1944, the seventh child in a family of eight. At an early age Olivier broke away from his family. While not inattentive, he was a pupil who did not settle in well to school life, especially with the fathers at the catholic boarding school where he was sent. In the end he attended 11 schools before finally graduating and taking up studying economics. He was in his early twenties before he found his true calling. He met the great Eric Tabarly in St. Malo on the north coast of France, and Tabarly invited him on board his yacht, Pen Duick. This chance meeting led to eight years of sailing together during which he was Tabarly’s mate, and his love of the sea grew as the two sailors covered thousands of open ocean miles.

Olivier quickly developed a passion for multihulls and became a pioneer building the first multihull out of composite materials. He built an innovative trimaran by the name of Poulain and sailed it around the world in 1989-1990 setting the single-handed round the world speed record in the process. From 1992 onwards he spent his time working towards the Trophee Jules Verne, a coveted trophy awarded to the yacht that sails the fastest around the world. In 1994 he sailed around the world on Lyonnaise des Eaux at the same time as the late Peter Blake and Robin Knox-Johnston were aboard ENZA (now Daedalus). Blake and company managed to go around the world in 74 days and 22 hours, while de Kersauson and his crew took 77 days and 5 hours. It was a disappointment to the French sailor, but Olivier is not a person to give up easily. He remained steadfast in his determination to win the trophy and with some improvements to his boat and a new sponsor, Sport Elec, he took off again to race around the world. They returned triumphant 71 days, 14 hours, 22 minutes and 8 seconds later. In 2001 he launched Geronimo and it was at the helm of this exceptional yacht that Olivier de Kersauson took the Jules Verne Trophy for the second time in 2004 in a time of 63 days, 13 hours and 59 minutes.

This race around the world marks his 9th circumnavigation. He has become part of ocean racing history and a legend in France. He attributes his success to his astute understanding of the elements. "At sea, I watch what is going on all the time. I learn to interpret the elements, to understand what each cloud and each swell means, why the sea looks different. I remain focused on that. I don’t talk and don’t like people talking around me. For example, I can’t stand a helmsman talking, because concentration is very important. You can’t do two things at once." Building Geronimo has been a dream come true for him. "Today, I am not able to build a better boat than this one. If she had been built for someone else, I’d have been really annoyed. It’s rather like the simple joy you find when you are a child. I’m living a fabulous part of my life.”

Olivier de Kersauson and his crew now embark on one of their toughest challenges. They trail the other yachts in the race by a large margin which means that they will be playing catch-up until the finish in Qatar. For a team accustomed to being at the front of the pack setting new records, it’s going to be a little different to be trailing the fleet. They will soon lose sight of land and plummet south into the Roaring Forties where the giant trimaran will come alive again and Olivier will be back in his true element.

1st PV Race Finishers

Thursday was beat the clock day in Del Rey Yacht Club's 18th biennial Corum International Yacht Race, and Scout Spirit in PHRF-AA and overall, Beau Geste in PHRF-A and Chicken Little in PHRF-B were the winners.

After Doug Baker's high-tech Magnitude 80 became the first Racing Division entry to finish at 10 o'clock local time (8 p.m. PST) Wednesday night, and with only six of the original 10 Racing Division entries having completed the 1,125 nautical miles from Marina del Rey, Calif., it still remained to calculate the corrected handicap time to see who would collect the hardware, including a Corum Admiral's Cup Trophy 41 watch---retail value $2,195---for the overall winner of each class at the awards presentation Saturday.

The top prize for first overall will go to the Newport Sea Base's 78-foot turbo sled, Scout Spirit, which finished at dawn Thursday well within the 18¾ hours owed it by Magnitude 80, whose elapsed time was 5 days 6 hours 59 minutes 56 seconds.

That was eight hours slower than the record of 4:23:00:14 set by Richard and Camille Daniels' MacGregor 65, Joss, in 1985 in considerably different conditions. Scout Spirit's ET was 5:16:42:20.

The record survived one of its owners, Richard Daniels, who died a month ago. In his race, the racers had tailwinds most of the way. This time they estimated they flew spinnakers only a third of the time and otherwise were slugging it out with headwinds almost as much as they were reaching. Such are the variables of races to the Mexican mainland.

That, along with how well Joss was sailed, is why the record has withstood the challenges of some of the best 21st century marine technology. It makes it doubtful whether even Randall Pittman's Dubois 90, Genuine Risk, if its owner hadn't injured a foot and sent the boat sail testing instead, or Roy Disney's maxZ86, Pyewacket, if its topmast hadn't cracked off Cabo San Lucas, could have done it.

And did Scout Spirit's co-skippers, Dave Janes and Jay Steinbeck, ever think they had a chance in the PHRF-AA class?

"You bet!" said Janes, who outsailed conventional ULDB 70s with his then-new Transpac 52, J-Bird III, to win Division 2 in the 2001 Transpacific Yacht Race to Hawaii. "I've never had a race when I didn't expect to win."

