| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 395.1 | BOC Challenge Start? | USAT03::BPLATTER | | Mon Sep 01 1986 13:09 | 7 |
| Was anyone there in Newport on Saturday (Aug.30th) to watch the
start of the BOC? How many boats actually made the start? What
was the weather like?
A land-locked BOC Fan,
Ben
|
| 395.2 | but Im not in the race...HONEST! | GRAMPS::WCLARK | Walt Clark | Tue Sep 02 1986 09:37 | 25 |
| I was there. There were about a gazillion boats at the starting
line (we arrived from Warwick and were yelled at for crossing the
starting line at 14:59:50 EDT). Its anyones guess how many actually
started, but Credit Agricole appeared to cross the line near first
(we were first remember?) and headed out to sea smartly. It was
an upwind start just south of Fort Adams and there was a mob scene
trying to funnel racing boats under sail, and an incredible spectator
fleet past Castle Hill. I dont know of any collisions but lots
of close ones.
From the looks of the boats, the configurations of Credit Agricole
and American Promise (cutter rigs with lots of furling gear and
covered steering stations) were copied like mad in Class 1. The
2 neatest looking boats on the course (my opinion) were Thursdays
Child, and a French Boat sponsored by an international medical relief
agency (Im not good at French names - sorry).
After escorting the contestants past Brenton Reef, we headed east
to Cuttyhunk Island in a 15-20 Kt Southwesterly.
Anyone know how to get tied into BOC PR updates? If this BOC is
anything like the last one, news in the states will be dismal.
Walt
|
| 395.3 | | CASADM::THOMAS | | Tue Sep 02 1986 10:10 | 17 |
| re .0
Thanks for starting this note!!
re .2
a. Press releases.... will someone who's definitely going to Newport
try to contact the Hunter Factory people to see if they'll provide
press releases? I'm assuming that they have an interest in Thursday's
Child because of the Warren Luhr connection. He is/used to be pres.
of Hunter and built Thursday's Child.
b. Early crossing Walt, I hope you severely chastised your bow
person for allowing you to cross the line early. It is difficult
to get good help nowadays.
Ed
|
| 395.4 | Newporter's Views of the Start | ISBG::MEIDELL | | Tue Sep 02 1986 14:17 | 26 |
| From friends who where there, I heard that Thursday's Child was
damaged in a collision by a spectator and lost the self-steering
gear. As I understand it, he went back in for repairs up the bay
somewhere, and restarted Sunday (maybe yesterday). The repair was
a hurried temp to the carbon fiber based gear, and a new one is
being built and shipped to Capetown for the rest of the race.
I also heard through my grapevine (a local pub in Newport) that
the Japanese entry tried desparately to put himself on some rocks
over by Coninicut (spelled wrong) Island, and a boat "cut him off"
to force him over and miss the rocks.
Also, McBride's boat (don't remember the name) almost ran over
and swamped the dinghy his helpers were getting into before the
race. In case you were unaware, the rules allowed help onboard
until the five minute gun, at which time everyone must be alone.
As the "crew" was getting off, the wash from some very large motorboat
caused his boat to fall down onto the dinghy. Only some very
quick and competent maneuvering by the skipper prevented a major
disaster from a minor one.
After these three above, the rest was relatively boring. The biggest
gripe I heard was that the CG was not it's normally excellent self
in the "crowd control" arena.
|
| 395.5 | BOC NEWS REPORT | SAGE::WALKER | | Thu Sep 04 1986 15:30 | 31 |
|
News on the BOC from the AP
Associated Press Thu 04-SEP-1986 13:31 BOCChallenge
NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) - A competitor in the BOC Challenge solo
around-the-world yacht race was rescued from a life raft Thursday
after abandoning his sinking 46-foot sloop, race officials said.
Dick Cross, 37, aboard Air Force, apparently struck a submerged
object about 9 a.m. He was believed to be uninjured but his
condition was not immediately known, BOC spokeswoman Kathy Giblin
said.
Cross was located about 11 a.m. after a merchant ship picked up
his Mayday call and alerted a rescue station in Bermuda. Cross was
131 miles northeast of the island when the accident occurred.
A Navy helicopter plucked Cross from his life raft and flew him
to Bermuda, Giblin said.
The yacht, built of cedar, mahogany and Kevlar, was designed
especially for the 27,000-mile race which began last Saturday.
Twenty-four yachts remain in the race. Cross is the first competitor
to drop out.
Cross, of Southeast Harbor, Maine, took up sailing in 1978. His
longest previous sail was 2,000 miles from Newport to the Azores.
Meanwhile, John Martin of South Africa, aboard Tuna Marine,
remained the race's leader. He was last reported 50 miles ahead of
his nearest competitor. The Tuna Marine is one of 11 Class 1 vessels
(yachts 50-to 60-feet long).
The leader of the Class 2 field, for yachts 40- to 50-feet long,
was Jacques de Roux of France aboard Skoiern IV.
Their first stop is Cape Town, South Africa, a 7,100-mile leg,
which is expected to take the fastest boats about 47 days to cover.
|
| 395.6 | TRYING FOR PRESS RELEASES | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Thu Sep 11 1986 21:57 | 7 |
| WALT, I think I may still have my connection for BOC Press Releases.
I'll make some calls tomorow. If I can get on the mailing list again
I will post them here weekly. I'll keep you informed.
Frank (Past Blue J owner) among other things
|
| 395.7 | Good Stuff! | GRAMPS::WCLARK | Walt Clark | Fri Sep 12 1986 09:52 | 10 |
| Re: .6
Hows it goin Frank? Glad to see you are watching this file. I have
seen a couple notes from Leroy in the past year too.
Last time around the BOC, Frank found a PR office at BOC and got
put on a mailing list for their press releases. It was great stuff!!
Walt
|
| 395.8 | Nov 11, 1136 GMT | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Fri Sep 12 1986 12:01 | 22 |
| I haven't been able to get on the mailing list yet but in the interum I
have a number for daily updates - pre-recorded information.
(401) 841-5610
From the recording, which goes to fast for my shorthand ability, I have
the following.
Tuna Marine -John Martin is overall leader at 18.17 N, 40.50 W
Credit Agricole is in fourth position
Miss Globle is still in Newport repairing the windvane.
The recording will be updated again today. It will probably be the
most comprehensive information available, though, I will still try
for the actual Press Releases to be included in this conference.
Frank
|
| 395.9 | BOC Press Kits and Bulletin Board | USAT03::BPLATTER | | Fri Sep 12 1986 13:51 | 14 |
| Glad to see an effort to gather current information on the BOC.
I made some phone calls yesterday and will pass this info on to
you in Note 395.6-.8. The BOC Public Relations Director is Kathy
Giblin at (401) 841-5110 and she seems to be responsible for the
press kits.
I also learned from Mame Reynolds at the Student Ocean Challenge
that COMPUSERVE has daily information on the "Sailing Forum - SailSIG".
I've considered signing up for an account, but wonder if anyone
else out there is plugged into COMPUSERVE already. If so I'll send
you the login script/information I got from Mame R.
Since the previous noters are farther along I'll defer to them.
|
| 395.10 | BOC PRESS RELEASE WEEK #2 | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Tue Sep 30 1986 10:34 | 218 |
| BOC PRESS RELEASE RECEIVED 24 SEP 86
THE DETAILED POSITIONS HAVE NOT BEEN INCLUDED IN THIS REPORT.
I was away for two weeks and found this in my mailbox on return. I will
do my best to keep it up to date.
Frank
THE BOC CHALLENGE 1986-87
Race Update: Week #2
The second week of the BOC Challenge was relatively quiet
compared with the first week of the race. The biggest news of
the week with the presence of Hurricane Earl, which the latter
part of the fleet encountered in Mid-Atlantic. The forerunners of
the fleet escaped the Hurricane, which passed north of them. No
major damage or injuries were reported.
South African John Martin (TUNA MARINE) continued to lead all the
boats during the week, with his closest competitor, Frenchman Guy
Bernardin (BISCUITS LU), following behind by an average of 22
miles. ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE, sailed by Frenchman Titouam Lamazou,
held onto third place but fell off the pace somewhat during the
week, dropping behind Martin by some 110 miles. Lamazuo reported
that he had been battling a leak in his bow, a result of his race
start collision with Warren Luhrs' THURSDAY'S CHILD. He had
successfully patched the leak from the inside, but was having
problems creating a seal on the outside of the hull. He reported
that he was pumping 100 liters of water per hour.
BOC 82-83 defending champion, Philippe Jeantot (CREDIT AGRICOLE
III), continued to hold down fourth place overall, running about
45 miles behind ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE. Jeantot reported that the
foresail which gave him problems at the August 30 start was still
inoperative, but that he hoped he would have time to repair the
sail once he reached the doldrums.
One of the most noteworthy news items of the second week is that
Frenchman Jacques de Roux, sailing SKOIERN IV, a 50 foot class II
boat, continued his extraordinary pace by remaining fifth overall,
right up with the class I racing machines. SKOIERN IV averaged
270 miles behind the lead boat, TUNA MARINE. His closest Class II
competitor, American Mike Plant (AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR), has also put
in an impressive performance, following behind de Roux by an
average 290 miles and holding onto a spot in the top ten during
the entire week.
Eduardo Louro de Almeida, sailing the Brazilian entry MISS GLOBAL,
restarted the race after returning to Newport earlier in the week
with no sterring. de Almeida had lost both his primary rudder and
backup rudder, and had returned some 400 miles to Newport steering
solely by sail balance. The effort to fabricate a new rudder for
the 40.5 foot boat was spearheaded by Newport naval architect
Rodger Martin, who designed AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR.
Australian John Biddlecombe's (ACI CRUSADER) streak of bad luck
continued into the second week of the race. Biddlecombe had
restarted from Burmuda on Sat. Sept. 6th, where he had put in
earlier due to an injury he sustained falling through a hatch, and
a broken generator. However, Biddlecombe reported into race
headquarters on Tues. Sept. 9th, that he was returning to Bermuda
with additional boat problems.
Further reports revealed that ACI CRUSADER was in need of
additional ballast in her keel. Biddlecombe said that, in 45 knots
of wind, he had taken two knockdowns, putting the boom and
spreaders under the water, and that the second time the boats self
steering had broken under the strain. In addition to repairing
the self steering, he hopes to have a lead bulb fabricated which
could be attached to the keel. He plans to continue the race.
The Japanese BOC entrant, Takoa Shimada, sailing MADONNA, was
thought to have some problems this past week with his new
autopilot, which had been installed immediately prior to the race
start. MADONNA's course was somewhat erratic during the week, but
appeared to have straightened out towards Cape Town by week's end.
Finnish entry Pentti Salmi (COLT BY RETTIG), who had reported to
race headquarters on Sunday, Sept. 7 that he had had a fire in his
engine room and had lost his electronics, reported that he may put
into Recife, Brazil if he cannot repair his problems.
The following is the order in which news was received by BOC Race
Headquarters during week number two:
Monday, Sept 8 Weather reports received by Race Hq indicate
tropical depression Earl, soon to be upgraded
to Hurricane status, was heading towards the
second half of the BOC fleet. BOC Fleet was
notified of the weather conditions.
Tues Sept. 9 MISS GLOBAL arrives back in Newport to replace
lost rudder.
ACI CRUSADER reports that he is returning to
Burmuda with steering and boat stability
problems.
Wed Sept. 10 Reports that several BOC competitors were
experiencing heavy weather due to Hurricane
Earl. The hurricane, which passed north of
the fleet leaders, hit AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR,
JOSEPH YOUNG, LEGEND SECURITIES, QUAILO and
STABILO BOSS. No damage or mishaps were re-
ported.
Friday Sept. 12 ACI CRUSADER arrived back in Burmuda to repair
broken self-steering and begin modifications
to the keel, (additional ballast)
Sat Sept. 13 MISS GLOBAL departs Newport to re-start race
with new rudder.
WEATHER CONDITIONS
The most significant weather event of the week was the tropical
disturbance named "Earl."
The disturbance passed north of the fleet leaders Monday and
Tuesday, giving headwinds to some and lifts to others. The
depression deepened to marginal hurricane strength Wednesday as
it curved WNW, threatening the westernmost competitors. "Earl"
passed south of AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR and LEGEND SECURITIES, both of
whom experienced two days of uncomfortable sailing.
JOSEPH YOUNG, QUAILO and STABILO BOSS were the most exposed of the
fleet, with JOSEPH YOUNG (Canadian skipper John Hughes)
potentially in the most dangerous quadrant. Reports were received
by race HQ that Hughes spent part of the hurricane under bare
poles.
Fortunately the severe winds were quite localized, as all three
boats were making good progress on Thursday's ARGOS reports.
"Earl" has since become stronger, but seems to be moving away from
the fleet toward the Azores.
Otherwise, variable conditions seemed to be the norm for the
fleet. Boats alternated between being hard on the wind one day to
reaching the next. The expected Northeast Tradewinds, which are
normally prevalent this time of the year, have not materialized
for the fleet thus far. The lead boats are approaching the
doldrums, an area, near the equator with little or no wind and a
breeding ground for hurricanes and they should be in it for the
next several days.
FLEET STRATEGIES
The paths of the lead boats to date may give an indication of
their respective strategies for the remainder of leg I.
TUNA MARINE, BISCUITS LU and ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE have kept to the
East, perhaps planning to go on a beat to Cape Town, to the North
and East of the South Atlantic High. To the West of the lead
group, UAP-POUR MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES (UAP-PMSF) and TRIPLE
M/SPIRIT OF SYDNEY may be planning to reach off to the West of the
High.
Meanwhile, CREDIT AGRICOLE III and NEPTUNE'S EXPRESS are playing
the middle of the course, ready to play the weather as it
develops. Only AMERICAN FLAG and LET' GO are following the
traditional ships' route similar to that taken by Jeantot in the
82-83 BOC.
The fleet seems to have separated into two distinct groups. The
lead boats got off to a good start from Newport, catching a good
breeze and riding it out. Those boats, as a group, have pulled
ahead of the second half of the fleet.
American Warren Luhrs, on THURSDAY'S CHILD, is ailing similar to
that taken by CREDIT AGRICOLE II and NEPTUNE'S EXPRESS. Since his
August 31 departure from Newport, one day behind the remainder of
the fleet because of damage suffered at the race start, Luhrs has
passed several Class II boats and is now leading the second group,
but has yet to close the gap between himself and the fleet
leaders. THURSDAY'S CHILD has averaged 680 miles behind the lead
boat, TUNA MARINE, this week.
STABILO BOSS, having to make up approximately three-and-one-half
days lost to the leaders shortly after the start (autopilot
failure), is making up ground steadily on a fairly radical course
to the west of the bulk of the fleet.
First boats are expected in Cape Town around mid-October. The
fastest Newport-Cape Town passage in the 82-83 BOC was by Jeantot
on CREDIT AGRICOLE. Time: 47 days, 00 hours.
GENERAL INFORMATION
The most current ARGOS position report is attached.
Anyone interested in receiving daily Race updates and position
reports may call the BOC Challenge Race Update line (401)841-5610.
The report will be updated daily throughout the the course of the
Race.
Additional Race information, along with the daily position
reports, is available through CompuServe, an international
computer information service and the Official Worldwide Public
Information System of the BOC Challenge. Anyone with a personal
computer and a modem may participate in "The Sailing Forum."
CompuServe "User Kits" may be purchased for approximately U.S.
$35.00from most computer/department stores. For more information
about joining CompuServe, call CompuServe at (614)457-8650 (Ohio).
For more information, please contact BOC Race Headquarters, c/o
Goat Island Marina, Newport, RI. 02840, (401)841-5110.
|
| 395.11 | PRESS RELEASE WEEK THREE | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Thu Oct 02 1986 22:47 | 203 |
|
THE BOC CHALLENGE 1986-87
Race Update: Week #3
The third week of the BOC Challenge was highlighted by an ongoing
battle for the lead spots in the fleet, the entrance by the
majority of the boats into the doldrums, and the crossing of the
Equator by the fleet forerunners.
First place remains a hotly-contested battle between Frenchman Guy
Bernardin, sailing the 60-foot Joubert & Nivelt aluminum cutter,
BISCUITS LU, and South African John Martin, on board the 60-foot,
Lavranos-designed TUNA MARINE.
Bernardin's lead over Martin of 27 miles at the beginning of the
week (Mon Sept 15) had disappeared by Thursday, Sept 18, at which
point, according to the daily position report received by ARGOS,
Martin held a slim one-mile edge over Bernardin. On Sunday, Sept
21, at 0530 GMT, BISCUITS LU crossed the Equator, becoming the
first BOC boat to do so. TUNA MARINE followed closely behind, and
by the end of the day TUNA MARINE had managed to pull ahead of
BISCUITS LU by 88 miles.
An interesting rivalry is also brewing for positions 3 thru 6.
Positions among these four boats, EQUREUIL D'AQUITAINE, CREDIT
AGRICOLE III, NEPTUNE'S EXPRESS and SKOIERN IV, changed hands
several times during the week. EQUREUIL D'AQUITAINE, the 60-foot
Bouvet, petit & Ogden sloop sailed by Frenchman Titouan Lamazou,
had, until week's end, maintained third place almost constantly
since the race start. However, after finally managing to seal the
leak in his bow which had pestered him since the start, Lamazou
reported on Monday Sept. 15, that both electric autopilot and
windvane had failed. At that time he was spending close to 20
hours each day steering and was very tired. Lamazou reported he
was planning to put into Ascension Island, 1670 miles away at the
time, to replace the autopilot and wind vane. As of Sunday Sept
21 he had not yet reached Ascension and had lost third place to
Jeantot on CREDIT AGRICOLE III.
Jeantot, runaway winner of the 82-83 BOC, has been steadily
working his way up the fleet after having foresail problems as the
Race start. His latest report to Race Hqs, at the beginning of
last week, indicated that he had hoped to fix his foresail once he
reached the doldrums. Judging from his progression from sixth
place into the third-place slot toward week's end, it appears
Jeantot may have repaired his sail and is back racing at
full-speed. On Sept 21, he was 242 miles behind leader TUNA
MARINE.
Following Jeantot and New Zealander Richard McBride (NEPTUNE'S
EXPRESS) in class I were Jean Yves Terlain (UAP-POUR)), Ian Kiernan
(TRIPLE M/SPIRIT OF SYDNEY) and Warren Luhrs (THURSDAY'S CHILD),
all vying for placings in the top ten. Kiernan reported that he
had finally managed to repair his on-board refridgerator, which
had not worked since Race start. Terlain reported that the shaft
from his engine to his generator and water ballast pump had
broken, but that his backup system would be sufficient to get him
to Cape Town.
American David White, sailing the smallest Class I entry, the
56-foot LEGEND SECURITIES, had dropped back from 11th place to
14th place overall by week's end. Remaining Class I competitors
in the latter part of the fleet include South African, and 82-83
BOC second-place finisher, Bertie Reed, who is climbing slowly
back up through the ranks after being forced to return to Newport
with autopilot failure after the Race start. Reed's STABILO BOSS
was in 17th place on Sept 21, some 970 miles behind TUNA MARINE.
The final Class I competitor, Australian John Biddlecombe,
remained in Bermuda for the week where he is attempting to place a
lead bulb onto the keel of ACI CRUSADER. The 60-foot Paul Lucas
design had proved to be dangerously tippy in heavy air, taking two
major knockdowns in 45 knots of wind the previous week and
breaking Biddlecombe's self-steering in the process. If all goes
well he hopes to complete his modifications and re-start the Race
in another ten days.
SKOIERN IV, the 50-foot Class II rocketship being sailed by
Frenchman Jacques de Roux, continued his astounding pace during
the week, although he lost some ground to the Class I leaders.
His lead over the nearest Class II rival has been dwindling as
well, due in large part to the impressive performance being put in
by American Mike Plant on AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR. By Sunday Sept 21,
Plant had moved up to seventh place overall, just 84 miles behind
de Roux, from ninth place, where he had been 297 miles astern
SKOIERN IV on Monday, Sept. 15. The 50-foot, Rodger
Martin-designed sloop at week's end was 132 miles ahead of the
third-place Class II entrant, 82-83 BOC veteran Richard Konkolski
on DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.
Following Konkolski in Class II were French math teacher Jean Luc
Van Den Heede, on LET'S GO, and American author Hal Roth, who
reported from AMERICAN FLAG on Sept. 21 that he was becalmed and
being "followed by sharks" in the doldrums. The two Finnish
entries, BELMONT FINLAND (Harry Harkimo) and COLT BY RETTIG
(Pentti Salmi) have been trading places in the middle of the
fleet. Salmi, who had a fire in his engine room on Sept 7th, was
able to repair his water-power generator and is back in radio
communications.
The remaining order for Class II boats at the end of the week was:
LONE STAR (American Mark Schrader), JOSEPH YOUNG (Canadian John
Hughes), QUAILO (American Mac Smith), DOUBLE CROSS (Englishman
Harry Mitchell), MADONNA (Japanese Tokao Shimada), and MISS GLOBAL
(Brazilian Eduardo de Almeida). Shimada, whose course had been
somewhat erratic last week, reported that one of the cables
connecting his wheel to his rudder had broken, giving him steering
problems. de Almeida, who had spent 3 days back in Newport
earlier in Sept replacing a lost rudder, was moving along well,
some 2,100 miles behind Class II leader de Roux.
WEATHER CONDITIONS: Fleet Battles the Doldrums
The most significant weather event of the week was was actually
the lack of weather. The majority of the BOC boats entered the
Doldrums this past week, which is an area just north of the
Equator charactorized by little or no wind, and is sandwiched
between the Northeast and the Southeast Tradewinds. The
Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), as the Doldrums are
formally known, is a band of superheated air fed from North and
South by the tradewinds. The air has nowhere to go but in an
upward direction, which it does in the form of thunderstorms and
rainsqualls. On the water surface, the sailor is faced with a
mean wind speed of zero.
Under these conditions, the boats encounter squalls with winds
which hit the boats from various directions (depending on the side
of the cloud the boat is on). The only steady winds in this area
are found with hurricanes, which breed in the region.
The BOC fleet began to traverse the Doldrums during the past week.
Many of the sailors reported staying awake for days without sleep,
as they fought their way south, playing each cloud for its few
precious minutes of wind.
Once the skippers go far enough south, they will feel the first
whispers of the Southeast Tradewinds. As they continue farther to
the South, the winds will freshen and the pace of the boats to
Cape Town will be noticeably faster.
FLEET STRATEGIES
Getting through the Doldrums quickly was the greatest concern of
the racers this past week, since hundreds of hard-one miles could
be lost if the wrong point of attack is selected. Generally,
between 08.00 and 03.00 degrees North , the actual depth of the
dead air will vary between 150 to 400 miles, North to South. The
sailors study weather charts and listen to advice from
meteorologists as they search for the narrowest band.
The most successful among the leaders at this game were TUNA
MARINE, BISCUITS LU and CREDIT AGRICOLE III. John Martin and
Guy Bernardin consolidated their lead over the rest of the fleet
and Philippe Jeantot worked his way into number three spot.
SKOIERN IV was a few miles to the East of Martin and Bernardin and
suffered the consequences, as the 60-footers pulled away from him.
To the West, UAP-POUR MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES (UAP-PMSF)) and
TRIPLE M/SPIRIT OF SYDNEY fell further back as the Doldrums
tightened its grip on them.
Most of the Class II boats have the advantage of observing the
leaders and their performances, and basing their own strategic
decisions on those performances. Mike Plant on AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR
did an exceptional job of this, selecting a course different than
de Roux', and effectively reduced de Roux' lead in Class II from
250 miles to less than 100.
Those boats on the Western side of the fleet have suffered the
most this past week. The racers on the middle path have crossed
the Equator first and are doing well, while Hal Roth on AMERICAN
FLAG and Jean Luc Van Den Heede on LET' GO have been doing well on
the more traditional route to the East, but have yet to face the
Doldrums.
The upcoming week should be interesting, since the BOC racers will
hit the Southeast Trades and their individual strategies for the
second half of Leg I will become more clearly defined. We will
see some of the leaders splitting tacks and separating into
several groups. Some may choose to head directly against the
Trades, beating their way to Cape Town and passing well to the
North of the South Atlantic High.
Some boats in the fleet will prefer to reach to the West of the
high pressure area, making their approach to Cape Town from the
West and South. Another group which may emerge could head
straight down the middle of the South Atlantic until they get near
the high Once near it, they would turn to port and try to play the
edge of the High on an light-air close reach just to the North of
the High.
|
| 395.12 | Lookin for the Race Updates | ACOMA::HBLACKBURN | | Tue Oct 21 1986 13:02 | 8 |
| Was really enjoying the BOC updates out here in New Mexico. Our
local rag doesn't yield much sailing info. Have the updates moved
to a different note?
thanks,
hb
|
| 395.13 | DELAY IN BOC RELEASES | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Tue Oct 21 1986 13:47 | 4 |
| SORRY ABOUT THE DELAY. RELEASE #4 NEVER CAME TO ME AND 5,6,7&8 HAVE
JUST ARRIVED. UPDATE WILL FOLLOW SOON.
|
| 395.14 | Race Update Week #5 | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Thu Oct 23 1986 09:43 | 246 |
|
THE BOC CHALLENGE 1986-87
Race Update: Week #5
October 6, 1986
The racing was hot and heavy this week as the fleet makes good
progress towards Cape Town, with the first boat expected to arrive
as early as Saturday, the 11th of Oct. Individual match races
within the fleet are proving very exciting. Also, the two boats
currently in port are planning to get underway again shortly.
Fleet leader John Martin aboard TUNA MARINE has maintained his 270
mile lead over the second place boat, at times stretching it to as
much as 300 miles. TUNA MARINE has apparently not been hurt by
the loss of her water ballast tanks, which malfunctioned last
week, in these largely reaching and running conditions. Guy
Bernardin on BISCUITS LU has lost his genoa furling device and
has tried vainly to stave off Phillipe Jeantot on CREDIT AGRICOLE
III, who has repaired his genoa in time for this last push.
The racing is spirited, yet friendly. Jeantot joked midweek that
"I try to beat BISCUITS LU, but i is very difficult. Perhaps Guy
(Bernardin) will eat more cookies and get more fat. Because cake
is not so good for the health." Bernardin has not yet responded
to these statements except by putting up more sail. The three
leaders are trying hard to distance themselves from the rest of
the fleet, with all three sailors getting ten knots or better from
their boats for extended periods. John Martin has reaffirmed his
estimated ETA as the afternoon of Saturday, October 11th.
NEPTUNE'S EXPRESS arrived in Recife, Brazil, under jury rig before
noon EDT on the 30th. With his dismasting, skipper Richard
McBride has once again exhibited his ability to adapt to trying
circumstances, in the process of demonstrating all the varity of
skills the solo sailor must possess. (McBride went aground on the
Falkland Islands during Leg III of the first BOC, yet completed
the coarse.) Upon arrival in port, McBride was able to inform
Race Hqs. of his adventure.
"The conditions were good, SE winds at 15 kts. (This was Sept
23.) It was 3:00 AM and I had gone to bed at 1:30 AM. I had
entered my last log entry at 1:00 AM. I woke up about 2:45...
something woke me. I realize now it was the initial shearing of
the bolt (at the second spreader half-way up the mast). I
remember thinking about how calm it was. We were moving nicely at
about eight or nine knots. Oh, there was the odd wee bounce..."
The a squall hit NEPTUNE'S EXPRESS, with 30 knots of wind, and the
mast collapsed into the sea, leaving only a six foot stump on the
deck. When NEPTUNE'S EXPRESS stopped, she began to roll violently
in the tradewind swells. The moon provided too little light to
work with, so McBride turned downwind to ease the violent motion,
letting the mast and sails drift behind him. McBride notified BOC
Race Hqs. of his predicament, then, husbanding his strength, he
got in a few hours sleep.
At dawn McBride tried to winch aboard the remains of the rig.
Using the topping lift and a block mounted on the stump f the
mast, he was able to get the remains to deck level.
Unfortunately, the topping lift parted and the rig dropped into
the sea. With the rig hanging vertically under the boat,
NEPTUNE'S EXPRESS could easily have been holed, so he was forced
to cut it away. The mast, mainsail and jib were lost into the
depths.
With Recife, the nearest viable port, 630 miles away, McBride was
faced with the problem of getting NEPTUNE'S EXPRESS to port
without assistance. Race rules allow a competitor to continue in
the BOC after pulling into port for repairs provided he gets to the
port without material assistance. McBride had every intention of
continuing in the race, so he worked hard to make a jury rig.
McBride cut holes in two pieces of plywood to make a tabernacle
for his new mast, the spinnaker pole. He then made shrouds and a
forestay and slowly inched the 22 foot spinnaker pole into
position. The procedure was slowed by the violent motion of the
boat, motion so violent that McBride had to hang on at all times
to avoid being thrown overboard. That same day he was able to
hoist a staysail and set coarse for Recife at 4-5 knots.
Eventually he was able to set the storm trysail in addition as he
sailed south and west to port.
American entry David White on LEGEND SECURITIES was in the
vicinity and rendevoused with NEPTUNE'S EXPRESS to see if McBride
required any assistance. All was well at the time, so White
continued on toward Cape Town, but not before photographing
NEPTUNE'S EXPRESS under jury rig and passing the film to McBride.
McBride's own determination to continue in the race has been
reflected in the round-the-clock efforts of his sponsors and
supporters. BOC Race Hqs. notified McBride's brother Geoff of the
dismasting at once. He immediately contacted all parties involved
with the project. Neptune Resorts, Ltd., the primary financial
backers, the Kiwi Express Yacht Company (composed of McBride's
original group of supporters and sponsors), the ACT/Pace
International Shipping Line, Naval Architect Bruce Farr, mast
makers and sailmakers all participated. The mast, rig, and sails
were completed before NEPTUNE'S EXPRESS made port.
Air freight for the system became the biggest problem. Even cut
into three pieces the mast was too large for any aircraft serving
Recife from within South America. The only wide-body craft
serving Recife arrives once a week - from Paris. So the mast is
now in route from New Zealand to Paris via Los Angeles. It is due
to arrive on October 7th, with a police escort to the docks
arranged by ACT's representatives, who are coordinating work
there. McBride has also been assisted by representatives of the
local yacht clubs. NEPTUNE'S EXPRESS is at anchor in the
commercial harbor, as the yacht's draft prevents her from going
into the yacht clubs. The mast maker is on hand, and McBride
hopes to depart for Cape Town on the 10th.
Meanwhile, John Biddlecombe's's unanticipated holiday in Bermuda may
finally be coming to an end, but not before more delays hit ACI
CRUSADER. Biddlecombe had designed a lead bulb for his keel to
give his boat more stability. The bulb was fabricated in
Connecticut, but was delayed while the yard finished AMERICA II's
new keel. By the time it was finished and taken to the airport,
longshoremen on the U.S. East Coast had gone on strike,
consequently Biddlecombe's bulb was delayed again, as it was taken
off the airplane and replaced by a load of vegetables that would
otherwise have gone by sea.
With perishable foods having priority, and a 40,000 pound backlog
at the airport, it seemed that Biddlecombe would have to establish
permanent residence in Bermuda. Luckily, a temporary break in the
strike was announced and ACI CRUSADER was being fitted with the
bulb over the weekend. Biddlecombe has announced that he intends
to depart on the 8th and that he still expects to make the Cape
Town re-start and hopes to lead the fleet into his home port of
Sydney.
While these two boats remain in port, the rest of the fleet is
taking long strides towards the finish along several different
paths. The three leaders have worked their way down nearly to the
latitude of Cape Town with 1200 miles to go. The second group
consists of EQUREUIL D'AQUITAINE, with Titouan Lamazou still hand
steering, SKOIERN IV skippered by Jacques deRoux (who is still in
control of class II) and Jean Yves Terlain's UAP-PMSF. These
three are taking a course just north of the path taken by the
leaders. They are followed closely by Mike Plant in AIRCO
DISTRIBUTOR (2nd in Class II) and Warren Luhrs aboard THURSDAY'S
CHILD. Luhrs is making a bid to become the first American into
Cape Town, now that he has repaired the seam in his mainsail.
Race Hqs has been informed by his support team that, due to his
vast experience sewing over the past few weeks, Luhrs is now
qualified to darn his own socks.
The next pack of boats is enjoying some very close racing. LET'S
GO and Jean Luc van den Heede have taken a more northerly coarse
trying to overtake Richard Konkolski on DECLARATION OF
INDEPENDENCE, and has already gotten a small lead over Harry
Harkimo on BELMONT FINLAND, David White on LEGEND SECURITIES, Hal
Roth's AMERICAN FLAG And Pentti Salmi aboard COLT BY RETTIG.
Paralleling those boats, TRIPLE M/SPIRIT OF SYDNEY is in 13th
place overall, with Ian Kiernan leading another group heading
straight south. These boats are planning to keep west of the
South Atlantic High, and are composed of Bertie Reed on STABILO
BOSS, Mark Schrader on LONE STAR, John Hughes aboard JOSEPH YOUNG
and Mac Smith in QUAILO.
Harry Mitchell's DOUBLE CROSS has made it across the equator, soon
to be followed by Takao Shimada aboard MADONNA and Eduardo de
Almeida on MISS GLOBAL. De Almeida has made good progress since
his restart from Newport with his new rudder.
WEATHER CONDITIONS: PLAYING THE HIGH.
The only weather news of the week is the fast, erratic movement of
the high pressure area in the South Atlantic. It has never stayed
in one place for long. The body of the high tends to stay in one
place for a few hours. Then it wanders toward Africa, dipping
south as it moves. When the eastern edge hits the African
continent, a bubble of high pressure peels off south of the Cape
of Good Hope into the Indian Ocean while the body seems to snap
back towards South America. There it is joined by another bubble
from the West, providing the impetus for another journey to the
East. Knowing, or guessing, what this high pressure is doing
influences the sailors' strategies.
FLEET STRATEGIES:
Traditionally there have been two ways to play the South Atlantic
High. Theory one says that you head south from the Doldrums, and
keep heading south until you hit the strong westerlies around 35
degrees South. Then you turn left, staying south of Cape Town
until your boat arrives at 15-16 degrees East at which point you
head NE to port. This is the traditional ship's route.
Theory two was developed by Whitbread Race entries who went on the
wind from the Equator to Cape Town, staying north and east of the
High. This was tough on body and boat - but was distinctly fastest
when sailing from england. It is perhaps not as fast when approching
from North America.
Which leads us now to the newest theory as demonstrated by John
Martin on TUNA MARINE, Guy Bernardin on BISCUITS LU and Phillipe
Jeantot on CREDIT AGRICOLE. This is what you might call the BOC
Race System. In Theory Three you sail south from the Equator as
though you are headed for the strong westerlies in the "Roaring
Forties." If a high pressure area obstructs your path, though,
you turn left and close-reach across the top of the high until it
passes you headed east. Then you dip south again until the next
high comes along, at which point you follow the same procedure.
Eventually you will probably join the course taken by the Theory
One boats, but you have cut the corner and greatly reduced the
distance sailed. In fact you come very close to sailing a Great
Circle course, which is the shortest distance between two points
on the globe. To sail the Theory Three Route, though, is
difficult and demands accurate weather information and great skill
in reading the barometer. There is no question that the ARGOS
position information is also useful, as you can see when you
competitor has been hit by a high pressure system.
At this writing the fleet behind the leaders has divided into the
three strategies fairly equally. Those closest behind have taken
the Theory Two route in hopes of reducing John Martin's lead,
while those farthest behind have elected Theory One in
anticipation of the South Atlantic High giving more difficulties
to the others.
CAPE TOWN:
The BOC Race office is now open, located at the Royal Cape Yacht
Club. Correspondence for the competitors should be address as
follows:
Name of Competitor/Name of Boat
BOC Race Office
c/o Royal Cape Yacht Club
P. O. Box 772
Cape Town 8000
South Africa
Telephone 011-27-21-419-3780
|
| 395.15 | FIRST LEG FINISHER!!! | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Thu Oct 23 1986 17:08 | 98 |
|
THE BOC CHALLENGE 1986-87
SOUTH AFRICAN MARTIN GETS HERO'S WELCOME
ARRIVING FIRST HOME TO CAPE TOWN
October 14, 1986
Cape Town, S.A., Oct. 11 -- Amidst more than 50 spectator boats,
naval ships, fire boats, several hundred well-wishers, champagne
and a belated birthday cake, South African John Martin was given a
champion's welcome home today as he arrived into Cape Town to
finish the first leg of the BOC Challenge 1986-87.
As he guided the 60 foot TUNA MARINE across the finish line,
making 8 knots under spinnaker, at 10:10:36 p.m. local time
(20:10:36 GMT) in a light breeze to win the first leg of this
27,000 mile sailing marathon, an ebullient Martin raised both arms
in a victorious gesture. Horns blared from the many spectator
craft present, fire boats spewed water jets into the air, and the
South African Navy Mine Sweeper S.A.S. EAST LONDON standing by
fired a cannon in salute as the white-hulled sloop crossed the
line.
Martin completed the 7,100-mile journey in 42 days, 01 hours, 10
minutes, eclipsing by five days the record set by the 82-83 BOC
winner Phillipe Jeantot. "The Flying Frenchman," as he is dubbed,
had rocketed into Cape Town ahead of his nearest competitor,
covering the distance in 47 days, 00 hours, 01 minutes, 02
seconds.
TUNA MARINE'S fast passage is especially noteworthy, since the
Lavranos-designed sloop, built in 1981, is one of the heavier
boats and one of the few in Class I not built especially for this
race. Martin had masterfully steered the yacht during the entire
voyage, remaining in the lead almost without exception since the
August 30 start date.
"I can't tell you how much this means to me," crowed an estatic
Martin to an overflowing crowd at dockside. Several hundred
spectators crowded the docks to get a glimpse of the young man
who, in a few short weeks, has become nothing short of a national
hero.
"This is the kind of race where you must never let up, not for one
moment, because there is always someone right behind you who can
capitalize on your mistakes. I have the utmost respect for my
fellow competitors, and, knowing their talents, can tell you that
this race is far from over -- but for now, I couldn't be happier
with the boat, and feel we've sailed a tremendous leg. I look
forward to spending the next few weeks with my family, and will
prepare for the next leg of the race."
Once TUNA MARINE was tied alongside the docks of the Royal Cape
Yacht Club, Martin and his wife, Lynne, and their two young
daughters joined hundreds of well-wishers at a brief press
conference and welcome party hosted at the Club by Afrox, a
subsidiary of the BOC Group, and local Race sponsor. Henry
Cawood, managing director of Afrox, presented Martin with a magnum
of champagne and a large birthday cake to mark Martin's 32nd
birthday, which he had celebrated at sea October 8th.
"The sheer number of well-wishers and friends who are here to
welcome John at this late hour is an indication of the support he
carries on this extraordinary endeavor," said Cawood. "We at
Afrox, and everyone here tonight, are tremendously proud of you,
John. You can be sure that our full support will be with you
throughout the course of this race. Congratulations."
Martin will soon be joined at the Royal Cape by CREDIT AGRICOLE
III, sailed by Phillipe Jeantot, runaway winner of the 82-83 BOC,
who, at last report, was following Martin by 158 miles and has
given an ETA into Cape Town f Sunday, Oct. 12th. Behind Jeantot
is Frenchman Guy Bernardin on BISCUIT'S LU, some 260 miles from
port. Bernardin, at veteran of the premier BOC, had been running
second for most of the race before losing ground ten days ag,
after falling into a windless high pressure area.