J-Bird III is now Flash, which Mark Jones and Dick Watts of San Francisco chartered and chased Hong Kong businessman Karl Kwok's Beau Geste to first place in PHRF-A and second place overall.

Kwok's primary helmsman, Gavin Brady, one of the world's top match racers, called "it the longest match race in the history of sailing. The boats are so close that you got pushed really hard. Their guys did a really good job."

Kwok said, "This [6½ days] is the longest race I've ever sailed. We did Transpac in eight days [in 2003]. But what's wonderful about this race are the whales all over the place, the dolphins, and I even saw a green flash"---the sundown phenomenon at sea.

Not so wonderful were several occasions when Beau Geste's appendages were seized by kelp rooted in the sea floor, stopping the boat dead in the water. Jon Gunderson dived under to cut it free.

Brady said at the dock, "We were warned, 'Look out for kelp,' but nobody on this boat had ever done this race. It was frustrating to watch [Flash] sail by. Three times we were as far apart as that boat [in the opposite slip]. Then the wind came up [Tuesday] and we stretched 20 miles on them in 12 hours."

In a similar match race scenario between Santa Cruz 50s a few miles ahead on the same day, Kirk Wilson's Bay Wolf from San Pedro, Calif., pulled a big gainer on Don Adams and Rick Palmer's Chicken Little, Marina del Rey.

"We passed them 200 feet apart in the dark but didn't know who it was," Brady said.

"It was us," Bay Wolf watch captain Justin McJones said.

Bay Wolf was rolling, too, but it wasn't quite enough.

Because Chicken Little is a heavier boat, Bay Wolf owed it 3 seconds per mile or 56 minutes 15 seconds for the race. Bay Wolf finished well in front, but navigator Richard Parlette's eyes were on his watch as he stood at the dock in the early morning glow. Then the word came over the radio: Chicken Little had just finished less than an hour behind to correct out by 3 minutes 38 seconds.

"That hurts," Parlette said. "It was a tiring race . . . so much slatting around. We had five sails on the foredeck in the last two miles and never stopped making sail changes. In the first two days the wind went 360 in two full loops. We jibed outside of Cabo and stayed outside while they went inside. Next thing we were 20 miles ahead."

Janes, through his donation and some promotion, was instrumental in securing Scout Spirit (formerly Zephyrus IV and Bright Star) for the Newport Sea Base.

"Our idea is to arouse interest among young sailors in keelboat racing," he said. "Next time we hope we can do it with Sea Scouts as crew."

1 Tack to the Horn

The wind has swung right round to the West and is not providing the giant multihull with the best angle of attack given that the boat performs less well in downwind conditions: “We can’t complain” smiles Bruno Peyron as he watches the speedometer hover between 23 and ...33 knots! “We’re extending the course just a little by making some big tack changes with the wind on the aft quarter.”

Satisfaction has a place now aboard Orange II, on the point of adding a few extras to its “record” collection. Steeped in history the famous Horn will be rounded as tightly as possible: “It’s a legendary place and everyone aboard hopes to benefit from the fabulous sight of the snow-capped peaks of the Andes mountain range...”.

After 32 days at sea, the boat is lighter and currently reaching its full potential. Orange II will soon hang a left to begin its climb back up the Atlantic; the Horn is not a success in itself and the coming days doubtless have their share of surprises and difficulties for a boat and its crew who have sacrificed a great deal to performance. “In the Southern Ocean, you don’t get miles for nothing. They are paid for by pain and fatigue.”

Peyron and his 13 warriors will have earned the mercies of the Horn this evening. Bruno Peyron: “We’re going to leave the Pacific with a good ‘score’ being the essence of our exploits. Our downwind tack has slowed us down a little but I’m not at odds about sparing the boat a little in this way. The passage of the Horn is always a high point. Everyone aboard wants to make the most of it. A bit of light would be welcome as we haven’t seen the sun throughout the whole of our Pacific crossing. The Horn evokes a lot of memories. In 1993, we experienced it at its worst, 80 to 85 knots of wind and 17 metre waves. It can be a very nasty place. We all know that there is still everything to play for after the Horn. 4 to 5 difficult days lay in store for us before we rediscover the more ‘civilised’ lands. We will be slowed on the approach to Brazil and we’ll make the most of that time to give the boat a good going over.”

Farr 40 Pre Worlds Day 2

The local Australian teams have taken up the running in the Rolex Farr 40 Pre-Worlds, after a torrid time on the water for the Italian teams which had dominated the first day. Nerone came ashore as runaway leader on the scoreboard, with consistent finishes of 2-7 giving the Italians 19 points after five races, compared with the 35 points of second-placed Team Shockwave.

But Shockwave skipper Neville Crichton put in a protest against the 2003 World Champions for a downwind incident during the first race of the day. Nerone's owners Massimo Mezzaroma and Antonio Sodo Migliori decided to retire from the race, and with their 2 points converted to 29 points for the retirement, the top-rated Italian team have been relegated to 5th overall.