Most of the remaining yachts in the BOC Fleet are due to arrive in
port over the next three weeks. The scheduled re-start date for
Leg II, from Cape Town to Sydney, Australia, is Saturday, Nov
15th. From Sydney, the fleet will head to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
and then back to Newport, where the finishers are expected in May
1987.
The BOC Challenge 86-87 is sponsored by The BOC Group, an
international corporation whose principal businesses include
industrial and speciality gases and health care products and
services. The Cape Town stopover of the race is sponsored by
Afrox, a BOC subsidiary.
|
| 395.16 | SECOND LEG I FINISHER -JEANTOT | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Fri Oct 24 1986 09:55 | 68 |
|
THE BOC CHALLENGE 1986-87
"FLYING FRENCHMAN" JEANTOT ARRIVES
IN CAPE TOWN, SECOND IN BOC CHALLENGE
October 14, 1986
Cape Town, S.A., Oct. 12 -- French solo sailor Phillipe Jeantot
joined fellow competitor John Martin in Cape Town today, crossing
the finish line in Table Bay at 10:29:35 GMT (12:29:35 Local) to
end his first leg in The BOC Challenge 86-87.
Jeantot had rocketed towards Cape Town during the previous 24
hours, closing the gap between his 60-foot CREDIT AGRICOLE III and
Martin's TUNA MARINE, which arrived last night to capture line
honors on the Newport-to-Cape Town leg of this round the world
yacht race.
Stiff 30-knot winds had carried the green and white hull as an
average of 11.5 knots during the night, sending Jeantot into port
just 14 hours behind Martin. Jeantot, runaway winner of the first
BOC in 82-83, was greeted with a warm spectator welcome, but met
rain and blustery winds that suddenly died 1/2 mile from the
finish line. As Jeantot toiled to inch the boat forward towards
the line, a puff came up and carried the Ribadeau-designed-sloop
the final yards home.
Jeantot's total elapsed time for the leg was 42 days, 15 hours, 29
minutes and 35 seconds, bettering his own record of 47 day, set
during the first BOC, by four-and-one-half days. In that contest,
Jeantot had streaked into Table Bay an insurmountable seven days
ahead of his closest competitor. Jeantot's official elapsed time,
including a penalty of 1 hour 28 minutes for arriving late for
inspections, is 42d, 16h, 57m, 47s.
Jeantot, who was met at the finish line by Martin, said of the
first leg winner: "He is tremendous competitor who sailed his
boat extremely well. He made no mistakes -- I kept waiting for
him to make mistakes, but there were none!" Of his sloop, which,
other than his qualification sail, Jeantot had sailed very little
prior to the race: "It is a very powerful boat -- far more sail
than CREDIT AGRICOLE I (the winning boat he skippered in 82-83),
and a much more physical boat to sail. But she is one of the
fastest boats in heavy air, and that will be a big advantage
during the nest two legs. I am quite happy with her."
Following closely behind Jeantot, with an ETA of 20.00 GMT
(10:00 p.m. Local) tonight is fellow Frenchman Guy Bernardin,
steering BISCUIT'S LU. Bernardin, who sailed the smallest boat in
the fleet in the last race, was 83 miles from Cape Town at 07:00
GMT today. The next boat expected in is Class II French entry
SKOIERN IV, sailed by Jacques de Roux, who has driven his 50-foot
Presles-designed sloop at an astounding pace during the 7,100-mile
journey from Newport. De Roux, who has not dropped from the top
five boats in the fleet since the August 30 start date, is
expected sometime on Tuesday, October 14, more than 400 miles
ahead of his closest Class II competitor.
|
| 395.17 | BERNARDIN FINISHES THIRD | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Fri Oct 24 1986 10:31 | 55 |
|
THE BOC CHALLENGE 1986-87
FRENCHMAN BERNARDIN ARRIVES
IN CAPE TOWN, THIRD IN BOC CHALLENGE
October 14, 1986
Cape Town, S.A., Oct. 12 -- Fighting headwinds gusting to gale
force, Frenchman Guy Bernardin, who lives in North Kingston, Rhode
Island, sailed across the finish line in Table Bay to arrive third
on Leg I of the BOC Challenge.
Bernardin took his 60-foot racer BISCUIT'S LU across the finish
line at 02:58:43 local time Monday morning (8:58 pm Sunday EDT) to
complete the first leg in 43 days, 5 hours, 58 minutes and 43
seconds. Bernardin fought for five hours shifting headwinds,
varying from 10-50 knots in gusts rushing down Table Mountain.
Bernardin reported that sailing a 60-footer was, "very difficult
for a solo sailor. It was not a pleasure like sailing my
37-footer in the last BOC -- but you must have a maximum size boat
to be competitive. You must keep going and going and going."
"I followed the course I had planned from the beginning, but the
South Atlantic High blocked our path. We (the leaders) were
forced to tack above the High to keep up our speed. I had lost my
roller furling genoa 17 days from the finish, which meant that I
did not have the correct sail in winds between 10 and 20 knots."
Bernardin reported that he was pleased with his boat BISCUIT'S LU,
and that he had little to do to prepare for Leg II, which takes
the fleet through the "Roaring Forties" from Cape Town to Sydney,
Australia. Bernardin also reported that his best day's run during
the first leg was 284.3 miles, during the first week. He expects
to do over 300 miles a day during Leg II, in the stronger winds
expected in the rough South Indian Ocean.
After arriving at the Cape Town docks in the early hours of the
morning, Bernardin got in a few hours sleep before speaking to
local school children about the race the same morning.
The second leg of the BOC Race starts November 15th in Cape Town.
The first boats to complete the 27,000 mile solo race are due back
in Newport, RI., in mid-May 1987. The Race started from Newport
August 30th.
|
| 395.18 | FIVE MORE FINISH LEG I | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Fri Oct 31 1986 15:12 | 374 |
|
THE BOC CHALLENGE 1986-87
Race Update: Week #7
October 20, 1986
Week number seven of this 27,000-mile race round the world was a
busy one, with five more competitors arriving in Cape Town, and an
additional seven advancing to within 500 miles of the stopover.
The week started off with the arrival of Class II entry SKOIERN
IV, sailed by Jacques de Roux, at 11:47.10 a.m local time
(09:47.10GMT), marking the finish of a brilliantly executed first
leg for the former French Navy Commander. De Roux arrived fourth
overall among the 25 competitors who started the race on August
30, and handily won his class (for boats to fifty feet LOA),
finishing 250 miles ahead of his nearest rival.
De Roux' elapsed time for the 7,100-mile first leg was 45 days, 14
hours, 47 minutes, and ten seconds, almost one-and-one-half days
better than the time established by "The Flying Frenchman,"
Philippe Jeantot, in the first BOC Challenge. SKOIERN IV's best
run, noon to noon, was an impressive 247 miles, which de Roux
accomplished five days out of Cape Town. During those 24 hours,
with the wind reaching speeds of more than 50 knots, he also
recorded his fastest boat speed of 17 knots. That day, he also
lost his spinnaker pole and all of the battens in the boat's
mainsail overboard, which slowed him in the 35-knot headwinds he
encountered on his final approach to Cape Town.
More than 100 people were at the Royal Cape Yacht Club docks to
greet de Roux, who had never fallen below sixth place in the fleet
and has beaten many larger and faster boats into port. When asked
about his remarkable performance, de Roux shrugged his shoulders
and said modestly, "I was just very lucky -- it was luck, and good
winds..."
He said he managed to keep up with the Class I competitors
because: "The winds on this leg were often very light, so a small
boat in those winds can be fast just like a big boat." He also
explained that he had had good winds for the last ten days of the
leg, which he felt made a difference in his overall placing. When
asked about what his Leg I strategy had been, de Roux said: "I
had no planned course ahead of time; my course was simply to
follow the wind." He explained that he kept to a more easterly
course this time, both north and south of the equator.
De Roux was pleased to have done so well on this first leg. In
the 82-83 BOC Challenge, he was also well ahead of his Class II
competitors and up with the big boats, when his boat SKOIERN III,
was tossed end-over-end during a severe storm in the Southern
Ocean. His boat was dismasted and the hull was punctured by the
spar. For the next two-and-one-half days, de Roux bailed with a
bucket for three out of every four hours to keep his dying vessel
afloat, not knowing whether or not help was on the way.
His position at the time of the mishap was at a point farther from
land than any place on the globe. He was finally rescued by
fellow competitor, Englishman Richard Broadhead on Preseverance of
Medina, some 60 hours later. Broadhead had masterfully guided his
boat to the exact spot where SKOIERN III lay, with ARGOS
satellite information relayed by ham radio operators. SKOIERN III
sank four hours after the miraculous rescue.
De Roux spent the following three years planning for this year's
BOC Challenge. He managed an Indonesian fish factory to earn the
money to build SKOIERN IV, which was designed by the same naval
architect who drew his first boat, Dominique Presles, and built at
the same yard.
Following de Roux into port by just hours was American Warren
Luhrs, who became the first U.S. entry in this years race to see
Table Mountain, arriving in Cape Town at 03:35.32 p.m. local
(13:35.32 GMT). "The Cape Town Doctor," the infamous southeasterly
wind which had buffeted Guy Bernardin and de Roux during the
previous two days, was again in evidence as Luhrs crossed the
finish line, blowing at upwards of 30 knots. Luhrs' welcoming
party was headed by his wife, Linda, and five month old daughter,
Alexandra, along with the press. Class I winner John Martin, who
arrived into his home port on Saturday night, jumped aboard the
radical 60-foot cutter to offer a hearty welcome to his friend.
Luhrs, who beat Martin in the 84 OSTAR and the 85 Round Britain
Race, said to Martin: "If it couldn't be me, I wanted it to be
you...well done!!!"
Luhrs was the fifth BOC competitor to sail into Cape Town, making
the voyage in 45 days, 18 hours, 35 minutes and 32 seconds. The
BOC Race Committee has granted Luhrs redress of 24H, 53m, 53s,
under Rule 69 for his starting line collision that had forced him
back into port for repairs, making his official time 44d, 17h,
41m, 39s. THURSDAY'S CHILD had been struck on the stern by
fellow competitor Titouan Lamazou, aboard ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE,
during the Race start, which was over-crowded with spectator
vessels. Luhrs was forced to return to port for overnight repairs
to the boat's steering and antenna farm, with his own support
team, and that of Lamazou, working through the night. While Luhrs
had the right-of-way, he requested that he be given redress rather
the penalizing Lamazou, due to the uncontrolled starting
conditions.
When asked if the late start affected his performance on the leg,
Luhrs commented: "Yes, I think it did. I was asked the same
question back in Newport and said 'No'.. at first I thought it
would all average out. But once I got going, everyday I'd find
out where I was and where the rest of the guys were, particularly
the ones up front. It was very, very frustrating. I just could
not get the same weather -- they were ahead and I simply could not
catch up."
By the end of the first week, the Floridian was 680 miles behind
the leaders -- more than three sailing days. He had been a
pre-race favorite to win Leg I: "This was supposed to be my
favorite leg, and I guess I've missed that opportunity. I did not
think about the other legs before this -- I just concentrated on
the first leg -- but now I will begin thinking about it. The next
leg should be less difficult; there will be less sail changing,
less frustrating work...I've never had such aggravating and
frustrating weather conditions like I did, constantly changing
every 24 - 36 hours."
Luhrs was obviously happy to see his infant daughter, whom he
rushed to as soon as he got off the boat. He explained how
difficult it was to leave her for such extended periods of time:
"It was a tremendously difficult decision to leave her -- she's
grown so much! -- but that's what kept me going: my family."
THURSDAY'S CHILD is the lightest maxi-size racer in the BOC fleet.
Weighing only 18,500 pounds, she is one-third the weight of a
twelve-meter America's Cup yacht, is far faster, and is designed
to be sailed by one man instead of 11. THURSDAY'S CHILD is
composed of carbon fiber, Kevlar (TM)) and fiberglass. When asked
how he felt the boat would perform in the next two legs, both
downwind, he said: "She's an extremely light, well engineered
boat, and certainly strong enough if sailed properly. (But) she
is a boat you cannot make mistakes with." The only planned
modification to the boat, which had been arranged beforehand, is
to add a roller-furling genoa system for Legs II and III. Luhrs'
corrected time places him fourth overall in the 24 boat fleet.
The next boat to arrive in Cape Town was Titouan Lamazou, sailing
the 60-foot ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE. Nursing a broken boom and
fighting exhaustion, a result of more than one month of steering
by hand, a weary but happy Lamazou crossed the finish line at
2:04.22 a.m. local, (00:04.22 GMT) on Thursday, Oct 16th, becoming
the sixth BOC competitor and fifth in Class I, to arrive in port.
Lamazou had been battling southeast headwinds for several days
before finishing, but just two miles short of the Table Bay finish
line, the wind died. The 31-year-old Frenchman struggled to reach
the line, coaxing the battle torn ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE ahead foot
by foot, until a light breeze came up to carry him over.
Lamazou had just completed one of the most harrowing voyages of
the BOC competitors to date. Beginning with the August 30 Race
start, when he and Warren Luhrs collided five minutes prior to the
starting gun, Lamazou has been beseiged with bad luck and
equipment problems. The August 30 collision left him with a leak
on the starboard side of his bow, into which flowed 100 liters of
water per day. The young artist and author worked on the leak,
trying several, but unsuccessful, solutions, until it was finally
patched on September 10. The final repair job, he calculated,
took him 10 hours.
Ironically, it was Luhrs' boat, THURSDAY'S CHILD, which Lamazou
wanted his own boat modeled after. When he had originally
approached his designer to design a boat for the BOC, Lamazou
brought photographs and drawings of THURSDAY'S CHILD with him ,
saying: "This is the best boat to sail; this is the boat I want.
Build me a boat like this for the BOC."
Within hours of repairing the hull leak, and still managing to
hold down a strong third in the fleet, Lamazou's electric
autopilot packed up, followed by his wind vane a few days later.
He was then forced to steer by hand, manning the wheel for 19-20
hours a day. At the time, Lamazou was about 1,700 miles from
Ascension Island, and initially decided to put in to the military
installment there to replace his self-steering unit. However, he
soon received weather information which indicated headwinds for
the majority of the sail to Ascension, and elected instead to hold
course and proceed on a beat toward Cape Town. For the remainder
of the 7,100 mile voyage, some five weeks, Lamazou lashed the
wheel in place for about four hours a day to enable him to catch
some sleep.
To add to the already-existing problems, ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE
suffered a broken boom on October 10, a result of constant jibing
in strong tailwinds. The boom broke apart in two places, forcing
the tired skipper to fashion a replacement out of his spinnaker
pole. Then under reefed mainsail, Lamazou limped towards Cape
Town.
"It was not an enjoyable trip for me," quipped the still-smiling
sailor, who had sprouted a beard during the time he had been
virtually glued to the helm of his boat. "But I am not at all
discouraged. I figure that I have had all my bad luck this leg,
and that things will be O.K. from now on. What I have lost in
days and time, I have gained in experience."
After clearing customs, Lamazou made a quick departure, with his
brother steering the way, to a hearty meal and a very welcome
night's sleep. His total elapsed time for the leg was 46D, 05H,
04M, 22S.
The stream of boats arriving in port abated for little more than
24 hours, as two boats arrived into Table Bay on the morning of
October 17 in what was truly a "photo-finish"
After sailing more than 7,100 miles of open ocean through volatile
weather, Mike Plant, of Newport, RI. on AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR, and
Frenchman Jean-Yves Terlain, on UAP-POUR MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES,
finished on October 17th an incredible one minute, 20 seconds
apart.
The two sailors had spent the previous night within 500 yards of
each other while becalmed ten miles from the finish line. The
50-foot, Roger Martin-designed AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR crossed the
finish line at 12:30.30 p.m. local time (10:30.30 GMT) just ahead
of Terlain, giving him an elapsed time for the leg of 47D, 15H,
30M, 30S. Terlain, who crossed at 12:31:50 p.m. local (10:31:50
GMT), was given a corrected elapsed time to include a penalty of
one hour, 13 minutes for late arrival to pre-race inspections in
Newport. His time: 47D, 16H, 44M, 50S. Plant finished second in
Class II, and Terlain sixth in Class I.
Plant had trailed Class II Leg I winner, Jacques de Roux,
throughout the journey, several times closing to within 100 miles
of the Frenchman and SKOIERN IV. Plant said: "It was truly a race
all the way -- from the moment the gun went off until I crossed
the finish line. There wasn't any time that I can remember
letting up. It was always a push -- every day, every day, every
day."
Commenting on de Roux' stellar performance, Plant stated, "He
sailed an absolutely perfect race, with no mistakes. Every time I
gained on him, he would disappear ahead of me. There seemed to be
no way that I could catch up with him this leg." Of the second
leg , however, which begins from Cape Town on November 15 and
sends the fleet to Sydney, Australia, Plant said: "I feel really
good about the next leg. I have the boat for the heavy stuff we
will encounter. AIRCO is a very sturdy boat. The only thing I
broke was the boom-vang, one week ago -- the day I made 235 miles
in 24 hours. I was going 18 knots at one point." When asked if
he could finish first in Sydney ahead of the rest of his Class II
rivals, Plant grinned and said, "I'll put my money on it!"
The BOC Challenge is Plant's first major ocean race. Terlain, who
is perhaps best known for his second place finish in the 1972 solo
Transatlantic Race aboard the 128-foot VENDREDI TREIZE, has more
experience than Plant, but suffered a number of equipment failures
on his complicated 60-footer. The bright yellow UAP-POUR MEDECINS
SANS FRONTIERES sports a satellite communications dome on the
stern and a geodesic greenhouse" shelter over the cockpit. I t
also has a computer on board to coordinate telexed weather
information with the boat's performance characteristics to suggest
possible courses. With his satellite dish, Terlain was able to
make and receive telephone calls during the leg. Power generator
problems, though, complicated Terlain's efforts. He was forced to
steer by hand for the last 19 days of the voyage, since his
autopilots and all the instrumentation aboard had failed. In
addition, Terlain's fully battened mainsail was damaged by
gale-force winds three days out of Cape Town, further slowing his
progress to the finish.
"I am happy with the boat," said Terlain, who, due to time
constraints, had sailed the boat for only two hours before setting
out on his qualifier to Newport in August, "but I am just getting
to know her now. I made one major error in the Doldrums which
cost me two days, and my lack of generating power cost me more
time because I hove-to a couple of times to rest. We will fix all
of our problems in Cape Town, though -- maybe we'll even have time
to finally finish the boat here! -- and I am looking forward to
doing better on the next leg."
The next several boats due to arrive in Cape Town will be led by
South African Bertie Reed on STABILO BOSS, who has made tremendous
progress during the past week, moving up from 16th to 9th place in
just six days. Reed, who lost four days in September when a
failed autopilot caused him to turn back into Newport for a
replacement, gave an ETA of Monday, October 20 into his home
port. Following Reed by some 50-miles is Australian Ian Kiernan,
sailing TRIPLE M/SPIRIT OF SYDNEY. Kiernan has had a luckless
first leg, falling into numerous high pressure areas during the
trip, which has cost him in overall placings. However, he has
moved up during the last several days and was expected to arrive in
Table Bay within hours of STABILO BOSS. The 60-foot, Ben Lexcen
design, which in initial sailing was extremely fast downwind,
should do quite well on Legs II and III.
Richard Konkolski on DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, Jean-Luc Van Den
Heede on LET'S GO, David White on LEGEND SECURITIES, Harry Harkimo
BY RETTIG, at press time were all within 200 miles of each other,
and within 500 miles of the finish line. Van Den Heede reported
via ham radio operator that "the competition is fierce out here!"