Team Shockwave now leads on 34 points, despite an ordinary day, as strategist Mark Heeley admitted: "We didn't have a famous day, but we were always quick. It was that little windier today and on that next rig setting we were going very well. Also, the waves were very difficult but Neville was doing a great job of steering round them. Our tactician Michael Coxon is also doing a fantastic job of putting us in the right place, just about all the time. He is sensational."

However, it was another Aussie boat that had other sailors gasping in awe as Ichi Ban scorched her way up the rankings into 2nd overall, following a superb score of 3-4 in the lumpy conditions. Skipper Matt Allen was over early in the last race but returned to restart and by the end of the first leg they was inside the top ten, and by the finish Ichi Ban was 4th. Fiamma's tactician Ian Walker, who also enjoyed some good scores of 5-3 today, said Ichi Ban was the fastest boat by some margin.

TWT had been leading overall going into today after scores of 2-1-5 in the light winds and flat water of day one. The conditions were dramatically different today, with a 12 knot south-easterly blowing across a large and lumpy swell. If yesterday was Mediterranean in style, today provided the challenge that many sailors have been predicting for Sydney. Perhaps this explained the local teams' rise up the rankings.

TWT's tactician Tiziano Nava said: "We were struggling to hit our numbers today, we found it hard to maintain good pace through the waves." Sometimes, a lack of speed can force your hand, and make you do things in desperation. Already back in mid-fleet, Nava saw a gap at the leeward gate to get inside two boats, but the gap closed and TWT fouled another competitor. "I said we should go in there, and there was no room, so it was my mistake," admitted Nava, who could still smile despite his disappointment.

The Italians took their obligatory 720 penalty, and stalled the rudder in the process. By the time they had extricated themselves from the penalty turn, they were dead last. The Italian boat recovered to 22nd in that race, and it is a measure of their outstanding first-day performance that they still find themselves in 4th overall.

While Aussie teams top the scoreboard overall, the two individual race wins went to two American teams. Philippe Kahn's Pegasus made amends for a poor first day, when they had to return twice out of three starts for crossing the start line early. Today Kahn hit the middle of the line to perfection and launched up the first beat to round ahead and maintain that lead to the finish. With double Olympic champion Mark Reynolds calling tactics in the same waters where he won the Star gold medal in Sydney four years ago, Pegasus rounded off a good day with a 10th place.

Reigning World Champion Barking Mad bounced back from an indifferent 13th in the first race of the day to take the winner's gun later in the afternoon. Jim Richardson's team are putting in a consistent but not outstanding performance to be lying 3rd overall, and are still well in contention for winning the Rolex Pre-Worlds.

Some teams, notably the Italians, think it is bad luck for the World Championships to win the Pre-Worlds, so perhaps Nerone did not feel too sore about their retirement today. But Barking Mad's tactician Terry Hutchinson said they would be doing everything in their power to win tomorrow. "There's too much invested by our owner in this not to do our very best to win every regatta," he said. The top American team have shown a remarkable ability to pull back through the fleet from very bad beginnings, and as Hutchinson said, it could be that particular skill that determines who will win the Worlds next week. "It's the races where you're 20th at the top mark and which you can convert to a 6th or a 7th are the ones that will win you the regatta."

For more information about the the Rolex Farr 40 Pre-Worlds and the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship, including daily racing reports, results and high-resolution images, go to www.regattanews.com or www.farr40.org

Rolex Farr 40 Pre-Worlds 2005 - Provisional Race Results after Day 2 (Top 10) Pos Yacht Name Country Skipper Points

1 Team Shockwave AUS Neville Crichton 8-4-2-6-14, 34
2 Ichi Ban AUS Matt Allen 22-7-3-3-4, 39
3 Barking Mad USA Jim Richardson 3-17-9-13-1, 43
4 TWT ITA Marco Rodolfi 2-1-5-15-22, 45
5 Nerone ITA Massimo Mezzaroma/ Antonio Sodo Migliori 4-5-1-29-7, 46
6 Brighton Star AUS David Gotze 13-13-8-8-11, 53
7 Warpath USA Steve and Fred Howe 12-25-4-11-2, 54
8 Mascalzone Latino ITA Vincenzo Onorato 1-8-11-22-15, 57
9 Twins 2 FRA Erik Maris 11-6-22-12-6, 57
10 Fiamma ITA Alessandro Barnaba 14-18-18-5-3, 58

PV Race Day 8

The first three arrivals for the finish of Del Rey Yacht Club's 18th biennial Corum International Yacht Race were from the Salsa Division, not the ever-diminishing Racing fleet, unless you count Barking Spider 3 owner David Kory.

Kory and his crew from Barking Spider 3---an early race casualty---arrived by air Wednesday as Bob and Kathy Patterson's Lark, Marina del Rey, crept across the line in fading zephyrs as harbinger of the Salsa fleet that started five to seven days ahead of the racers, with three stops and a little fishing along the way. Several other Salsas followed, with nary a Racer Division entry in sight.

"We're the first Racers to P.V.," Kory said, "with or without a boat."

Indeed, Randall Pittman's Genuine Risk withdrew two days before its scheduled start, and Roy Disney's Pyewacket, its anticipated rival in pursuit of the race's 20-year-record, bid adios off Baja California Tuesday with a crack in the top of its mast.

That was the same day that Jack Taylor fired up his engine after falling hopelessly out of contention in the three-way Santa Cruz 70 competition, leaving six boats vying for Racing Division honors in the waning stages of the 1,125-nautical mile race.

In the Transpac 52 match race, Karl Kwok's Beau Geste, with world-class talent aboard including helmsman Gavin Brady and navigator Juan Vila, outsailed Mark Jones and Dick Watts' Flash by 18 miles with a 225-mile day to take a 24-mile lead with 137 miles to go.

Similarly, Kirk Wilson's Bay Wolf took charge of the Santa Cruz 50 contest by stretching its lead by 15 miles to 16 over Don Adams and Rick Palmer's Chicken Little with 96 miles to go.

But if Doug Baker's maxi sled, Magnitude 80, had thoughts about succeeding Genuine Risk and Pyewacket in the record chase, those vanished with the brisk breezes that gave Pyewacket momentary hope before its sudden exit. The big boat from Long Beach had logged a strong 286 miles at 11.9 knots in the 24 hours before Wednesday morning's position reports---the longest day's run for anybody---but fell into dying winds in the middle of the Gulf of California. The magic hour came and went with only Salsas in sight.

Magnitude 80's ETA was 4:17 p.m. PST, which would be about 4 ¼ hours shy of the record of 4 days 23 hours 0 minutes 14 seconds set by the MacGregor 65 Joss in 1985.

Not only that, but PHRF-AA class honors could fall to Scout Spirit, the Newport Sea Base's Reichel/Pugh 78 formerly known as Zephyrus IV and Bright Star, with Dave Janes and Jay Steinbeck as co-skippers. With its handicap advantage of one minute per mile---18 3/4 hours overall---the boat from Newport Beach, Calif. had an ETA Thursday morning of only 16 ½ hours behind Mag 80.

Curiously, the only sighting reported of Genuine Risk was by Kory on the Feb. 18 Friday evening after the biggest boats started. His MacGregor 65, Barking Spider 3, had started a day earlier, but he turned around when his main sail started to tear in the fierce headwinds of the San Pedro Channel.

Kory said, "We sailed downwind back to Avalon [on Santa Catalina Island] and moored right next to Genuine Risk."

Instead of racing, Genuine Risk took advantage of the reversed prevailing winds to test spinnakers over two or three days up the coast from San Diego.

In fact, Kory sailed all the way back to San Francisco, without ever having to strain the main upwind.

"I've delivered a ton of boats to San Francisco, and I've never surfed north," he said. "We did 120 miles in 10 hours."

Kory's friend and crew member, Marianne Wheeler, said, "It was very disappointing for all of us, but the beautiful run home made us all feel better."

That's how it was for another MacGregor 65---Richard and Camille Daniels' Joss---going south in '85. But Kory and his crew weren't finished. They parked the boat and flew to Puerto Vallarta.

Kory said, "We wanted to be here to cheer everyone else in. We didn't want to miss all of this."

Earlier, the Pattersons' J/46, Lark, finished in time for breakfast at 9 a.m. local time. Kathy called her first offshore race "quite an experience and adventure," although "the first night was sheer hell."

After they had stopped to assist a dismasted non-racer in the San Pedro Channel, the headwinds built to 25 knots but, Kathy Patterson said, "the boat rode really well. We didn't have any sick people [as several other boats did]. We had great food, but this was not a good fishing race. I had to improvise."

Other Salsa finishers at this report were, in order, Alan Blunt and David Fox's Cheyenne, Scott Adam's Quest, Mark Biddison's Ginny B, Andy Sibert's Enchanted Lady, Jeff Allen's Lazy Bones, Jim Maslon's Broadway Babe and Gary Green's Green Dragon.

Daily position reports, including latitude and longitude, and standings are posted at www.delreyyachtclub.org.

Corum, the title sponsor for this race, will present the owner or skipper of the overall winner in each class with a Corum Admiral's Cup Trophy 41 watch, which has a retail value of $2,195.

Corum is an independent, family owned company producing high-quality and prestigious Swiss watches since 1955. The Admiral's Cup Trophy 41, with a 41mm stainless steel case and nautical pennants instead of numerals to indicate the hours, was just introduced by Corum last year. The watch, along with the complete Corum line, may be seen at www.corum.ch

Racing Division

(Wednesday morning's standings by corrected handicap time; seconds-per-mile handicap ratings listed)

PHRF-AA (started Feb. 18)

1. Scout Spirit (R/P 77), --120, David Janes/Jay Steinbeck, Newport Sea Base Syndicate, Newport Beach, 196 miles to go.

2. Magnitude 80 (Andrews 80), --180, Doug Baker, Long Beach, Calif., 71.

RETIRED: Pyewacket (Reichel/Pugh maxZ86), --265, Roy E. Disney, Los Angeles.

DID NOT START: Genuine Risk (Dubois 90), --274, Randall Pittman, San Diego.