Roth has been battling a broken headstay for five days, but has
still managed to stay up with the group. He climbed the mast over
the weekend to install a new forestay, and was sewing hanks onto
his genoa.
The latest news on some other BOC competitors is not quite as
encouraging. New Zealander Richard McBride finally received his
long-overdue mast in Recife, Brazil, after waiting more than two
weeks for the spar to be air-freighted to him. McBride had lost
the mast on his 60-foot Farr design at the Equator earlier in the
month. To complicate matters, the mast-maker, who had flown over
from New Zealand to help install the spar on NEPTUNE'S EXPRESS,
apparently had to return home, leaving Recife the day before the
mast arrived. A replacement has flown over to assist, and McBride
hopes to set off on a fast passage to Cape Town October 20 or 21.
With one BOC Competitor preparing to depart Recife, another was
arriving this past week. Eduardo Louro de Almeida, on MISS
GLOBAL, limped into the Brazilian port at the weekend in need of
yet another rudder for his small one-tonner.
De Almeida had lost his original rudder and backup the first week
out of Newport following the race start, and had turned back to
have a new, stronger rudder fitted. As of week's end, a new
rudder had arrived in Recife, along with the determined young
skipper and his boat. De Almeida, who wanted to do the BOC Race
"to show that in Brazil, you don't have to be rich to sail,"is
expected to re-start during the next week if all goes well, and
continue his trek to Cape Town.
QUAILO, in the meantime, is making her way to Rio de Janeiro in
Floridian Mac Smith's determined hands. QUAILO's mast had been
severly damaged during Week Six. Smith had to wait for suitable
winds, as the mast was bent in several places and the port lower
shroud broken. Whenever the wind permits, he is making good
progress towards Rio. When the wind gods do not permit the
desired course, he waits them out. At week's end he was a little
over 900 miles from port. Smith has not formally announced his
intentions regarding continuing the BOC Challenge to Race Hqs.
WEATHER CONDITIONS and FLEET STRATEGIES
The sailors who have approached South Africa from a latitude below
34 degrees South, have made the best progress this week. STABILO
BOSS, skippered by "Biltong" Bertie Reed, had picked up the most
places and looks to be next to finish. Ian Kiernan on TRIPLE
M/SPIRIT OF SYDNEY was making good progress until he went to far
North during the week, but still is next in line behind Reed. The
sailors who took their craft on a more direct route have
alternated between light winds (when the high pressure are is
near) and strong headwinds (when the South Atlantic High leaves
the area). It seems that, except for the first finishers, the
traditional route passing west of the High, and then south of it,
has mad e the most sense. John Hughes on JOSEPH YOUNG and Mark
Schrader on LONE STAR are now on the traditional route. Harry
Mitchell on DOUBLE CROSS and Takao Shimada on MADONNA are having
their own private race on a more northerly path.
Correspondence for the competitors should be address as follows:
Name of Competitor/Name of Boat
BOC Race Office
c/o Royal Cape Yacht Club
P. O. Box 772
Cape Town 8000
South Africa
Telephone 011-27-21-419-3780
|
| 395.19 | PRESS RELEASE WK#8 | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Tue Nov 11 1986 10:09 | 540 |
|
THE BOC CHALLENGE 1986-87
Race Update: Week #8
October 28, 1986
Week number eight of this 'round-the-world marathon was packed
with the arrival of an additional 10 boats, bringing to 18 the
number of competitors now in Cape Town on the first stopover.
The week was kicked off with the arrival of an elated Bertie Reed,
who charged across the finish line as 12:39.48 GMT (10:39.48 a.m.
local) on Monday, Oct. 21 into his home port in bright sunshine
and a welcoming, 15 knot NW breeze. A small flotilla came out ot
greet Reed and STABILO BOSS, which looked breathtaking under
colorful spinnaker, and guided them into the crowded docks of the
Royal Cape Yacht Club. More than 300 people, including the Mayor
of Cape Town, an Admiral in the South African Navy, and a
bagpiper, were onhand to welcome the man many thought capable of
winning this years BOC, before he suffered a serious setback early
on in the leg which has all but dashed his hopes of bettering his
82-83 second-place finish.
Reed, who lost 87 hours when he was forced to turn back into
Newport shortly after the race start because of a packed up
autopilot, had shown his true colors during the last several days
before finishing, skyrocketing from a lackluster 16th place in the
fleet to ninth place overall. While he is happy to have moved up
in the standings, the former Naval sailing instructor is realistic
about his chances of unseating the forerunners in Class I: "Nine
days (the distance between himself and leader John Martin) is a
lot of time...too much to realistically make up. But we'll be up
near the top during the next two legs, and I'll be happy to place
well there. If we have weather similar to the last BOC, we could
do extremely well."
THE NEXT PARAGRAPH IS REPRODUCED EXACTLY
AS IT WAS RECEIVED---MEANING I DON'T
UNDERSTAND THE FIRST SENTENCE EITHER.
Reed had gained more than 400 miles on the rest of the fleet
during that last week by going further south (to 35 degrees south)
and going around competitors are currently heading with problems,
when his rudder froze at the beginning of October. The rudder
seized up as a result of swarf aluminum chips) which had become
lodged in between the rudder shaft bearing while work was being
done on Reed's autopilot in Newport. Fortunately, the rudder
eventually freed itself and Reed continued onto Cape Town.
Of the boat, the former DISQUE D'OR of 81-82 Whitbread fame, which
some people felt was a lot of boat for one man to sail, Reed was
complementary (and modest): "She's just a 60-foot dinghy; she
looks complicated, but really isn't. STABILO BOSS is a great
boat; she just gets up and goes!"
However, Reed did admit: "It takes three to four years to really
know a boat; a number of guys who did so well this first leg have
spent more time becoming familiar with their boats. There were a
few times on this leg that I wished I'd been sailing 'my old girl'
(VOORTREKKER, the 49-foot wooden sloop which carried him to a
remarkable second-place finish in the first BOC)!"
"This leg was not easy," said Reed, whose fastest 24-hour run was
235 miles. "It was a lot of very hard work." The record for the
boat, a Farr design, was achieved during the Whitbread, when it
covered an impressive 331 miles in one day.
When asked about the performance of John Martin, the current BOC
leader who has sailed many miles with Reed and who came to greet
him on his arrival, Bertie replied: "I'm very proud of John; he
did a great job and has sailed a flawless leg. But," Reed added
with a grin, "John has never beaten me in a race yet...and this is
only the first leg of this race!."
Reed finished seventh in Class, and ninth overall. His total
elapsed time for the leg: 50 D, 17 H, 39 M, 48 S.
Next into Table Bay Harbor last week was Australian Ian Kiernan,
who crossed the finish line on TRIPLE M/SPIRIT OF SYDNEY at
22:20.30 GMT on Monday, Oct. 20 (12:20.30 a.m. local time Oct. 21)
after being becalmed just one hour from the line in variable,
light winds that so many of the competitors have come to know.
Kiernan, a well-known name in singlehanded sailing in Australia,
had endured a luckless first leg, falling into one high pressure
area after another. Kiernan was without his weatherfax
information for the entire leg, so had no weather charts and had
to rely on information from another source in Australia. "It was
very frustrating and very disappointing," he said. "I fell into
every pocket possible."
Unfortunately, Kiernan's misfortune increased upon his arrival
into Cape Town: his 10th place showing overall, and 8th in Class,
proved unacceptable to his Sydney sponsor, who has withdrawn his
sponsorship because he feels the boat is "no longer competitive."
Kiernan is now faced with raising funds himself, a task which will
prove formidable. "It's going to be tough, but I've got many
wonderful friends who have come forward and offered to help," he
explained. "Even my fellow competitors have offered to donate
some of their provisions to me; they are a tremendous group of
individuals, and that is what this special race is all about. I'm
hopeful that we will manage, and I'm certainly not giving up at
this stage. The Race is far from over, and I am confident that we
will excel in the next leg."
The 60-foot Ben Lexcen design needs a bit of hydraulic and
autopilot work while in port, and the batteries need replacing.
In addition, Kiernan must have sail repaired that tore on the
7,100-mile voyage from Newport, R.I. "I had a 300-mile day going
when the mainsail went," he lamented. "I'd been averaging 12.5
knots for four hours, and then the mainsail tore. I had to
hove-to for another four hours to change the sail in 40 knots of
wind, but I still managed a 197-mile day," he said.
He was very pleased with the boat's performance during the last 10
days of the leg: "The weather was good, and the boat showed me
what she can do in downwind conditions, which is what she was
designed for." Kiernan plans to use twin running headsails to get
more out of the boat in the Southern Ocean and make it more
manageable: "A boat that's led by the nose is easier to steer;
it's the way to go in the Southern Ocean."
He'll also keep an eye on his twin rudders this leg, having
discovered large amounts of fish netting twisted around the
rudders when the boat was checked in Cape Town. "I went over the
side twice during the first part of the trip," he said, "but
didn't once I got below the Equator. I have no idea how long all
that stuff could have been dragging there."
Kiernan, who is known for his repertoire of jokes, delighted in
describing the conversations among the competitors along the way:
"Harry Mitchell's (DOUBLE CROSS, Class II British entry) daily --
and lengthy -- descriptions of his breakfast were priceless, and
one day, I heard two of the competitors discussing the upcoming
Doldrums. 'Why don't you drop by for lunch and we'll discuss it,
then perhaps we can take a swim?' he said. It was too much!"
Kiernan managed a bit of time for his own culinary dabblings; he
baked bread, and once feasted on calamari (squid) which flew into
the mainsail under a full moon and landed on deck.
Kiernan's total elapsed time for the leg: 57 D, 03 H, 20 M, 30 S.
Following Kiernan into port by just eight hours were two Class II
boats, LET'S GO (Jean-Luc Van Den Heede) and DECLARATION OF
INDEPENDENCE (Richard Konkolski), who had their own competition
getting across the line, with LET'S GO arriving at 06:16.55 GMT
(8:16.55 a.m. local) under spinnaker and DECLARATION following him
in by just 18 minutes, at 06:34.15 GMT (8:34.15 a.m. local).
Van Den Heede and Konkolski had been battling up the coast for the
previous 24 hours, with Konkolski in the lead until just hours
before the finish line. "I had been behind him by 17 miles on the
morning before the finish," Van Den Heede explained, "and I said
to myself, 'With 160 miles to go, I cannot make up the 10%
difference.' But a good wind came up during the day -- I was
averaging 10 knots -- and a 3:00 p.m. I thought I saw a cargo
ship. When I took my binocular, I saw it was DECLARATION! A bit
later, when it was dark, I was on port tack and he was on
starboard, and we passed within 50 meters of each other!"
The two had something of a tacking dual the morning of their
finish, with Van Den Heede covering Konkolski who was hanging
close to the shoreline. Van Den Heede then headed offshore and
picked up more wind, which carried him over the finish line 18
minutes ahead of Konkolski.
LET'S GO, at 45 feet and with a narrow 9-foot beam, put in an
impressive performance for the leg. The maximum boat speed Van
Den Heede achieved during the trip was 18 knots. "I am very happy
with the boat." he said. "She is an older design but built with
modern materials, so she is very light (at 5.2 tons, half the
weight of Konkolski's DECLARATION). She is like a knife; she
slices right through the water!"
The 40-year-old mathematics teacher explained that, after he
bought LET' GO in 1984, he sailed in every competition his
schedule would allow in preparation for this years BOC. "It is
better to have a boat with which you are familiar, even if it is
not as high performance as some others," he explained -- which
would seem to be borne out by the fact that he placed a
noteworthy third in Class and 11th overall, against larger higher
performance boats built especially for this race. "I have a
little rudder, little autopilot, little mast -- when you have a
little boat, you have little problems!"
Van Den Heede enjoyed the last five days of the journey the most,
playing close to the high and sailing in "perfect downwind
conditions" for his boat. Of the Class II winner extraordinaire
and his close friend, Jacques de Roux, Van Den Heede said: "If
you have the best man sailing the best boat, it is a tough
combination to beat! Jacques was not racing with us (Class II
boats), though -- he was racing with the 'big boys.' I had more
fun because the race was so close among so many of us -- and I
can't wait for the next two legs!"
Van Den Heede's's total elapsed time for the leg: 51 D, 11 H, 16 M,
55 S.
Konkolski, a veteran of the 82-83 BOC whose total elapsed time for
this leg was 51 D, 11 H, 34 M, 15 S, was quite pleased with his
performance in light of the fact that his boat is one of the older
and heavier in the fleet.
"There is nothing wrong with the boat -- we had a good crossing.
I did have autopilot problems which gave me trouble for the first
part of the leg -- my self-steering burnt out -- but I managed to
fix it and it was O.K. after that. I averaged 6.9 knots on the
trip -- pretty good for the old girl!"
"I cannot hope to win the race against someone like Jacques de
Roux and the others who have good sponsorship, but I do want to do
well," Konkolski explained. On the first leg, he places fourth in
Class and 12th overall.
Konkolski, who is not sponsored, received worldwide publicity in
1982 when, at the beginning of the 82-83 BOC, he and his family
defected from their native Czechoslovakia to seek political asylum
in the United States. Konkolski, Van Den Heede and American Class
II entrant Hal Roth are involved in a protest, which will be heard
in Cape Town on Tuesday October 28. Van Den Heede and Roth have
filed separate written protests against Konkolski, citing a
violation of Race Rule 10.1 as their reason.
Next to arrive into Table Bay was American David White, sailing
LEGEND SECURITIES, who crossed the finish line at 20:20.20 GMT
(2:20.20 p.m. local) on October 21. White, who is sailing the
smallest boat in Class I, was greeted with rather frustrating
weather conditions in Table Bay. After "screaming along" for
several days before the finish, the wind in Cape Town became
fickle once again: "Here I was, close reaching one hour before
crossing the finish line, then suddenly the wind disappeared, and
I was going downwind with a chute up...crazy!"
White was a co-founder of the first BOC Challenge. He began that
race with 16 other competitors, but was forced to withdraw in Cape
Town after suffering extensive structual damage to his 56-foot
Gurney design, (then named GLADIATOR). After reinforcement to the
bulkheads, and a few other modifications, White entered this
year's BOC in the same boat, renamed LEGEND SECURITIES.
Although the smallest boat in Class I, and obviously not designed
for the 86-87 Challenge like most of his Class I rivals, White is
quite happy with his boat: "She's non-tech, simple and
bullet-proof...exactly what I need to finish the Race." White
realistically entertains few notions about winning this
27,000-mile marathon: "I obviously can't really be competitive
this time, but I want to finish the race and have a great time
doing it."
The boat suffered virtually no damage on Leg I, arriving in Cape
Town looking ready to turn right around for Leg II. White was
surprised at how unpredictable the weather conditions were en
route, and at the number of mishaps which have occured on this
Leg, particularly for fellow Floridian Warren Luhrs. Luhrs had a
pre-start collision in Newport and had to start 24 hours later in
a totally different weather pattern, which affected his
performance. "I'm rooting for Warren - he had a real tough break
on the leg that should have been his...but he's a real plugger, a
true competitor...and I know he'll be right up there the rest of
the Race."
White, as did many of the competitors, arrived in this first
stopover a good bit trimmer than when he left Newport -- in fact,
some 20 lbs. thinner -- but not light enough to win a bet he had
with Bertie Reed. "I bet Bertie I'd come in 30 lbs. lighter, but
I didn't quite make it. I blame it on two things: one was the
delicious case of New Zealand tinned butter which Richard McBride
gave me in Newport, and the other is the case of Burry Lu butter
biscuits given to me by Guy Bernardin. With that combination on
board, I didn't stand a chance!"
White finished 13th overall 9th in Class. He has no major work to
do on LEGEND SECURITIES before the November 15 re-start date.
His total elapsed time for Leg I: 51D, 17 H, 20 M, 20 S.
Another close finish after many miles took place between BELMONT
FINLAND, sailed by Harry Harkimo, and AMERICAN FLAG, with Hal Roth
at the helm. Harkimo, a young, but experienced, offshore sailor
with a Whitbread, a Two Star and a stint on the Finnish Olympic
Sailing Team under his belt, arrived in port at 06:36.29 GMT
(8:36.29 a.m. local) on Oct. 22, with a total elapsed time for the
leg of 52 D, 11 H, 36 M, 29 S, putting him 5th in Class and 14th
overall.
Roth, a well known American author, followed closely behind
Harkimo, crossing the line at 07:13.17 GMT (9:13.17 a.m. local),
with a total elapsed time for Leg I of 52 D, 12 H, 13 M, 17 S and
a placing of 6th in Class and 15th overall.
Both BELMONT FINLAND and AMERICAN FLAG suffered from fickle
weather like many of the others upon their arrival, hitting little
wind once they reached Cape Town waters. With Harkimo slightly
ahead, both boats edged towards the finish line in about 5-knots
of wind; AMERICAN FLAG almost drifted across.
While generally happy with his first leg performance, Harkimo is
confident that he will move up in the fleet during the next two
downwind legs, which he feels are far better suited to his
50-foot, German Frers-designed Swan. I did poorly on the first
part of the leg - it was frustrating. I did not get weather
reports, so I went where I shouldn't have... right into lighter
airs than I wanted. But the boat (which has a mast of almost 74
feet -- as tall as most of the Class I boats) will be very good in
heavier air; I have much more sail area than many of the other
Class II boats."
Harkimo, like many of the others, had autopilot problems, which
forced him to hand-steer the IOR boat for the last six days of the
7,100-mile voyage, allowing him only five hours of sleep during
that time. He also had some leakage problems through a hydraulic
seal, causing him to pump out about 40 liters of water every 3
hours. Another mishap occured mid-way through the leg, when
Harkimo inadvertently struck himself in the eye with a
screwdriver. He was so uncomfortable that he lay in his bunk for
the next two days, leaving the boat to steer with the autopilot.
That accident cost me valuable time," he figured.
Other than repairing the autopilot and putting some new sails on
board, Harkimo has only to do general maintenance on the boat in
preparation for Leg II. His primary objective for the remainder
of the Race, even though he would like to take first place honors,
is simply to be the first Finn over the line in Newport, which
would make him the first Finn to solo-circumnavigate the globe.
He'll have his work cut out for him, however, since he must keep
fellow Finnish BOC competitor, Petti Salmi of COLT BY RETTIG, at
bay. Salmi crossed the finish line just 1-1/2 days after Harkimo.
"I've sailed those waters before," explained Harkimo. "During the
next two legs, you must push yourself and your boat as much as
possible without breaking it. That's a fine line... and that's
what this race is all about. I'm really looking forward to it."
Hal Roth, who had more than 115,000 shorthanded sea miles behind
him going into this race, said that the 7,600 miles he and the
fifty foot cutter AMERICAN FLAG sailed on this leg were mostly to
windward and were "fairly difficult. The expected fairwinds with
the Northeast Trades never materialized," he explained.
Roth was plagued with a broken roller-furling headstay during the
latter part of the voyage, which forced him to go up the mast
several times. "I finally managed to set something which held --
I had to sew hanks onto the headsails. It cost me two to three
days in time."
While he enjoyed the trip, his first offshore, long distance
voyage without his wife, Margaret, Roth said he would like to fair
a bit better on the remaining legs: "One always hopes to do
better...but I am looking forward to the next leg, which should be
faster in both speed and total elapsed time."
Roth has drawn up a list of 56 jobs to do before the November 15
departure date: "Some things are more important than others...
the main thing is to get the rig in the best possible condition
for the Southern Ocean."
The deluge of arrivals into Cape Town steadily continued
throughout the week, with Finnish Class II entry Pentti Salmi
breezing across the line the following day October 23, at 13:55.22
GMT (3:55.22 p.m. local) under clear skies and in freshening winds.