PHRF-A (started Feb. 17)

1. Beau Geste (Transpac 52), --78, Karl Kwok, Hong Kong, 137.

2. Flash (Transpac 52), --78, Mark Jones/Dick Watts, San Francisco, 161.

RETIRED: Barking Spider (MacGregor 65), --24, David Kory, Point Richmond, Calif.

PHRF-B (started Feb. 16)

1. Bay Wolf (S/C50), --3, Kirk Wilson, San Pedro, Calif., 96.

2. Chicken Little (Santa Cruz 50T), 0, Don Adams/Rick Palmer, Los Angeles, 112.

RETIRED: Horizon (S/C 50), --3, Jack Taylor, Dana Point, Calif.

Salsa Division

(after Leg 1 of 3)

SPINNAKER-A

1. Lark (J/46), 45, Bob and Kathy Patterson, Los Angeles.

2. Cheyenne (Whiting 49), 75, Alan Blunt, Venice, Calif./David Fox, Santa Cruz, Calif.

3. Broadway Babe (C&C 110), 72, Jim Maslon, Marina del Rey, Calif., DNF.

RETIRED: Masquerade (Choate 40), 72, Tim Coker, San Diego.

SPINNAKER-B

1. Green Dragon (Catalina 380), 120, Gary Green, Culver City, Calif.

2. Enchanted Lady (Roberts 55 ketch), 96, Andy Sibert, Seal Beach, Calif., DNF.

NON-SPINNAKER-A

1. Lazy Bones (Irwin 54), 99, Jeff Allen, Marina del Rey, Calif.

2. Quest (Davidson 53), 72, Scott Adam, Marina del Rey, Calif.

T3. Ginny B (Beneteau 46), 78, Mark Biddison, Boulder, Colo., DNF.

T3. Far Niente (Catalina 42), 102, Patrick Hearne, Newport Beach, Calif., DNF.

NON-SPINNAKER-B

1. Camelot (Catalina 36), 144, Hiro Funaoku, Marina del Rey, Calif.

2. Wind Dancer (Tartan 38), 120, William Solberg, Los Angeles, Calif., DNF.

Unique Regatta Auction

Scout Spirit, the Reichel Pugh 78-foot, fractional rig, maxi turbo sled recently donated to the Newport Sea Base, is being auctioned to race in the First Team Real Estate Invitational Regatta May 19-22.

The boat currently is contending for top big-boat honors in the Corum International Yacht Race from Marina del Rey to Puerto Vallarta.

Scout Spirit was originally known as Zephyrus IV, when it set the current record for the Cape Town to Rio de Janeiro race. Later, it sailed under new ownership and the name Bright Star until donated to the Newport Sea Base.

Those seeking adventure on the water and the speed of world-class racing yachts won’t want to miss this unique opportunity to skipper one of the faster sailboats.

“This is a chance to race Scout Spirit for an entire weekend, as if it were your own,” Jay Swigart, event co-chair, explained, “and your contribution benefits the community, given that auction proceeds are donated to Hoag Hospital and the Newport Sea Base.”

Event co-chair Jim Madden said, “This is truly a unique opportunity to enjoy an e-ticket ride and test your sailing skills against some of the best sailors in the world.”

The top bid also will receive event Silver Sponsor privileges, including logo recognition on Scout Spirit, banners, advertisements and a variety of printed materials, as well as access to elite social functions held throughout the event.

The minimum bid starts at $30,000 with a $500 incremental increase for each new bid. Online auction close date is March 31, 2005. If a bid is placed for $40,000 in the “buy it now” option, the bidder will win the auction. Auction proceeds will benefit Hoag Hospital and the Newport Sea Base.

The First Team Real Estate Invitational Regatta will bring together top caliber yachts, including the maxZ86s, off-shore racers over 50 feet in length and Transpac 52s. The growing list of boats currently includes America’s Challenge II, Bolt, Genuine Risk, Grand Illusion, It’s OK, Magnitude 80, Margaritaville, Pendragon IV, Pyewacket, Scout Spirit, Stark Raving Mad, Taxi Dancer and Vicki.

As the facilitating yacht clubs, Newport Harbor Yacht Club and Balboa Yacht Club will provide on-the-water race management for the regatta. First Team Real Estate is the title sponsor, playing a key role in the event preparation and sponsorship support. Silver Sponsors include Bank of America, Daily Pilot, Hewitt, and Merrill Lynch. Additional sponsorship opportunities are currently available. Event proceeds will benefit Hoag Heart and Vascular Institute.

Ellen's Record Ratified

The WSSR Council announces the ratification of a new World Record.

RECORD: Around the World, outright, non-stop, singlehanded.
Yacht: B&Q
Sailed by: Ellen MacArthur. GBR
Dates: 28th November 2004 to 7th February 2005.
Elapsed Time: 71 days 14 hours 18 minutes 33 seconds
Average speed: 12.66 kts

The previous record was held since February 2004 by Francis Joyon FRA in a time of 72d 22h 54m 22s, average speed 12.42 kts.

Note: The Round the World route is 21760 nautical miles and it is on this distance that the WSSR record average speed is based.

Linky Sailing News

Racing Farr 40 Pre Worlds Day 1. OQ leaders. Geronimo repairs. Farr 40 pre worlds

Records Orange II makes for he horn

News Dee Smith interview. Chat ups

Great Lakes Bay Harbor agreement

College Sailing Dartmouth goes south

Alinghi Update

Team Alinghi gets ready in its quest to win the next America's Cup and will be the first team to install its entire team in Valencia, Spain.

The whole team and its families will relocate, along with the current headquarters in Lausanne, to start operations on the 15 March in Valencia the host city of the 32nd America's Cup.

Two complete sailing teams
---------------------------
Alinghi has two fully equipped boats in operation. American sailor Ed Baird, one of the best match racers in the world, has joined Peter Holmberg and Jochen Schuemann as helmsmen.

Brad Butterworth, Vice-President of Alinghi, and Jochen Schuemann, Sports Director, have been responsible for selecting new sailing team members: "Since Alinghi has already qualified for the final phase, we will not benefit from competition with the challengers". Thus the need for two very strong teams.

"With two world class boats and crews, both capable of winning the America's Cup, we will be able to compete internally at the highest level." This has become even more important as Ernesto Bertarelli, Chairman of the Syndicate, has relaxed many of the competitive advantages of the Defender to allow the America's Cup to evolve into a much more popular and accessible event.

First Team to fully relocate to Valencia
----------------------------------------
Team Alinghi is currently relocating to Valencia and aims to set sail by April 4th. April is a key-month, the first for excellent sailing conditions in the area, so this will allow competitive training in similar conditions that Alinghi will encounter during the competition.

The logistics of moving almost 100 Team members and their families, approximately 350 people, is a big challenge for the Team. Patrick Magyar, Managing Director of Team Alinghi, explains why: "We have to take into account that our Team includes 17 different nationalities, and less than 10 percent of them speak Spanish. We don't just need houses, we also need kindergartens and schools, logistical support on things like insurance, health care, and of course we want the team to feel at home." Some of the other teams have feared taking this difficult step.

Testing, testing and testing again to have the best possible boat
------------------------------------------------------------------
Grant Simmer, managing Director responsible for the design and construction of the boats, is aware that the rules for the 32nd America's Cup do not allow for huge differences in boat design between the different teams. "All teams will have very good boats. During the last campaign, we had two years to build two boats and a team. For this campaign, we already have a team and two very good boats that we can further improve. We will start building our two new competition boats as late as possible to have the first one ready in 2006 and the second one in 2007. We need to do a lot more research, development and testing in Valencian waters to be sure how our changes perform. So this means testing, testing and testing again until we are very sure of what we wish to do."

Home for the team, but also for partners and Friends
----------------------------------------------------
Team Alinghi will move into a provisional Base until October of this year, when the new Base will be completed and the Team able to move into its final home. The new Alinghi Base will include an Alinghi Interactive area in which fans from around the world will be able to learn more about America's Cup sailing and Team Alinghi. Furthermore, Alinghi will offer its Friends, the Alinghi fan club, unique opportunities to access the Team's base through the Alinghi Club. Part of the facilities will also host the Alinghi Academy, offering a number of programs that will range from management seminars to coaching team interaction and physical workout possibilities. Alinghi will also offer unique opportunities to follow the team during their training sessions.

Not forgetting Switzerland
--------------------------
"In all this, Alinghi is by no means forgetting Switzerland", promises Patrick Magyar. "Throughout our relocation we will represent Switzerland in Spain, maintaining many activities in our country. In order to keep in touch with our fans we created Alinghi Friends, offering many benefits such as news updates, invitations and special merchandise. Once settled in Spain we will add interactive opportunities like Chats and Forums. Many members of our team will regularly return to Switzerland to participate in public activities".
The most current opportunities is the UBS Alinghi Swiss Tour, a new Sailing Championship crowning the Swiss National Champion 2005, with the final match race taking place at the Alinghi Base in Valencia in November 2005.

Farr 40 Pre Worlds Day 1

The Italians are dominating the leaderboard of the Rolex Farr 40 Pre-Worlds after a day's light-air racing outside Sydney Harbour, in conditions that were more Mediterranean than Pacific Ocean.

Perhaps that explained why in each of the three races, the winner's gun went to three different Italian boats, all of whom looked very at home in the flat water and light north-easterly breezes. Vincenzo Onorato helmed Mascalzone Latino to victory in Race 1, then Marco Rodolfi and TWT in Race 2, with 2003 World Champion Nerone completing the Italian job in Race 3.

All three teams put in very strong performances throughout the long day, with only local boat Team Shockwave able to match the Italians' consistency. Even then, Neville Crichton's Australian-registered boat has an Italian sponsor in Alfa Romeo, and Nerone's tactician Vasco Vascotto joked that this was good enough for them to be considered an honorary Italian team. He was also impressed by the Aussies' speed: "They were the fastest boat in those conditions today," said Vascotto. "They have the speed to win this regatta."