Salmi, who placed seventh in Class and 16th overall, said he was
"personally satisfied, in spite of my problems, with my trip...my
morale is quite high."
Salmi's darkest day fell on September 6, just days out of Newport,
when the mainsail on his 46.5-foot sloop ripped, and his autopilot
and water generator broke. To top everything off, a wire in his
engine overheated, causing a fire -- which meant he was without
self-steering, navigational equipment, and generating power: "a
real 'dark ship,'" Salmi said.
He tried for one week to repair the engine and, finally, out of
sheer frustration, gave up. "I would have thrown the thing
overboard into the sea, but I couldn't figure out how to remove
it!" However, his resourcefulness prevailed in other matters,
including he sardine can he used to fix his water generator:
"Never go to sea without a can of sardines," he kiddingly advised.
"The hardest thing was trying to fix the engine...the only thing
in my mind during that time was to keep the boat moving." In his
little spare time, Salmi studied up on his Spanish and Russian
lessons, and rewarded himself when he managed to repair or finish
a project on board. "I had a little prize system of rewards to
myself...if I went up the mast , or fixed something, I'd give
myself a little 'treat.' It was fun and kept me going. All my
fresh food went out when my electricity died, and I believe that
good food goes with good morale...so I had to treat myself to
something along the way."
Salmi kept in touch via radio with several others, particularly
Hal Roth, and said that he felt the radio communications added a
lot to the race. His strategy for the past leg was quite simple:
"I thought it would be fairly easy, which, except for the engine,
it was. I never planned to go too far south, and I once stayed on
the same tack for ten days. My only real heavy weather was just
before the Doldrums. The boat looks quite good right now, other
than engine work, we're in good shape for the next leg."
Salmi's total elapsed time for the leg: 53 D, 18 H, 55 M, 22 S.
Following Salmi into port was American Mark Schrader, sailing LONE
STAR, who crossed the finish line in a full 40-knot southeasterly
gale at 05:59:30 GMT (7:59.30 a.m. local) on Friday, October 24.
Schrader, who had endured the same winds the night before, said of
his last 24 hours aboard: It was like being on a submarine; we
were totally underwater! I couldn't believe how the wind kept
up!"
Schrader completed a solo-circumnavigation during 1982-83, when
the first BOC Challenge was taking place, with proceeds going to a
local Seattle (Washington) charity. When asked how this first leg
of the BOC compared to his last solo sojourn, Schrader replied:
"This leg was harder for me than the entire last go-round... I
learned a lot about myself these past 54 days."
While quite happy with his boat, a 47-foot cutter of Robert Perry
design, Schrader was frustrated with his course on the first part
of the trip. "I couldn't move north of the Equator; I went
everywhere I shouldn't have. It was disappointing. One day I
went five miles in 12 hours...I think it was the most frustrating
day I've ever had. But the last several days (before his arrival
in Cape Town) I went south, and the weather was much better...we
were really moving well. The boat showed me what she could do in
heavier weather; our best day was 205 miles. I am looking forward
to the next two legs, because I have been there and I think LONE
STAR and I will do well in those conditions."
LONE STAR arrived in port looking brand-new, and Schrader has no
major modifications or revisions planned before the re-start. His
one mishap occured one week out of port, when a staysail sheet
clobbered him in the eye. Schrader quipped that it was
"interesting" trying to sail with one eye swollen shut (which he
did for two days), and was still sporting quite a shiner upon his
arrival.
Of the many anecdotes he has shared at the Royal Cape Yacht Club
in the past few days, few were met with more amusement than the
item Schrader claimed as the most valuable he had on board during
the trip: a weighted dogfood dish given him by Dan Byrne, a
finisher in th e last BOC Challenge. "I laughed when he gave it
to me...I almost didn't take it with me; but, boy! did it come in
handy when the weather got rough!"
Schrader's total elapsed time for the leg: 54 D, 10 H, 59 M, 30S.
The howling wind that greeted Schrader upon his arrival only
strengthened during the day, increasing to an incredible 60-knots
to "welcome" Canadian John Hughes into port that night. Hughes,
who had been battered by 50-60 knot headwinds for the 24 hours
before his arrival, and 40-knot winds for two days prior to that,
nursed a sopping wet JOSEPH YOUNG across the finish line at
19:23.52 GMT (9:23.52 p.m. local) on Friday October 24.
The many people in Cape Town who had heard of Hughes' plight came
down to the docks to greet the waterlogged, but determined,
26-year-old, who was overwhelmed at the reception he received.
"I was under full-reefed main the last day, and couldn't even put
up a headsail because the boat just wouldn't go where I wanted it
to," said an exasperated Hughes. "The last 36 hours, the seas
were incredible. I've seen bad weather and bad seas, but this was
vicious. But," he continued, "although it was a hard journey, and
a bit slower than I had hoped, I did enjoy all but the last few
days -- and the Doldrums." The young merchant mariner termed the
infamous Doldrums: "Pure unadulterated HELL!"
He has no major problems with the 41.2-foot sloop, named after his
grandfather: "Other than the fact that everything on board is
totally soaked, we're in pretty good shape. We made it here safe
and sound, so that's what counts; the boat's in fine fettle."
Hughes' total elapsed time for the leg: 55 D, 00 H, 23 M, 52 S.
Of the remaining BOC competitors who set out from Newport on
Saturday, August 30 to begin this "Mount Everest of Sailing,"
three are still hoping to arrive in Cape Town. British Class II
entry DOUBLE CROSS, sailed by Harry Mitchell, is still en route to
port, having reported no major problems. His latest ARGOS
satellite report put him 1,078 miles from Cape Town and making 7.8
knots, which would put him into Table Bay in approximately eight
days.
The other two entries, ACI CRUSADER and NEPTUNE'S EXPRESS, may
have to stage their own race into Cape Town, since it appears
unlikely at this point that either will arrive before the November
15 re-start date. ACI CRUSADER, sailed by Australian John
Biddlecombe, was 3,819 miles from Cape Town at last report and it
appeared that he had just emerged from the Doldrums, making
6-knots. Biddlecombe had spent almost one-month in Bermuda
shortly after the Race start, having sustained injuries in a fall
and then returning to the Island when his 60-foot Paul Lucas
designed racer proved too tender in heavy weather. He finally set
out for Cape Town some 2-1/2 weeks ago, and is expected to arrive
shortly after the rest of the fleet begins it's trek to Sydney,
Biddlecombe's homeport. The 1260-pound bulb Biddlecombe designed
for his keel seems to have solved the boat's stability problems.
Soon to be joining Biddlecombe in his voyage to Cape Town in
New Zealander Dick McBride, who has spent almost one month in
Recife, Brazil, waiting for a new mast to be stepped on his
60-foot Farr-design, NEPTUNE' EXPRESS. The affable McBride, one
of 10 finishers in the first BOC, has endured one frustrating
delay after another, ranging from questionable delays by Air
France, who were delinquent in shipping McBride's mast to Recife,
to an abscessed tooth which sidelined McBride until he could get
to a dentist.
McBride was expected to depart Recife on Tuesday, October 28, for
his 3,391 trip to Cape Town, a distance which is likely to take
him three weeks.
For the remaining three Boc competitors, QUAILO, (American Mac
Smith), MISS GLOBAL (Brazilian Eduardo Louro de Almeida) and
MADONNA (Japanese Takao Shimada), all Class II entrants, sighting
the majestic Table Mountain, which overlooks the finish of this
leg, appears unlikely. QUAILO and MADONNA are currently en route
to Rio de Janeiro, both having sustained severe mast damage during
the past two weeks, and MISS GLOBAL is in Recife, having been
plagued by disappearing rudders during this first leg of the trip.
The three men would all be faced with the disconcerting prospect
of following the rest of the fleet around the globe, with no real
chance of catching up, much less earning line honors. A final
decision will be made by Smith and Shimada once they reach port,
and by Almeida during the next few days.
Next week we will have more news of the late finishers, and more
of the preparations being made by the fleet for Leg II. Leg I has
proven very tough on the fleet this year, and the sailors know
they can expect more severe conditions next month in the Southern
Ocean. The docks in Cape Town are a frenzy of activity as each
competitor prepares as best he can for the expected heavy-weather
downwind sail for Sydney. Each man knows that he will face
totally different conditions on Leg II.
|
| 395.20 | Competitor Status for Leg II | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Mon Nov 17 1986 09:38 | 266 |
|
THE BOC CHALLENGE 1986-87
Race Update: Week #9
November 2, 1986
Week number nine of The BOC Challenge was relatively quiet following the
frenzied pace of the previous seven days, during which time ten boats had
arrived into Cape Town for the first stopover of the Race.
The 18 competitors who are now in port have spent the past several days
assessing damage sustained during the first leg of this 27,000 mile sea
adventure, repairing their vessels, and preparing themselves, and their
yachts, for the rigors of the Southern Ocean which they will encounter on
the 7,000-mile Leg II to Sydney Australia.
The one noteworthy event of the week was the protest hearing held Tuesday,
October 28, to decide the protests between THURSDAY'S CHILD and ECUREUIL
D'AQUITAINE, and LET'S GO and AMERICAN FLAG against DECLARATION OF
INDEPENDENCE. The protest lodged against ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE, and French
skipper Titouan Lamazou, by Warren Luhrs, skipper of THURSDAY'S CHILD,
concerned the pre-race star collision between the two on August 30.
THURSDAY'S CHILD was hit in the transom by ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE during
pre-start maneuvers less than five minutes before the starting gun, causing
damage to the rudder assembly and antenna system. Luhrs was forced to
return to port to repair the damage, and was unable to start the race until
the following day. He was granted redress of 24 hours, 53 minutes and 53
seconds.
In addition, Lamazou was penalized for violating Rule 37.2, and, in lieu of
disqualification, was given the minimum penalty of three hours by the Royal
Cape Yacht Club Protest Committee (BOC First Leg Sailing Instructions
14.5).
The second hearing concerned two protests, filed separately, by Hal Roth
(AMERICAN FLAG) an Jean-Luc Van Den Heede (LET'S GO) against Richard
Konkolski (DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE) for violation of Race Rule 10.1.
After hearing both sides of the protest, the Committee issued the
following statement: "Protest of Mr. Roth an Mr. Van Den Heede vs. Mr.
Konkolski taken and heard as one protest. Having listened to and
considered all of the evidence, we are unconvinced that the only
reasonable inference to be drawn from this evidence is that the protestee
used his engine to propel his boat."
"Protest is dismissed."
No further action concerning either protest is expected at this time.
Otherwise, all competitors busied themselves with preparations for Leg II,
which starts from Table Bay at 1500 hours local on Saturday, November 15.
All of the skippers have general cleaning and maintenance work to
complete, and a lucky few have only a few loose ends to tie up before
casting off in just two weeks' time. Most of these solo sailors, however,
have more extensive work to do on their vessels before leaving. A brief
survey of the yachts in port revealed the following work being done by
various competitors:
Class I:
John Martin (TUNA MARINE)
Repair and reinforcement of water ballast tanks; minor keel adjustments;
checkover of all sails (no major damage on first leg); thorough inspection
of rig, including x-ray of mast; and new paint and graphics for the boat.
Guy Bernardin (BISCUIT'S LU)
Repair roller furling; inspection of all sails; repair telex machine.
Philippe Jeantot (CREDIT AGRICOLE)
Repair engine; reinforce keel; inspection of rig and sails.
Titouan Lamazou (ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE)
Repair hole in bow (from race-start collision); minor keel adjustments;
replace boom (new one flown in from France); install new autopilot (and put
two additional back-ups on board); repair mainsail and inspect all other
sails.
Lamazou had autopilot failure early into the first leg, and was forced to
steer by hand, for 20 hours each day, for more than one month. "I am not
taking any chances this time!," he joked of his three new auto-pilots. He
also suffered a broken boom five days out of Cape Town, caused by constant
jibing in the strong tailwinds.
Bertie Reed (STABILO BOSS)
Repair autopilot (which is still causing him problems, despite repairing
one unit and adding another in Newport after returning to port following
the Race start; cost him four days' time); replace running rigging; replace
two rudder bearings (rudder had seized up after aluminum shavings from the
work done on the autopilot became lodged between the shaft and bearings);
rigging inspected; minor sail repair; re-cutting mainsail.
Jean-Yves Terlain (UAP-POUR MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES)
Repair original generator (which had packed up 19 days from Cape Town,
forcing him to steer by hand, since his auto-pilots and all instrumentation
failed) and add a second one (boat will now have double the generating
power); repair mainsail (damaged in gale-force winds three days out of
port); complete shakedown of all electric circuitry.
Ian Kiernan (TRIPLE M/SPIRIT OF SYDNEY)
Replacing batteries; repairing mainsail an No. 1, 2 and 3 jibs and
spinnaker; tuning autopilot.
David White (LEGEND SECURITIES)
"A couple of odds and ends, but almost nothing. I could've kept right on
going to Sydney -- I hope I'm as lucky next leg!"
Warren Luhrs (THURSDAY'S CHILD)
Repair mainsail; re-examine all repairs effected in Newport following
collision; thorough inspection of mast and all rigging. The THURSDAY'S
CHILD'S team has been working almost non-stop since Luhrs' arrival, and have
even measured out and exacted a jury-rig system in the event of an
emergency.
Class II:
Mark Schrader (LONE STAR)
Engine work; minor sail repair; installing new satnav and Datamarine unit.
Harry Harkimo (BELMONT FINLAND)
Replace autopilot (unit had malfunctioned one week out of port, causing
Harkimo to hand-steer for the last several days); repair and replace some
sails; seal slight leakage problem in a through-hull seal; inspection of
all rigging.
Hal Roth (AMERICAN FLAG)
Repair roller-furling headstay system ; thorough inspection of all rigging;
replace floor boards inside cabin; and "a list of 56 odds and ends to do!"
Pentti Salmi (COLT BY RETTIG)
Repair engine (which suffered an electrical fire one week after the race
start); repair autopilot and water generator (which also broke the same
day); repair mainsail; inspection of all rigging and hydraulics.
Jacques De Roux (SKOIERN IV)
Replace electric autopilot; new spinnaker pole (he lost the original
overboard in heavy weather five days out of Cape Town); repair sails (he
had lost all of the battens out of his mainsail the same day); install new
wind generator.
Mike Plant (AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR)
Repair boom-vang; inspection of all rigging; check radio and all
electronics; minor sail repair.
Jean-Luc Van Den Heede (LET'S GO)
Replace running backstay; sail repair; "lots of cleaning inside and out"
John Hughes (JOSEPH YOUNG)
Replace mainsail; replace rigging; overhaul all winches; "and drying out
the interior of the whole boat!"
If time permitted during the past week, those competitors with a few free
hours took advantage of the magnificent coastline and wine country
surrounding the majestic Table Mountain. A few entrants enjoyed excursions
to Cape Point to view the Cape of Good Hope, where the Atlantic and Indian
Oceans meet, as well as the breathtaking stretches of coastline en route,
which, to the American entrants, were reminiscent of California's "Big Sur"
shoreline (less the fog).
Other competitors were treated to a tour of Paarl, the world famous
wine-growing region less than one hour from Cape Town. The trip, hosted by
John Martin's sponsor, Tuna Marine, took the group on a V.I.P. tour of the
KWV vineyard, South Africa's largest exporter of wines. The BOC group was
guided through a private tour of the entire vineyard, and treated to a wine
tasting and elaborate luncheon with KWV executives. Everyone was, quite
happily, sent away with a box full of samples as well!
The pace, for both work- and social-related activities, will quicken in the
coming week, with parties and braais (the South African version of a full-
scale barbecue) scheduled by both BOC and Afrox, The South African
operating company for BOC and host of this stopover. In addition a cricket
match pitting the BOC competitors against a local, multi-racial team is
slated for next weekend (a similar cricket match took place in Newport
prior to the start and was well-received by skippers and spectators alike).
The clock continues to wind down, however, and the November 15 re-start
date quickly approches. Last-minute provisioning and preparation will be
in evidence during the next several days, as competitors put finishing
touches on their vessels.
While the 18 competitors in port are preparing to depart Cape Town, local
race officials are still awaiting the arrival of three more yachts into
port. At last ARGOS report, British Class II DOUBLE CROSS, sailed by Harry
Mitchell, was still making it's way, albeit a bit slowly, towards Table
Mountain, with 354 miles to go (making 4.31 knots) on Sunday November 2.
Mitchell' ETA is late Tuesday or early Wednesday.
Following Mitchell is Australian John Biddlecombe, sailing ACI CRUSADER,
who crossed the Equator early in the week and, at week's end, appeared to
be making good progress towards Cape Town. As of Nov.2, ACI was 3,232
miles from port and was making 8.4 knots. Biddlecombe is not expected to
reach port before the November 15 re-start, but, according to Race Rules, he
will have seven free days in port before the clock will again begin on his
total elapsed time.
Much to everyone's chagrin, New Zealander, Richard McBride had failed to
leave Recife, Brazil by week's end, having been stranded there for more
than one month with one problem after another. McBride's latest woe
centered around his mainsail, which had to be modified to be safely used
with his new mast. The two full-length battens had been installed at an
angle to, instead of perpendicular to, the mast. When McBride tried to
reef the new sail, it would not come down -- a truly unsafe situation.
McBride has taken the sail by bus to the nearest sailmaker, in Joao Pessoa,
100 Km away across two rivers and three mountain passes.
McBride told BOC Race Hqs., "You cannot control a boat this size unless you
have faith in your gear. I cannot leave until this problem is solved."
McBride had returned Saturday to Recife with his modified sail -- after
breaking the sewing machine twice and being forced to use glue and rivets
to effect the changes.
Of the remaining three BOC competitors, QUAILO (American Mac Smith) and
MADONNA (Japanese Talao Shimada) have both arrived in Rio de Janeiro with
serious rigging problems. Neither competitor has informed Race Hqs. of
their intentions. The final competitor, Eduardo de Almeida (MISS GLOBAL),
remains in Recife, where continuing rudder problems have almost certainly
forced him to withdraw from the race.
On a more pleasant, final note, the BOC race added another American to its
ranks this past week, when third-place Frenchman Guy Bernardin (BISCUITS
LU) pledged his allegiance to the United States Constitution in Providence,
Rhode Island, and gained American citizenship. Bernardin, who has lived in
the United States since 1972, quipped at the swearing-in-ceremonies that "I
have to win now more than yesterday -- to beat the Frenchmen!!"
|
| 395.21 | determination unlimited | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Thu Nov 20 1986 19:22 | 221 |
|
THE BOC CHALLENGE 1986-87
KIWI McBRIDE ESCAPES PORT
RESUMES SOLO RACE
RECIFE, BRAZIL, November 5, 1986 -- New Zealander Richard McBride, sailing
his solo racer NEPTUNE'S EXPRESS, departed Recife today at 4:00 PM local
time, resuming his voyage to Cape Town.
McBride has been frustrated by a seemingly endless series of delays as he
has fought to get back into the race. NEPTUNE'S EXPRESS lost her mast
September 23 while sailing the first leg of the BOC. The mast had
collapsed during a squall on the Equator 635 miles northeast of Recife.
McBride was in fourth place in the race at the time.
McBride was forced to cut away the mast, mainsail and jib at sea but was
able to make a temporary mast from his spinnaker pole. With his jury rig,
McBride was able to sail to Recife in seven days, arriving on September 30.
Even while McBride was at sea, his supporters in New Zealand were able to
make a replacement mast in less than five days, along with the needed
mainsail and jib, a job normally requiring three weeks.
The intention was to ship the mast, in three pieces, from Aukland, NZ, to
Recife via Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro. Unluckily the connections
could not be made as the only wide-body jets to serve Recife come from
Paris, France. Instead the shipment was routed via Los Angeles and Paris.