While the name Nerone frequently appears in conversations about potential winners of the Rolex Farr World Championships - due to take place next week - TWT is mentioned far less often. And yet it was Rodolfi's team that came out of today with the best scores, 2-1-5 compared with Nerone's 4-5-1. Vascotto said no one should be shocked to see TWT performing so well. "I am not surprised about TWT because they finished fifth in the Worlds last year. For me, they are certainly one of the ten boats that could win the Worlds this year. Their team is young in years, but old in experience."

Marco Rodolfi's young team has made rapid progress in this toughest of one-design fleets. They made their first appearance two years ago at the Worlds in Porto Cervo where they finished 23rd. A year later they had improved to a 5th in San Francisco, so it is not hard to see why they are rated as potential winners in Sydney. The most experienced man on board is tactician Tiziano Nava, who celebrated his 47th birthday yesterday.

Nava brings a wealth of knowledge to the team, gleaned from his time as tactician on the 1983 America's Cup challenger Azzurra and more recently as the winning tactician in the 2002 Melges 24 Worlds. "We have learned a lot about the Farr 40 over the past two years - the sails, the trimming, the tactics," he said. "We are very happy with today. We wanted to start near the pin end in each race because we liked the wind on the left. We made good starts in the first two races, and not so good in the last race, but luckily we had good speed."

Some other highly-fancied boats struggled to get anywhere close to TWT's consistency today. Reigning World Champion Barking Mad started the regatta with a creditable 3rd, but followed it with a lacklustre 17th. Still, considering Jim Richardson had been second to last in the 28-boat fleet at the leeward gate, 17th represented a good recovery for the American team. With a 9th in Race 3, Barking Mad's scores still give her 5th overall in these early stages of the nine-race series.

Whether or not Richard Perini and Evolution can bounce back to win the Pre-Worlds after such a poor first day is far less certain. Scores of 26-14-10 sees this top-rated Aussie boat in 19th place overall, but at least they can console themselves that this is only the appetizer to the main course, the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds, which begins next Tuesday, 1 March.

Vascotto knows it is far too early to count Evolution out of the equation. "Perini didn't do a good job today but for sure he will come back tomorrow." The fleet is scheduled to race three back-to-back races tomorrow, with more light winds forecast.

Approach to the Horn Looks Tough

Orange II is still speeding along at almost 30 knots towards Cape Horn that they should be reaching on Friday or Saturday, according to the weather conditions that lie ahead. At the end of the thirtieth day of racing, the maxi-catamaran was recorded 8500 miles from the finish. Two thirds of this round the world voyage will thus have been covered at an average speed of 23.7 knots since the start. The giant has clocked up yet another day of 650 miles, and continues to step up the pace. Orange II now has a lead of more than five days over Steve Fossett's round the world record and almost eight days over Olivier de Kersauson's position during the Jules Verne Trophy 2004. For tomorrow, the winds are forecast to be strengthening from the west to 45 knots, with gusts expected around 60 knots, according to Météo France. In other words, the approach to the Horn looks quite tough...

Bruno Peyron on today's radio session (23rd February) at 14h00 GMT:

Two thirds of the voyage: «Today, it's a little bit more violent than over the past few days. We are going between 29 and 33 knots. We gybed an hour ago. The rough seas are coming on the beam and that is likely to continue until The Horn. Each time the manoeuvres are a risky business, so we'll be trying to avoid doing too many. This one was planned, so we had to go ahead. The sun came up just as we were gybing. We started the manoeuvre at the end of the night, and by the time it was finished, it was daylight.

Tiredness: We've been keeping our tiredness under check since the Kerguelens. You can see that on the faces. The overall tiredness is under control. The boat's speed is altered according to the group's tiredness.

Change of watch: With each change of watch there is a quarter of an hour of worry. Regularly, there's a cock-up during the handover. Last time, we made a mistake with the windward hull, and it rose too high out of the water. In a monohull, you can feel the waves more, but here we have two things moving 20 metres apart, and it's not easy to feel the wave coming.

The albatrosses: They are behind us, but when they want, they soar ahead. They are the only perfect wind-creating machines. They can stay for hours without flapping their wings. When we arrive, they think we're a nice playground for them. Their wingspan is 3.80 metres. We've been racing against this crazy flock of birds. Now only the smaller ones are still there. The albatrosses were a threat to the clippers, because if someone fell overboard, they are like vultures.

Cape Horn: Our routes tell us we could be at the Horn seven days ahead of the record. On paper that looks likely. But that's only a forecast looking three days ahead. We may well only have a lead of six days, because of the gybes we're going to have to carry out.

Voyage: It's not a bit like the round the world voyage from 1993. The first round the world voyage was an initiation. This one is the result of a long process carried out over time. We've been aiming to find the top level of quality. Orange II is a bit like the boat you could only dream of a few years ago.