The mast sat for seven days in Air France's Paris cargo terminal, missing
two flights to Recife in the process. The shipment finally arrived in
Recife, two weeks later than originally planned, only to spend two days
clearing Brazilian customs.
Once NEPTUNE'S EXPRESS arrived in Recife, she had to remain at anchor in
the commercial harbor, as her keel was too deep to permit her entry into
the yacht club. The first night in port a thief tried to steal the anchor
-- while the boat was attached. To reduce the chance of theft, all deck
hardware had to be dismantled and stowed below deck, and a guard posted to
keep strangers off the boat.
On the first day after his arrival, McBride injured his back shifting the
bm on deck. The local water did not agree with McBride's system, causing a
bout of dysentery, only to be complicated by a head cold.
A sparmaker was flown to Recife from New Zealand to help assemble the mast
and prepare the boat to race once again. Not a world traveler and
frustrated by the delays, the young man feared for his safety in the
unfamiliar area. He disappeared from sight -- to turn up two days later
back home in New Zealand. "If he felt unsafe in Recife, he is in far
greater danger in New Zealand -- if my brother Geoff finds him." Another
sparmaker was dispatched from Aukland.
Even with the arrival of the mast, McBride's troubles were far from over.
He was felled by an abscessed tooth, a condition which would have been far
more serious at sea. He was able to find a good local dentist to attend to
the tooth while the mast was assembled and installed.
When NEPTUNE'S EXPRESS was taken out to test the rig and sails, more
problems struck. The mainsail design had been modified, even though it was
built by the original sailmaker, and the sail would not come down. McBride
had to climb the mast to force the sail down. He could not leave port
until he resolved the problem, as it would have been unsafe to depart if
the gear would not function on demand.
McBride's next task was to find a sailmaker to correct the sail. One was
located in Joao Pessoa, 100 kilometers to the north and across three
mountain passes and two river valleys. Three men were required to load the
huge sail onto a bus, and three more to unload it and carry it to the
sailmaker.
The sewing machine, unfortunately, could not handle the heavy sailcloth, so
McBride and the sailmaker started to hand sew the batten pockets. The
sailmakers father died and he had to leave for the funeral. McBride
continued working on the sail, gluing and rivetting the batten pockets to
the sail. The sailmaker returned to help McBride finish the work, and sail
and sailor returned to Recife. Once there, he had fabricated two sail
slides to complete the refit.
McBride's determination has shown throughout his difficulties. He is now
en-route for Cape Town, from which the solo racers will be departing
November 15 for Sydney Australia. While he has lost his chance to win the
race outright, he has every opportunity to win Legs II, III, and IV of this
singlehanded race around the world. He will, if all goes well, catch up
with the fleet during the Sydney layover and join the other sailors as they
battle past Cape Horn.
McBride faced similar difficulties when sailing the 82-83 BOC Challenge,
his first sailing adventure. In that race, sailing his steel schooner CITY
OF DUNEDIN, he went aground on the Falkland Islands, but got back to sea a
month later with the assistance of the British armed forces.
McBride has spent the last two years preparing for this race, building the
60-foot Farr-designed sloop NEPTUNE'S EXPRESS with the assistance of
friends and family. He was supported by a coalition of sponsors, and
managed to find his primary sponsor, Neptune Resorts Limited, just the week
before the August 30 start.
21 sailors remain of the 25 starters in the BOC Challenge. One boat sank
during the first week, another has retired after loosing two rudders, and
two have arrived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with damaged masts.
|
| 395.22 | WEEK 10 UPDATE | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Tue Dec 02 1986 10:19 | 232 |
|
THE BOC CHALLENGE 1986-87
Race Update: Week #10
November 13, 1986
Pressure Mounts As Re-Start Date Draws Closer;
British Class II Entry Mitchell Arrives
Last minute preparations for Leg II and the arrival of British competitor
Harry Mitchell were the highlights of week ten of the BOC Challenge.
Mitchell, a Class II British entrant sailing DOUBLE CROSS, guided his
vessel across the finish line into Table Bay at 02:46.31 GMT (04:46.31 a.m.
local) on Wednesday, November 5. A garage technician from Portsmouth,
England, he became the 19th boat and 10th in Class to finish Leg I from
Newport to Cape Town, making the passage in 66 days, 7 hours, 46 minutes, 31
seconds.
A veteran of the 1976 OSTAR, Mitchell was warmly greeted by several of his
fellow BOC Competitors who had remained awake for most of the night for his
arrival and had gone out to welcome him. Jean-Luc Van Den Heede (LET'S
GO), Mark Schrader (LONE STAR), Hal Roth (AMERICAN FLAG), John Hughes
(JOSEPH YOUNG), and David White (LEGEND SECURITIES) went out on tow boats,
boarded the 41-foot boat and helped the 61-year-old comedian of the fleet
tie up dockside in front of the Royal Cape Yacht Club.
Upon request from Schrader, Mitchell proceeded to serenade his well-wishers
with a few bars of what he termed "a proper Yorkshire ballad."
The 41-foot aluminum sloop, designed by Doug Peterson and built in 1975, is
the former YEOMAN XX which was in both the 1975 and 1977 Admiral's Cup
series -- the only boat to have represented Britain twice.
After a proper British breakfast and several hours' sleep, Mitchell shared
some thoughts about his Newport - to - Cape Town passage: "It took me a
few days to sort myself out and get into the `swing' things...I didn't
speak on the radio, didn't really feel like talking much. But then I tuned
in and heard Bertie (Reed) and Hal (Roth),and it got better. Hurricane
Earl threw me for a loop. I had a problem with my foresail; it was trapped
and I couldn't get it down. So when the hurricane hit - and I didn't even
know it was the Hurricane until two days later -- I was running bare
poles except for the sail I couldn't get down; I was in a bit of a sweat! I
eventually hove-to for the night, and that got the sail down, but of course
it was battered by that point."
Two days after passing through the Hurricane, Mitchell had a near miss with
a ship, and had another close call, with an Indian ship, in the Tropics,
during which time "I didn't wear a brass button!," he grinned. Yet a third
time, just two weeks from Cape Town, Mitchell came close to colliding with
another ship: "My little boat was lucky, I guess; but I was surprised that
the bigger ships were not more visible at night."
Mitchell talked about the emotions he experienced during the voyage: "Oh,
I had my highs and my lows...I became sad at times, because you feel very
selfish. You're making many people worry about you, and you know they are
worried about you -- but you're out there anyway. It was tough at times
knowing that so many people were thinking about me."
The number of people he had thinking about him was in full evidence at his
pre-dawn arrival into Cape Town, with his fellow competitors and many other
well-wishers burning the midnight oil to welcome the jovial Brit.
"The greatest thing of the whole race - the whole thing - was being greeted
by those guys (his fellow competitors)," Mitchell explained. "Not the fact
that I'd finally arrived, not the fact that I saw Table Mountain...but that
they would all wait up and care enough about me to come out to greet me.
It was definitely the best part," he smiled.
Other than the problem with his foresail, Mitchell had some roller-reefing
difficulties, but "..by and large, we did just fine." Did he enjoy the
trip?
"Yes.. I enjoyed it all in hindsight," he emphasized. "There were times
when I thought, 'How long does this go on?' But I knew that would
pass...it was difficult when I realized that , after Mark (schrader) and
John (hughes) arrived into port, I was still 1,600 miles out -- then my
radio went 'kaput' -- I had no one to talk with...I was alone."
"I was also sad when I heard about MADONNA putting into Rio. He (Takao
Shimada) and I had had a good time of it, racing each other."
Mitchell had been keeping up with QUAILO (Mac Smith) and JOSEPH YOUNG (John
Hughes) after leaving the Tropics, but fell behind. While his pace was
never quite that of the others, Mitchell was credited with keeping many of
his fellow sailors amused during the voyage by "sprucing up" the daily chat
hours. His favorite monologue was a description of his daily breakfast.
"Breakfast? Absolutely! I started each day with the full works -- coffee,
marmalade and toast, bacon and eggs, and 'proper' porridge...you name it, I
had it. It's the best meal of the day; I can forego the other meals, but
breakfast starts the day off right," he grinned.
When asked to sum up how he felt about his first-leg performance, and what
his thoughts were heading into the Southern Ocean and Legs II and III,
Mitchell became pensive. "My feelings about having any real chance to
win are not good, but I'm still in it... I'm still sailing...and that's what
counts. Am I looking forward to the next two legs? Absolutely, positively
NOT -- not one iota!"
"It's the `unknown factor,'" he continued. "I'm going into seas that I
have only read about and been warned about. Its a bit scary, being out
there. But you know, we (the singlehanders in the BOC) are not really the
true `loners' people say we are. To me, the true loner is someone no one
thinks or worries about. we're lucky -- we have a lot of wonderful people
helping us and thinking about us."
The other major news of the week was the long-awaited departure from
Recife, Brazil, by Richard McBride, who set sail for Cape Town at 4:00 p.m.
local (1800 GMT). At last report he 1881 miles from Cape Town and
averaging 210 miles per day. His ETA into Cape Town is Nov 22, one week
after his colleagues depart for the 7,100-mile voyage to Sydney.
Also charging towards the finish line of the first stopover is Australia's
John Biddlecombe, sailing the Class I 60-footer, ACI CRUSADER. The former
race car driver and stunt pilot had been forced to spend one month in
Bermuda following the August 30 race start because of instability problems
with the Paul Lucas design. After adding a lead bulb to the keel of the
boat, Biddlecombe departed Bermuda mid-October, and was 2101 miles from
port at week's end, averaging 200 miles per day. He is expected in Cape
Town on November 20.
Week 10 of the Race also brought unfortunate news, with the official
withdrawal of two Class II boats, QUAILO (American, Mac Smith) and MISS
GLOBAL (Brazilian Eduardo de Almeida). Smith, whose 44.5-foot Swan
suffered extensive mast and rigging damage when it was rolled twice in the
South Atlantic in October, notified Race Hqs. of his decision once he
arrived in Rio de Janeiro. He has returned to Florida and left QUAILO in
Rio until January, when he will sail her back to the United States.
Also forced to withdraw from the Race, the 26-year-old de Almeida had
struggled with rudder problems since the Race start. He lost his first
rudder just five days out of Newport, returned to port and received a
replacement, but ill fate revisited when the replacement rudder was also
lost just north of the Equator. De Almeida limped into Recife, Brazil,
where he replaced his rudder and forestay. He departed Recife, bound for
Cape Town, but further structural problems with MISS GLOBAL forced him to
change his course for his home port of Rio de Janeiro. De Almeida
announced from Rio his decision to withdraw from the race.
Still in Rio is the sole Japanese competitor, Takao Shimada, whose 48-foot
Shigeo Saito-designed MADONNA suffered rigging damage during a severe
squall in October. Shimada nursed the boat into Rio, where it awaits
repairs to the mast, rudder and steering cable. At this point in time, it
appears unlikely that Shimada will be able to affect the repairs quickly
enough to rejoin the fleet en route to Sydney.
While Shimada waits in Rio, his fellow competitors are busy with the final
preparations on the other side of the Atlantic for the restart of the Race,
scheduled for 1500 hours (local) on Saturday, November 15. The atmosphere
around the docks of the Royal Cape Yacht Club is heavy with anticipation,
as the 19 sailors now in port put the finishing touches on their vessels
before setting out for the 7,100-mile downwind voyage to Sydney.
The preparations in evidence include sail-testing and rigging checks, and
many of the competitors have taken their boats into the waters of Table Bay
to examine the new sails and reinforcements they hope will carry them
safely through the infamous "Roaring Forties" and the Southern Ocean.
The second leg of the 82-83 BOC brought disaster when LADY PEPPERELL,
skippered by Tony Lush, succumbed to a rogue wave in the Indian Ocean and
Lush was forced to abandon ship. He was rescued by fellow competitor
Francis Stokes. The possibility of a similar recurrence this time is,
inevitably, on the minds of each competitor as the clock winds down towards
the starting gun on November 15, each knowing that Mother Nature does not
discriminate when doling out her harsh sentences.
In the remaining few days before they set out for Sydney, the competitors
will be guests of honor at a prizegiving ceremony given by Afrox, the BOC
subsidiary and host of the Cape Town stopover.
SPORTS FLASH
On Sunday, November 9, the BOC Challengers Touring Cricket Team avenged
their pre-race defeat at the hands of the Newport Raiders by summarily
beating the Cape Town Afrox Eleven. The challengers sail Saturday,
November 15, for their next match, in Sydney, Australia.
Weather and Strategy:
The upcoming leg presents a whole new set of considerations for the
skippers. Leg I was a game of dodging the low-wind high-pressure regions,
keeping the boats in an area of moderate air flow. On leg II, the
competitors will attempt to avoid the wrong side of the high-wind
depressions that scurry across the Southern Ocean.
Most of Leg II will be spent in the "Roaring Forties," the region between
40 and 50 degrees South marked by the passage of numerous storms. The
centers of the storms usually travel from west to east between 48 and 60
degrees South, but do not move in a straight line. Ideally, the skipper
will place his craft to the north of the depressions, near enough to their
centers to provide good reaching or running conditions, without coming so
close that he finds himself in a survival situation. The skippers will try
to avoid getting south of the lows, since he would get gale force headwinds
that slow him down, allowing the competitors to the north a chance to pass
him and perhaps forcing the sailor closer to the iceburgs and numbing cold
near Antarctica.
Since the racer should stay north of the depressions, he cannot take the
"great circle route," which provides the shortest course to Sydney.
Instead, he will try to stay at a latitude of approximately 44 to 60
degrees South, adjusting the latitude to match the storms approaching from
astern. Our sailors will use their weather facsimile machines like a radar
screen, always looking back to the fast over-taking weather patterns.
This is Spring in the Southern Ocean, and the rambunctious behavior of the
weather is accentuated by the lack of land masses. The lows are almost
anthropomorphic. After passing Cape Horn to the west, they dip up into the
South Atlantic before stepping around the southern tip of Africa. They
then dip up into the South Indian Ocean before seeking the lower latitudes
as they pass south of Perth, Australia, and then Tasmania on their circuit
of the Earth. The sailor finds that the waves come from all directions
this time of year, as the winds back from northwest to southwest -- getting
stronger as they change -- before snapping back to the northeast. Strong
nerves and a controllable boat are required for success this leg.
Before our sailors can face the downwind part of this leg, they must cross
the contrary, west-flowing Agulhas Current, a band of warm Indian Ocean
water that collides with the cold South Atlantic just south and east of the
Cape of Good Hope. The mixing of the warm and cold water creates
interesting weather which, when combined with the shallow waters of the
Agulhas Bank, encourage the sailors to drive southwards to 40 South before
they bear left for Sydney. We can expect an exciting Leg II as the BOC
racers head for Sydney.
|
| 395.23 | LEG II BEGINS! | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Fri Dec 05 1986 22:05 | 236 |
|
THE BOC CHALLENGE 1986-87
Race Update: Week #11
November 18, 1986
BOC RACERS BEGIN LEG II WITH SPECTACULAR SEND-OFF
FROM CAPE TOWN; BISCUITS LU FIRST OVER LINE
THREE TURN BACK WITH PROBLEMS WITHIN FIRST THREE DAYS
Leg II of The BOC Challenge around-the-world yacht race got off to a
spectacular start on Saturday, November 15, when 19 yachts crossed the
starting line in Table Bay to begin their 7,000-mile voyage to Sydney,
Australia. However within three days of the start, three boats had turned
back to port with problems.
First over the line in a 20-knot Southeasterly breeze, which died
immediately after the first boats crossed and left them becalmed, was newly
naturalized American citizen Guy Bernardin of North Kingston, Rhode Island,
sailing the 60-foot "Cookie Boat," BISCUITS LU. He was closely followed by
two Class II boats, BELMONT FINLAND (Harry Harkimo) and LETS GO (Frenchman
Jean Luc Van Den Heede), who also chose the left side of the course to
follow. Fourth over the line was French artist and author Titouan Lamazou,
sailing ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE, the Class I boat which collided with
THURSDAY'S CHILD at the August 30 race start and was beseiged with
autopilot problems during Leg I of this 27,000-mile circumnavigation.
Following behind AQUITAINE was Leg I winner John Martin, the South African
sailing TUNA MARINE who captured his homeland's attention in early October
when he outsteered his competition during the 7,100-mile leg from Newport,
R.I., becoming nothing short of a national hero. Hot on Martin's stern
over the line were JOSEPH YOUNG, a Class II boat sailed by the young
Canadian John Hughes, and STABILO BOSS, skippered by 82-83 BOC second place
finisher Bertie Reed.
The boats charged towards the starting line in a full 20-knot southeasterly
breeze, only to have it die out shortly after the 1500 (local) starting
gun, at which point the sailors found themselves clustered together,
becalmed, among the spectator fleet. Then initial strategies began to show
as the fleet spread out, with STABILO BOSS, AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR and COLT BY
RETTIG heading to the starboard side of the course, hoping for more wind.
Sticking close to the port side, not far from the shore were TUNA MARINE,
CREDIT AGRICOLE, THURSDAY'S CHILD and TRIPLE M/SPIRIT OF SYDNEY. Going
down the middle were ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE, BISCUIT'S LU and UAP-POUR
MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES. After one hour, however, the fickle winds had
shown no favoritism, with the forerunners still tightly packed together as
they headed for the Cape of Good Hope and the anticipated gale-force winds
which were predicted to greet them as they "round the corner."
Following STABILO BOSS, the boats in order across the starting line were:
CREDIT AGRICOLE III (Frenchman Philippe Jeantot); LEGEND SECURITIES
(American David White); SKOIERN IV (Frenchman Jacques de Roux); COLT BY
RETTIG (Finn Pentti Salmi); THURSDAY'S CHILD (American Warren Luhrs);
TRIPLE M / SPIRIT OF SYDNEY (Australian Ian Kiernan); LONE STAR (American
Mark Schrader); UAP-POUR MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES (Frenchman Jean-Yves
Terlain); DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE ((American Richard Konkolski);
AMERICAN FLAG (Hal Roth); and DOUBLE CROSS (Englishman Harry Mitchell).
The fleet received what was considered by many to be the largest send-off
ever for a yachting event in South Africa. Almost 300 yachts came out to
bid goodbye to the solo yachtsmen, most who had spent the past few weeks in
port readying themselves, and their vessels, for the rigors of the infamous
"Roaring Forties" and the Southern Ocean. Several South African Navy
frigates and destroyers lined the starting area, and boats of all kinds and
sizes crowded the waters beneath the majestic Table Mountain to get one
last look at these intrepid skippers now on their way to Sydney.
One hour into the leg, the lead was shared by the two South African
entries, STABILO BOSS, sailing away from the land, and TUNA MARINE, close
to the mountainous shore, their southerly courses paralleling past the
Cape of Good Hope. Their local knowledge of the area winds and currents
was obviously being put to good use.
First word of any problem arrived at the BOC Race Office in Cape Town
shortly before midnight on Saturday. JOSEPH YOUNG, one of the smallest
boats in the fleet and skippered by Canadian John Hughes, reported damage
to his upper shrouds which he could not repair at sea and said he was
returning to port. He arrived back into Royal Cape Yacht Club at 09:38
(local) on Sunday morning and was greeted by Lars Bergstrom, one of the
designers of THURSDAY'S CHILD who spent the entire day with Hughes working
on the rig of JOSEPH YOUNG. After repairing the shrouds and replacing all
of the turnbuckles, Hughes rejoined the race at 1800 hours (local) Sunday
evening.
Also giving notice of problems in the early hours of Sunday morning was
Class I American entry Warren Luhrs on THURSDAY'S CHILD, who reported that,
after trying unsuccessfully to sort out the problems on board himself, he
was returning to port with autopilot and water ballast tank problems.