Weather: The approach to Cape Horn is likely to be quite rough. We're going to have to remain cautious and get ourselves ready for it. It's not going to be very comfortable, as the angles won't be very good. It's not the moment to go on the attack, and we're going to take things calmly. Looks like we'll be getting a ticket for speeding after the Horn around the Falklands. Last night's low-pressure area was the one we picked up just as we entered the south. The other is just ahead of us by the Horn at the moment. So we have been around the planet on one system surfing on the isobars.

Lead over Cheyenne: I know when I want to go on the attack, and when I want to turn, and I don't keep comparing with the performance of the other circumnavigations. If we have a good lead as we climb up the Atlantic, it will make things more comfortable and enable us to manage our progress a little more. We've seen since the start that there are times to manage things and times to go on the attack. During the periods of consolidation, we aren't losing any ground and when we go on the attack, we really reap the benefit.

Data

Day at sea: 31st
Date : 23/02/2005
Time (GMT) : 10h16
Latitude : 54 35.52' S
Longitude : 107 37.80' W
Instantaneous speed: 25.4 knots
Instantaneous bearing: 68
Average speed: 28.6 knots
Speed over 24h : 27.3 knots
Distance over 24h : 654 nm
Speed since the start: 23.7 knots
Total distance: 17059 nm
Remaining distance: 8500.30 nm
Lead on day 30:
- J.Verne record: +3357 nm (ahead)
- absolute record: +2548 nm (ahead)

Pyewacket Out

Just as wind conditions turned hopeful, Pyewacket's pursuit of the record in Del Rey Yacht Club's 18th biennial Corum International Yacht Race to Puerto Vallarta ended abruptly Tuesday morning because of a problem with its mast.

Navigator Stan Honey reported by satellite phone: "We had a problem with the top of the mast and we're dropping out."

Apparently, a crack in the top section of the carbon fiber rig was discovered during a routine daily inspection at 10:20 a.m. PST about 20 miles west of Cabo San Lucas at the tip of Baja California.

About an hour and a half earlier Roy Disney's maxZ86, sailing its first race on the West Coast after campaigns in the Caribbean and Europe, had reported its best day of the race---238 nautical miles at 9.9 knots.

When the problem developed conditions were even better: a following 12-knot northwest breeze that had Pyewacket flying at 15 knots under spinnaker.

With about 27 hours remaining to sail 325 miles to the finish, Pyewacket had a shot at the record of 4 days 23 hours 0 minutes 14 seconds set by the MacGregor 65 Joss in 1985.

"You never know what's out in front," Honey said, "but we had a chance."

At the time the breeze was even blowing well through the finish line in front of the Westin Hotel and Resort deep in Banderas Bay, suggesting that Pyewacket might roll all the way in.

Instead, Pyewacket dropped its sails and was motoring into Cabo San Lucas.

"The mast is still in the boat," Honey said. "We don't need any assistance at all."

Pyewacket's exit, following the voluntary withdrawal of Randall Pittman's Dubois 90, Genuine Risk, two days before the start, left the race's line honors in the grasp of Doug Baker's Magnitude 80, which was 30 miles behind Pyewacket at Tuesday morning's roll call. If the good winds continued, it was conceivable that the record could fall to the Andrews 80 from Long Beach, but it would have to finish by noon Wednesday.

Pyewacket and Magnitude 80 had passed the two closely dueling Transpac 52s---Karl Kwok's Beau Geste, Hong Kong, and Mark Jones and Dick Watts's Flash, San Francisco---that started a day earlier and were still only a mile apart after two-thirds of the 1,125-nautical mile race.

At the front of the Racing Division with 294 and 301 miles to go were the Santa Cruz 50s that started two days earlier. Kirk Wilson's Bay Wolf, San Pedro, had a seven-mile lead over Don Adams and Rick Palmer's Chicken Little, Marina del Rey.

A third S/C 50, Jack Taylor's Horizon, Dana Point, Calif., dropped out Tuesday undamaged but out of contention. Horizon sailed itself out of the race by going farther offshore Baja into lighter winds than its rivals.

But the first boat into Puerto Vallarta stood to be the Salsa Division leader, Bob and Kathy Patterson's J/46, Lark, from Marina del Rey. The Salsas started five to seven days ahead of the racers, made three stops and were allowed to motor when the winds died out.

Also, two of the Santa Cruz 50s at the front of the race---Kirk Wilson's Bay Wolf and Don Adams and Rick Palmer's Chicken Little---had found breeze closer to Cabo San Lucas and were averaging 6.5 knots.

Daily position reports, including latitude and longitude, and standings are posted at www.delreyyachtclub.org.

Corum, the title sponsor for this race, will present the owner or skipper of the overall winner in each class with a Corum Admiral's Cup Trophy 41 watch, which has a retail value of $2,195.

Corum is an independent, family owned company producing high-quality and prestigious Swiss watches since 1955. The Admiral's Cup Trophy 41, with a 41mm stainless steel case and nautical pennants instead of numerals to indicate the hours, was just introduced by Corum last year. The watch, along with the complete Corum line, may be seen at www.corum.ch

Farr 40 Pre Worlds

It was a quiet d