This is the second major setback for the American on whom many had rested
their hopes of giving the U.S. a Class I victory. His first stroke of bad
luck occured five minutes before the start of the race in Newport, when the
60-foot, light-air rocketship was rammed from behind by ECUREUIL
D'AQUITAINE. Luhrs was later given redress of 24 hours, 53 minutes,, 53
seconds for the time it took him to repair his boat and restart the race.
This ill fate has cost him two-and-one-half day, at the start of the
shortest leg in the race.
With his support team standing by in Cape Town, Luhrs immediately set out
to determine what was causing the problems. The major autopilot which
controls the rudder of THURSDAY'S CHILD, was not tracking; "going haywire,"
as one of Luhrs' team described it. They took the boat out sailing three
times to find the source of the problem without success("...we simply could
not figure it out; we were just scratching our heads..." said the team
member).
Finally, Luhrs' crew discovered that, although all brand new, half of the
autopilot components in the primary and all back-up systems (Luhrs has
three independently functioning systems, with back-ups for each) were not
functioning. After much switching and replacing of parts, a good primary
and back-up system were installed, and Luhrs departed Cape Town Tuesday
morning at 08:05 a.m. (local) with a determined "See you in Sydney!"
The third boat to turn back towards Cape Town was LET'S GO, the Class II
French entry sailed by Jean Luc Van Den Heede, the personable mathematics
teacher who took third place in Class on Leg I. Van Den Heede reported to
Ham Radio operator Alistair Campbell on Tuesday morning that his headstay
was damaged, that he could not repair it, and felt that it was too
dangerous to continue with the headstay as it was (if the headstay were to
break completely, the boat's mast would come down).
At press time, it was not clear whether LET'S GO would call into
Simonstown, which is closer to Van Den Heede and could potentially spare him
some lost time, or Cape Town.
Other boats in the BOC fleet reported various problems and damage during
the first few days out, most of which was caused by the Force 9 (45-plus
knots) gale winds which battered the fleet their night out of Cape Town, once
around the Cape of Good Hope. All of the competitors who have radioed in
since the almost-windless Saturday start reported having between 35 and 50
knots during the night. By Sunday, however, the wind had died down to
almost nothing again, leaving the fleet to assess their damage and make
repairs.
Reporting problems were:
TUNA MARINE; South African skipper and Class I, Leg I winner John Martin
blew out his new mainsail Saturday night. After taking the sail down, which
he had to wait several hours to do because of the heavy weather, he put up
the back-up sail and decided to continue towards Sydney. The BOC Race
Office has not yet received word as to whether Martin will be able to
repair the sail himself.
STABILO BOSS: Skipper Bertie Reed reported that, during the night, his
roller-furling headstay broke and a halyard jammed. Reed went up the mast,
where he reported spotting two other unidentifiable BOC boats, and effected
repairs.
LONE STAR: Reported torn mainsail (his only mainsail) and jammed jib
roller-furling. Decided not to return to port; was going to sail under
foresail for the time being and try to repair the main. Repaired
roller-furling.
BELMONT FINLAND: Reported torn genoa; pulled in along shore, where, in
lighter air, he was able to change foresails. Now has a smaller genoa up
and is continuing. Also reported electric autopilot problems, which he
repaired, and a broken mainsail halyard, which caused the mainsail to come
crashing down on Sunday night. Harkimo went up the mast and repaired the
halyard.
COLT BY RETTIG: Reported faulty autopilot; was hoping to repair himself
and in the meantime, was using his wind vane.
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE: Reported blown-out genoa; spent all day
Monday, November 17, sewing and is now O.K.
Frenchman Titouan Lamazou is leading the fleet, and his distance over the
others had increased to 69 miles at press time. Second place has been
taken over by American Mike Plan, of Newport, R.I., who has moved up during
the past two days from seventh place to his present, very impressive
standing. Plant's boat, AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR, is the Class II entry which
took second place on Leg I. Following Plant, in third, fourth and fifth
places, respectively, were: UAP-POUR MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES (Jean-Yves
Terlain), BISCUITS LU (Guy Bernardin) and CREDIT AGRICOLE (Philippe
Jeantot).
Once past the Cape, the fleet will drive hard against the predicted
easterly gale across the ship breaking Agulhas Bank, as they seek the
strong westerly winds to be found below Latitude 40 South. There, they
will turn to the East, into the treacherous "Roaring Forties," where they
will encounter mountainous seas, freezing temperatures and Antarctic
iceburgs while trying to take advantage of the gales coming from Cape Horn
to drive them past Perth, Australia, to Sydney.
During the 82-83 BOC, one yacht, LADY PEPPERELL, skippered by Tony Lush,
was lost on Leg II of the Race when the boat was pitchpoled by a rogue wave
and suffered extensive keel damage. Lush was rescued by fellow American
competitor Francis Stokes.
The first finishers in Sydney are expected in approximately 30 days, some
five days faster than the record set by 82-83 winner Philippe Jeantot, who
covered the distance in 35 days. The re-start date for Sydney will be
Sunday, January 18.
While most of the fleet is heading for stopover number two, BOC Race
officials are still waiting for the arrival of two boats into Cape Town.
ACI CRUSADER, sailed by Australian John Biddlecombe, and NEPTUNE'S EXPRESS,
with New Zealander Dick McBride at the helm, were 423 and 882 miles from
port, respectively, at week's end, both having battled with problems which
forced them into other ports along the way. The ETA for ACI CRUSADER, a
60-foot Paul Lucas design, is early Thursday, November 20, and NEPTUNE'S
EXPRESS, from the boards of Bruce Farr, is expected to arrive
approximately two days later.
From the initial fleet of 25 sailors who set out on this formidable
circumnavigation from Newport August 30, 21 are still competing. One boat
(AIRFORCE) sank off Bermuda just five days after the start (the skipper
was rescued), and three other boats (QUAILO, MISS GLOBAL and MADONNA) have
withdrawn, due to extensive equipment damage.
Sydney Addresses
From December 1, the address in Sydney will be:
BOC Challenge Office
Shop 64A
The Marina
Birkenhead Point Shopping Complex
Cary Street
Drummoyne, NSW 2047
Australia
Phone: (61) (02) 819 6675
|
| 395.24 | WEEK TWELVE | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Sun Dec 14 1986 21:24 | 249 |
|
THE BOC CHALLENGE 1986-87
Race Update: Week #12
November 25, 1986
Week number twelve of The BOC Challenge was marked by some very hot
racing, with competitors often within sight of each other, frequent
autopilot failures, and the withdrawal of two entries.
The nineteen racers who departed Cape Town November 15 have shown
brilliant bursts of speed, clocking up to 14 knots from fix to fix, in
surprisingly variable weather conditions. Many have used this past week
to repair the damages incurred the first night of Leg II when a 50-knot
gale suddenly swept down off the Cape Peninsula to strike the fleet,
wreaking havoc on sails and rigging.
At the start of this week, Titouan Lamazou had taken his EQUREUIL
D'AQUITAINE into the lead by sailing south faster than the rest of the
fleet. Lamazou drove his Class I entry hard into the teeth of the first
night gale, and continued to make southing as the wind eased. His
strategy has paid off, as EQUREUIL D'AQUITAINE has enjoyed better winds
than the others to the north. Another group of yachts was slightly to the
north and farther east. These included UAP/POUR MEDICINS SANS FRONTIERES
(Jean-Yves Terlain, France), BISCUITS LU ( Guy Bernardin, USA), and CREDIT
AGRICOLE (Philippe Jeantot, France). Bernardin and Jeantot were often
within sight of each other at the start of the week, trading positions
within the fleet.
At the same latitude, but slightly farther behind, were TUNA MARINE (John
Martin, South Africa), AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR (Mike Plant, USA, Class II),
SKOIERN IV Jacques de Roux, France Class II), TRIPLE M/SPIRIT OF SYDNEY
(Ian Kiernan, Australia) and LEGEND SECURITIES (David White, USA). These
competitors were following a course similar to that used by the more
successful entries in the 82-83 BOC.
Several yachts had gone onto the starboard tack shortly after passing the
Cape of Good Hope so they made more easting initially. These included
Richard Konkolski on DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE (USA), who showed up very
well in the early placings, Harry Mitchell on DOUBLE CROSS (Great Britain),
Canadian John Hughes aboard JOSEPH YOUNG, who had lost a day replacing his
brand-new turnbuckles back in Cape Town, and Jean-Luc Van Den Heede with
LET'S GO (France).
Slightly farther back in the fleet were boats on an intermediate latitude,
Bertie Reed on STABILO BOSS 9South Africa), our two Finns, Harry Harkimo on
BELMONT FINLAND and Pentti Salmi on COLT BY RETTIG, Hal Roth on AMERICAN
FLAG. Mark Schrader with LONE STAR (USA), and finally Warren Luhrs on
THURSDAY'S CHILD, who had departed Cape Town over 40 hours late after
returning to solve water-ballast pump and autopilot problems.
During this week, two factors have combined to influence the manner in
which our racers have established their positions in the field -- gear
breakdowns and weather forecasting.
LONE STAR damaged her only mainsail the first night of Leg II. Rather than
put back into port, Mark Schrader determined that he could make the repairs
at sea, and only lately has gotten back up to speed. LET'S GO turned back
to South Africa briefly, with a damaged forestay, but van den Heede has
decided he will have a better elapsed time overall if he cruises" on to
Sydney He reports that he is supporting the stay with a spare jib halyard.
One of the strands in the forestay is broken and another damaged, however
van den Heede thinks the largely down-wind conditions of this leg will not
put as much strain on the stay as it would encounter going upwind.
COLT BY RETTIG's autopilot has not been holding course very well, often
wandering 20-30 degrees either side of the desired course. Solving the
problem took much trial and error, and a lot of time. Salmi eventually
found that the autopilot's compass needle was sticking and reacting slowly.
Now that the problem is resolved, he can sail with more security in the
heavy weather expected. Bertie Reed also reported that he has autopilot
problems, similar to those which forced him back to Newport at the start of
Leg I, and that he has had to repair his roller-furling and jib halyards.
STABILO BOSS is now sailing with just the wind-vane mechanical self
steering, which Reed will find only marginally effective in some
conditions. Reed's well earned reputation for toughness and endurance may
be put to test once again, unless he can find some way of fixing the
pilot.
Fellow South African and Leg I winner John Martin has also had his quiver
of autopilots fail -- and suffered the loss of his mechanical
self-steering. He is currently trying to control TUNA MARINE'S wheel with
shock cord and the staysail sheet, a relatively unreliable method. The
steering problems reduce the amount of time he can spend sewing his best
mainsail, which was damaged the first night, and he considered briefly, and
discarded, the alternative of putting in to Fremantle, Australia, for
repairs. He expects that he, like Bertie Reed, will hand steer the next
3-4 weeks. Martin's troubles this week have already cost him six places in
the fleet.
When this week opened, we found BISCUITS LU and CREDIT AGRICOLE in a
head-to-head battle within sight of each other. They had separated by
week's end as Jeantot took a more southerly course, which provided better
conditions, and Bernardin's roller genoa system was damaged. This is the
second time BISCUITS LU has had genoa problems -- Bernardin did without his
genoa for 17 days in Leg I -- but Bernardin can still joke about it. He
told the other sailors that he should "soon set some speed records, if he
can't get the sail down." Before this leg started, Bernardin predicted
that some of the fleet should do 300 miles or more in a day, and that looks
to be the case. David White, who is not quite up with the leaders, has
already reported better than 250 miles in one day aboard LEGEND SECURITIES.
The best example of head-to-head match racing is the tremendous fight for
Class II honors between BOC veteran Jacques de Roux on SKOIERN IV, and Mike
Plant aboard AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR. They have been trading places within the
fleet the whole week, and have been pushing the big boats at the same time.
Even the leaders have not been without problems, Jean-Yves Terlain's
UAP-POUR MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES lost a main halyard, but was quickly back
up to speed with a backup halyard. The key to the success of the lead
three sailors, Lamazou, Terlain and Jeantot, appears to be good weather
information. All three have gone farther south than the rest of the fleet,
and by doing so have avoided the high pressure areas that have affected
other sailors. Current positions, as of November are to be found on the
enclosed ARGOS report.
WEATHER AND STRATEGY:
Normally sailors traveling West to East between Africa and Australia expect
to find good running conditions between latitudes 42 and 45 South. These
latitudes usually provide enough wind, and keep the yachts above the
centers of the depressions. If a boat gets south of a depression, strong
headwinds can slow it down.
Thus far on Leg II, the high pressure area over the South Indian Ocean has
been very far south, down to latitude 45 S. Therefore, much of the BOC
fleet has found calms and light airs where one would normally expect high
winds and big waves. In fact, during one of several calm spells, Jean-Luc
van den Heede reported feeding apples to an albatross. The wandering birds
normally soar near the wave tops, taking advantage of the up-drafts of
wind, but prefer to rest when there are no waves and little wind.
Most of the fleet is congregated between latitudes 42 and 45 south,
impatiently waiting for the winds to resume normal strength. The three
leaders have been making excellent progress farther south, but they take a
calculated risk. They are in colder water, closer to Antarctica, and
nearer the source of iceburgs and growlers. Being farther south, they may
well find themselves dodging ice. They certainly will have colder -- and
wetter -- weather. The cold and damp will test their preparations and
their yachts designs. The boats which are easiest to handle and provide
the best shelter from the elements will have the advantage.
The advantage that Lamazou, Terlain and Jeantot currently share can
evaporate if weather conditions change. They seem to be in the best
position now, but if one gale passes north of them their edge could
diminish or evaporate. A strong gale to the north could force them to beat
against the wind, driving their boats farther south. Even worse -- a
survival storm might require the leaders to run before the wind to the west
while their competitors above the depression make time toward Sydney.
The leader board can change that easily. The BOC racers know of the
territory in which they sail, indeed many have been there before. You can
be sure that all in the fleet are trying to garner any tidbit of
information they can find, from sources ashore and afloat, as they keep a
weather eye on the depressions advancing behind them. This next week
should tell a good part of the story.
DEPARTURES:
With regret we report that the valiant efforts of two sailors to continue
the race have come to naught. ACI CRUSADER, sailed by Australian John
Biddlecombe, and NEPTUNE'S EXPRESS, skippered by New Zealander Richard
McBride, both arrived in Cape Town this week. Both are now out of the
race.
Biddlecombe put out a PAN call at 0700 GMT on Nov 20. (A PAN call is an
urgent signal -- as opposed to an emergency MAYDAY -- concerning the safety
of a vessel.) Biddlecombe reported that he had lost his primary steering,
his emergency tiller and also the alternative steering system required by
BOC Race Rules. He said that his boat was now leaking, and that he could
not make course for Cape Town. While hove to the previous night, in 25
foot seas and gale-force SE winds, a wave had broken over the boat and
finished off the previously bent main boom.
In response to his call, the South African Navy Minesweeper SAS WINDHOEK
was dispatched from Simonstown, SA and met ACI CRUSADER 62 miles west of
Cape Town. The SAS WINDHOEK towed Biddlecombe into Cape Town, where they
arrived at 0430 GMT on Nov 21.
Under BOC Challenge Race Rules, John Biddlecombe is now out of the race as
he was towed more than the two miles permitted under Rule 15. He was
advised of this when the emergency occured and before his rendezvous with
the mine SWEEPER.
Biddlecombe's brave effort to compete in the Challenge has been beset by
problems. In April 1986, his original boat, which he had designed himself
for this race was swept onto a Tongan reef at the completion of his
qualification voyage for the race. He then purchased another yacht in
France, also designed for the race, finished the boat and qualified by
sailing from Gibralter to Newport.
The second night of Leg I, Biddlecombe fell through the forward hatch and
suffered a massive hematoma in the groin area, for which he repaired to
Bermuda for medical attention. After two days he departed, only to return
when he discovered that his 60-footer had dangerous stability problems.
The keel was not heavy enough, and ACI CRUSADER was constantly putting her
mast into the water. In Bermuda once again, Biddlecombe designed and had
fabricated a 1260-pound lead bulb for the keel to improve stability. The
fabrication process was slow, but Biddlecombe eventually departed Bermuda
for Cape Town.
The Race Committee did extend the time limit for the first leg to allow
both Biddlecombe and McBride to reach Cape Town and continue in the race,
as they were making enough progress to rejoin the fleet comfortably for the
Sydney start of Leg III.
John Biddlecombe's efforts certainly give him a good shot at the
perseverance prize, his primary competition at this point coming from
Richard McBride, who sadly withdrew from the BOC Challenge upon arrival in
Cape Town November 24. McBride also fought hard to get into the race, only
obtaining sponsorship the day before the race start. He sailed the first
BOC Challenge on his steel schooner CITY OF DUNEDIN, completing the course
despite going aground on the Falklands during Leg III.
His Farr-designed 60-footer NEPTUNE'S EXPRESS was designed specially, to be
competitive, and was placed well in the fleet at the Equator, but a fitting
failed during a squall and the mast came down. McBride made a jury rig,
and sailed 635 miles to Recife, Brazil, in one week. His supporters in New
Zealand fabricated a replacement mast, mainsail and jib in short order, but
shipping delays and troubled fitting the new equipment delayed his
departure until November 5.
Once clear of port, NEPTUNE'S EXPRESS made excellent progress, rarely doing
less than 200 miles per day. McBride made 255-miles in one day, 1590 miles
in one week, 2230 miles in ten days and 2890 in two weeks. However the
mainsail track pulled away from the mast near the top, forcing McBride to
sail with two reefs. Then, nearing Cape Town, a shroud let go and later
the mainsail was totally destroyed.
McBride pulled in to port under storm trysail and storm jib. After
considering the repairs required and the time available, McBride and his
sponsors, Neptune Resorts, Ltd., have decided to withdraw from the BOC
Challenge. They will continue their relationship, however, and the team is
looking forward to other races which they might participate.
Both Biddlecombe and McBride have demonstrated tremendous dedication and
resourcefulness in the spirit of this race. While they are not able to
complete the Challenge, their efforts will not be forgotten.
November 25, 1986
|
| 395.25 | HOW TO BREAK SPINNAKER POLES | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Sun Dec 14 1986 21:28 | 197 |
|
THE BOC CHALLENGE 1986-87
Race Update: Week #13
December 3, 1986
THE "ROARING FORTIES" FINALLY ROAR
The "Roaring Forties" lived up to their name this week, driving the fleet
leaders at a record pace toward Sydney, Australia. Calms early in the week
were dispelled by the first strong winds the fleet has seen since the
second day, the yachts kicking up their heels and moving fast in
invigorating conditions.
Titouan Lamazou kept EQUREUIL D'AQUITAINE (France) in the lead, staving off
Philippe Jeantot's charge into second place aboard CREDIT AGRICOLE III
(France), but his success has come at a price. By mid-week Lamazou had
broken two spinnaker poles -- Jeantot broke one -- and on Sunday, November
30, ECUREUIL was knocked down twice.
Race Hqs first became aware of the problem when Lamazou's ARGOS position
reports indicated that the yacht had stopped sailing, and was drifting with
the current. Aware of the potential problems that exist while sailing the
Southern Ocean, Headquarters immediately when to a watch-on-watch schedule
as it tried to ascertain ECUREUIL'S condition. Service ARGOS in Toulouse,
France, provided constant position updates fresh from the satellite
platform, all of which indicated the beacon to be moving northeast at 1-2
knots -- in contrast to the 11-12 knot speeds being made by CREDIT AGRICOLE
III and Jean-Yves Terlain's UAP-POUR MEDICINS SANS FRONTIERES (France).
BOC Race Hqs. also contacted all known parties who had radio schedules with
Lamazou. The effort was rewarded when ham operator Alistair Campbell, of
Durban, S.A., received a relayed position/condition report on the yacht at
1130 GMT on December 1.
Apparently ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE had been doing 12 knots when she was
knocked down twice, with waves sweeping over the boat. Her long, stiff
battens were broken in the mainsail, the twin "booster" sail was swept
overboard and the yankee damaged. Some gear on deck was swept overboard --
including the ARGOS transmitter. In reality Lamazou and his yacht were all
right, still sailing at 10-12 knots, while the transmitter was left behind
to drift in the ocean currents.
Race Hqs was relieved to know that all was well, and Lamazou has promised
to maintain regular contact with the other yachts and Headquarters via
radio. The ARGOS transmitter will be replaced in Sydney. Until then,
radio position reports will be added to the ARGOS reports whenever
possible.
Philippe Jeantot drove his CREDIT AGRICOLE III into second place mid-week,
ahead of Jean-Yves Terlain and UAP-POUR MEDICINS SANS FRONTIERES. The
three leaders remain farther south than the rest of the fleet, and have had
more reliable winds because of their position. Only once during the week
have they slipped below 10 knots, and then only for a short period.
Lamazou passed the half-way point in less than 14 days, setting a
blistering pace. He has averaged better than 9.6 knots since leaving Cape
Town, over 230 miles per day. If the pace continues we could see a
finisher in Sydney between December 13 and 15.
Being farther south, the leaders have also been justifiably concerned about
iceburgs and weather. These concerns have been the source of some
good-natured banter between the sailors during their radio "chat hours."
Jean-Yves Terlain told Philippe Jeantot that he had "allowed" CREDIT to
take second place ... "so that you could hit the iceburgs first. I will
follow close behind." Jeantot responded, "there is no way you can catch me
-- I am going to fast." Jeantot told ham operator Alistair Campbell in
Durban that he was doing 22 knots surfing down the waves, through fog,
rain, and near freezing temperatures.
The remainder of the fleet, most sailing at the more "resonable" latitudes
of 44-47 degrees south, have finally gotten some of the distorted seas and
high winds expected on Leg II. Mid-day November 29, twelve boats were
reported by ARGOS to be making more than 10 knots -- and eleven boats were
doing better than 11 knots! A strong depression had passed well to the
south of the fleet, providing winds varying between north-west and
south-west from 25 to 45 knots.
A 90-degree wind shift occured as the cold-front passed, producing contrary
wave trains to meet at right angles, which in turn created the pyramid
shaped seas that make steering so difficult in the Southern Ocean. Even
when you steer down wind, your yacht can be hit by a wave from the side,
usually causing a broach and exposing your craft to the primary wave
train. Sailing in these conditions requires hand-steering -- and nerve.
Despite three broaches Saturday, Guy Bernardin on BISCUITS LU (USA) has
maintained fourth position all week, staving off successive charges made by
Ian Kiernan on TRIPLE M/SPIRIT OF SYDNEY (Australia), Mike Plant on AIRCO
DISTRIBUTOR (USA) and Jacques de Roux on SKOIERN IV (France). Those three
boats have traded fifth place all week, with South African Bertie Reed on
STABILO BOSS usually in their midst.
AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR and SKOIERN IV are once again involved in a heated battle
for top honors in Class II. They traded top position in Class II several
times early in the week, with less than five mile difference in their
distance to Sydney. De Roux put a spurt on mid-week, suddenly taking a 50
mile advantage. Plant has refused to give in, stubbornly taking back a
couple of miles per day since then.
Close behind Reed on STABILO BOSS were Leg I winner John Martin on TUNA
MARINE (South Africa), who still suffers from autopilot problems, and David
White on LEGEND SECURITIES (USA). Barring the three leaders, all of the
fleet except BELMONT FINLAND have passed north of the Kerguelan Islands.
Observing the good progress made by the fleet leaders, and not catching up
with Class II leaders de Roux and Plant, Harry Harkimo dove south to below
latitude 50 in an effort to pass below them. Thus far the strategy has
not panned out, but Harkimo has kept BELMONT in about eleventh position all
week, and has maintained a solid hold on third place in Class II.
THURSDAY'S CHILD has finally gotten some wind, and Warren Luhrs now is
catching up to the group ahead of him after losing almost three days at the
Leg's start to autopilot and water ballast problems. THURSDAY'S CHILD is a
light-weight flyer, and his ARGOS reports consistently show that Luhrs is
posting speeds among the highest in the fleet.
Richard Konkolski on DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE (USA) held on to fourth in
Class II through the end of the week, beating Pentti Salmi on COLT BY
RETTIG (Finland) and Canadian John Hughes aboard JOSEPH YOUNG. These two
and Mark Schrader's LONE STAR (USA), were overtaken by Frenchman Jean-Luc
van den Heede on LET'S GO. Van den Heede started to push Konkolski for
fourth in class December 2. It seems that he has strong winds from astern,
van den Heede is less worried about his damaged forestay -- or perhaps his
competitive nature is coming to the fore.
The fleet is tailed by Hal Roth on AMERICAN FLAG and Harry Mitchell on
DOUBLE CROSS (Great Britain), who seems to be enjoying his passage thus
far. Roth has not had much to say over the radio, except that he has had
problems with the yachts instrumentation.
WEATHER AND STRATEGY:
The initial strategy of the three leaders, to sail far enough south to
clear the high pressure area in the Indian Ocean, has proven effective thus
far. They have avoided the lighter winds that have plagued the bulk of the
fleet, and have built a substantial lead. If they can now edge north, to
avoid facing the "wrong" side of the severe depressions now approaching the
fleet, ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE, CREDIT AGRICOLE III and UAP-POUR MEDICINS SANS
FRONTIERES can consolidate that lead. Until that time, the leaders must be
especially concerned with the weather approching from astern and the unseen
enemy, iceburgs.
This week we should see the leaders continue to move north as they prepare
for their approach to the Bass Straights. They have gone as far south as
they will go on this leg.
A STUDY IN CONTRASTS:
This week America's Cup action will be hot and heavy in Perth. They are in
the third round-robin competition to select challengers and defenders for
the prestigious prize. The 63-foot yachts go out daily to face each other
in one-on-one competition, with their eleven man crews returning every
evening to a comfortable bed ashore. Meanwhile, to the south 800 or 900
miles, nineteen solo yachtsmen are steering their racers, as long as
60-foot, through the rigorous "Roaring Forties."
Each man must steer, navigate, reef and unreef the main, set and take down
spinnakers, put up jibs and take them down, cook, clean, repair what
breaks, maintain radio contact, plot strategies, and -- whenever he can fit
it in -- sleep. The bed he sleeps in is damp, his clothes are soaked
through, and his only company -- night and day -- are the wandering
albatrosses.
MORALE HIGH
From our perspective ashore, it seems that morale is high in the fleet.
Apparently the sailors have put up a pool of $10 Australian apiece, the
winner being the sailor who arrives in Sydney closest to his predicted
elapsed time.
Bertie reed on STABILO BOSS scratched his face on board -- and has been
treating the injury with the skin lotion "Oil of Olay." Reed predicts that
by the time he arrives in Sydney he will have become a "raving Beauty."
On the American holiday of Thanksgiving, Hal Roth on AMERICAN FLAG searched
his yacht for the special package hidden on board by his wife Margaret for
that day. He said it was like "looking for Easter eggs."
FINAL NOTE:
The BOC Office in Sydney is now open. Phone (02) 819 6675
December 3, 1986
|
| 395.26 | NEW TRANS-ATLANTIC RACE ANNOUNCED | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Tue Dec 16 1986 10:49 | 62 |
|
THE BOC BLUE RIBAND CHALLENGE
NEW TRANS-ATLANTIC RACE NEXT YEAR TO ATTEMPT 80-YEAR-OLD-RECORD
MONTVALE, N.J., DECEMBER 10 -- The BOC Group announced today that it will
sponsor a trans-Atlantic race for monohull yachts from New York to Plymouth
next year. The race will start on June 4, 1987, following completion of
the current BOC Challenge single-handed round-the-world race which is
expected to end in Newport, R.I., in May.
The new race is called the BOC Blue Riband Challenge. Competing yachts
will attempt to break the monohull record of just over 12 days for a
crossing from Ambrose Light Tower to the Lizard in Cornwall. The record
was set in 1906 by the schooner "Atlantic."
"With modern unrestricted boats and exceptionally well-qualified skippers,
such as those competing in the current BOC single-handed round-the-world
race, the record is definitely breakable," says Robin Knox-Johnston,
chairman of the BOC Challenge Race Committee. "Several of the BOC boats
have been averaging well over 12 knots, and something over 10 knots is what
it will take to break the record. The BOC Blue Riband will be the
first-ever organized race to attempt this monohull record."
There will be two classes in The BOC Blue Riband Challenge for boats 40-50
feet l.o.a. and 50-60 feet l.o.a. There will be no restriction on sponsor
identification on hulls and sails.
The race will be open to all competitors in The BOC Challenge. The
organizers may also extend invitations to other yachtsmen. This, and other
details including the Rules and Conditions of the Race, will be decided and
announced early in the new year.
Prizes for this race will be awarded by BOC Limited, the U.K. subsidiary of
The BOC Group, and by the City of Plymouth. The City of Plymouth and BOC
Limited will host the yachtsmen while they are in port. The City will
provide berthing at Queen Anne's Battery, help to promote the event and
host a civic reception for the competitors.
"Plymouth has been able to attract another great sailing event to the City.
We are absolutely delighted,: said councillor Tony Parish, chairman of the
Leisure Services Committee, City of Plymouth.
In the U.S., the boats will be hosted by the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club,
near New York, after a sprint race from Newport, R.I.
The BOC Group is a worldwide company whose principal business interests are
gases and health care. About half the company's operations are in the U.S.
and about a quarter in the U.K.
For further information, please contact Nigel Rowe, The BOC Group, Chertsey
Road, Windlesham, Surrey, England Tel: (0276) 77222 or Patricia Secrist,
The BOC Group, 85 Chesnut Ridge Road, Montvale, New Jersey, 07645, U.S.A.
Tel: (201) 573-0800.
|
| 395.27 | ELEVEN BOATS SUFFER KNOCK DOWNS OR WORSE | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Fri Dec 19 1986 09:14 | 309 |
|
THE BOC CHALLENGE 1986-87
Race Update: Week #14
December 10, 1986
Southern Ocean Proves Tough Taskmaker to Fleet:
Forerunners Close In On Sydney
The infamous Southern Ocean, known for it's mountainous seas and
hurricane-force winds, finally reared its ugly head on the fleet of BOC
solo sailors this past week as they made their way to Sydney, Australia.
Steady gale-force winds, often reaching 65 knots, and enormous seas
battered the 19 yachtsmen, causing no less than 11 of the boats to capsize
or roll a full 360 degrees, bringing serious damage to at least three of
them. In addition, almost every competitor reported being knocked down at
least once during six days of what a few described as "horrendous" and
"frightening" conditions.
In spite of the havoc Mother Nature was wreaking on the fleet, the
forerunners have made record-breaking progress en route to Sydney, the
second stopover of the Race, posting the highest daily average runs and
average speeds of the Race so far.
Titouan Lamazou, sailing ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE (France), maintained the
neck-breaking pace he has kept for the past three weeks, averaging more
than 230 miles a day on this 6,700-mile Cape Town to Sydney leg. (BOC Race
Headquarters has been unable to determine exact daily mileages, and his
distances to port, for the Frenchman since his ARGOS satellite beacon was
washed overboard 10 days ago in heavy weather.) Going in to this week,
Lamazou held a 210-mile advantage over inaugural BOC winner and current
second place competitor, Philippe Jeantot, based on daily position reports
received from each man. Jeantot's well-known doggedness paid off, however,
as he posted the highest daily average of the fleet during the week,
covering some 242 miles each day (an average of over 10 knots). By week's
end, he had chiselled Lamazou's lead down to approximately 100 miles.
Both Lamazou and Jeantot, sailing CREDIT AGRICOLE III, were less that 1,000
miles from Sydney at week's end, and assuming that they continue at their
present rate, both could cross the finish line sometime on December 13 or
14 -- an impressive six days faster than the 35 days Jeantot, dubbed "The
Flying Frenchman," sailed the Leg in the 82-83 BOC. Lamazou has averaged
an impressive 9.7 knots since leaving Cape Town on November 15, and Jeantot
has followed closely behind with an average of 9.6 knots.
Extending the dominance of French entrants on this Leg is Jean-Yves
Terlain, sailing "the yellow boat," UAP-POUR MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES in
third place. At the beginning of the week, Terlain was a mere 47 miles
astern of CREDIT AGRICOLE III, but with many damaged sails fell off the
pace during the next several days, dropping behind Jeantot by more than 250
miles.
Terlain cannot afford to let up at this point, as Ian Kiernan on TRIPLE
M/SPIRIT OF SYDNEY can "smell the stable." Kiernan has posted the best
average of the fleet this week, almost 10.2 knots, and is driving his
60-footer hard to arrive in his home port among the first three boats. His
Ben Lexcon-designed, wing-keeled sloop seems to have enjoyed the strong
winds this week.
While he will have his work cut out for him in the remaining miles to
Sydney if he is to overtake Terlain, the Australian did manage o pass Guy
Bernardin and BISCUITS LU on December 6 and take over fourth place. At
press time he was maintaining his new-found lead over Bernardin, a newly
naturalized American citizen. Kiernan, one of the pioneers of short handed
sailing in Australia, will undoubtedly try to utilize his local knowledge
to improve his position through the Bass Strait and up the coast of New
South Wales to Sydney.
Leg I winner, John Martin, having had his share of misfortune the Leg,
ranked between eighth and tenth place on TUNA MARINE this week, just behind
fellow Springbok Bertie Reed on STABILO BOSS. In addition, both THURSDAY'S
CHILD (Warren Luhrs) and LEGEND SECURITIES (David White) made solid and
steady progress this week, with Luhrs driving his radical
Lindenburg/Bergstrom design from 12th to 8th place in the standings, and
White moving up from 10th to 6th. While Luhrs reported some problems with
his boat, White and his 56-foot Gurney design appear to have withstood the
rigors of last weeks weather conditions, with no knock downs or on-board
damage reported.
The head-to-head battle for Class II honors continued, Mike Plant on AIRCO
DISTRIBUTOR (U.S.A.) doggedly pursuing Frenchman Jacques de Roux and his
SKOIERN IV. De Roux won Class II on Leg I, and started the week with a
50-mile advantage over Plant. The lead was increased to 150-miles mid-week
after AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR was turned upside-down, but Plant started to catch
up after de Roux's capsizes over the weekend. De Roux averaged 190
miles/day during the week and Plant 180/day, but AIRCO could not sail as
straight a course, thus losing a little more ground. Behind AIRCO by
approximately 200 miles and holding down third place in Class II was Harry
Harkimo on BELMONT FINLAND, who continued to make excellent progress
despite taking a severe beating from the weather.
Standings for the remainder of Class II remained relatively unchanged
during the week, with Richard Konkolski's's DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
holding fourth place despite a charge by Jean-Luc van den Heede on LET'S
GO. The two sailors are continuing their personal match race which had
been started on Leg I. Van den Heede had passed Konkolski in the last
miles approaching Cape Town to take the gun 18 minutes ahead of Konkolski.
Now that her forestay is repaired, LET'S GO is pushing DECLARATION hard.
Van den Heede passed Pennti Salmi on COLT BY RETTIG during the week, and
these two boats were in turn followed by JOSEPH YOUNG (John Hughs), LONE
STAR, (Mark Schrader), AMERICAN FLAG (Hal Roth) and DOUBLE CROSS (Harry
Mitchell) respectively
CREDIT AGRICOLE, UAP, SPIRIT OF SYDNEY, BISCUITS, LU, STABILO BOSS, TUNA
MARINE, SKOIERN IV, THURSDAY'S CHILD, AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR, BELMONT FINLAND
and COLT BY RETTIG were all among the boats who experienced the power of
the Southern Ocean during the week. The saga for the fleet began to unfold
with radio reports received on Wednesday, December 3, with the leaders
still some 2,500 miles from Sydney. Guy Bernardin reported that he had
taken three knock downs the previous night in very heavy seas and Force-11
gales. Similar weather reports (and the sighting of a dreaded iceburg) and
dramas were reported over the next several days as follows:
December 3
CREDIT AGRICOLE reported three knock downs on December 1: no damage
sustained.
STABILO BOSS reported being knocked down on December 2; mast was submerged,
diesel generator had been running and may have been ruined, boat "in a
shambles." Reed also reported a blown out jib and having to climb the mast
to retrieve the halyard. Was hand steering.
Reed relayed report from AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR saying AIRCO had been rolled in
heavy weather -- landing so hard that her floorboards came free (they had
been screwed down). Radio damaged, antennae lost and ARGOS transmitter
torn free. Plant managed to retrieve the beacon before it was lost
overboard. No other major damage reported, but Plant lost ground to de
Roux over the next several days.
ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE reported "very, very bad seas and 50-knot winds."
COLT BY RETTIG (PEnnti Salmi) reported seeing an iceburg at 1320 GMT;
position: 45 23 S x 69 07 E. Salmi said the iceburg was approximately
one-mile long, and alerted the rest of the fleet. Boats closest to the
site were JOSEPH YOUNG (John Hughs, who said "Frightened is the
understatement of the year!" from his 41-foot boat), LONE STAR and LET'S
GO. No other reports of the iceburg were received by Race Hqs.
December 4
Ham radio operators learned that Harry Mitchell (DOUBLE CROSS) had been
injured in two separate incidents during the week. On December 1 Mitchell
was thrown down while changing sails and suffered what was thought to be a
cracked rib. On December 3 at dawn, Mitchell was just stepping up through
the companionway onto the deck when he "blacked out," coming-to some hours
later -- in a pool of blood. He had a cut over the nose and left eye.
After receiving medical advice on self-treatment, Mitchell bandaged his
ribs, treated the cut, and was prescribed antibiotics, which he had in his
yacht's medical supplies. By the weekend Mitchell was feeling better, and
was making good progress.
BELMONT FINLAND reported three knock downs the previous day (December 3),
and told of being washed overboard to the full length of his safety line.
He said he had lost his wind vane self steering and autopilots, and was
steering by hand.
Hughes reported that he had sailed past the iceburg's position in 100-foot
visibility on a foggy night. Mark Schrader radioed in that he had neither
seen nor hit the 'burg.
December 6
SPIRIT OF SYDNEY (Ian Kiernan) reported being cast from his bunk against
his pump handles, which shattered. Kiernan's main halyard jammed during
the knock down, forcing him to go up the mast in a "howling wind." "It was
no fun at all," Kiernan commented, and told of enormous, breaking seas
which were so thunderous and loud that I literally couldn't get to sleep."
He reported no other damage.
SKOIERN IV (Jacques de Roux)told others in the fleet that he had been
capsized twice at 2200 GMT December 5 in a gale that reached 65 knots. His
self steering gear and sat-nav antennae were torn off and, far worst, his
steering wheel was ripped off the cockpit sole. While the mast and sails
were fine, the extent of the other damage forced him to consider putting
into an alternative port to effect repairs. He installed his emergency
tiller and proceeded north initially before continuing on course to Sydney.
Jacques de Roux was an entrant in the 82-83 BOC, and was well ahead of his
Class II rivals in that contest , when his 41-foot SKOIERN III was
pitchpoled, dismasted and holed in the Southern Ocean on the third leg of
the Race. The boat sank immediately after de Roux was plucked from the
stricken vessel by fellow competitor Richard Broadhead in what was one of
the most dramatic sea rescues ever documented.
TUNA MARINE reported having been rolled twice the previous night, blowing
out his back-up mainsail (Martin's new racing main was damaged during the
gale the first night after departing Cape Town). Martin's self-steering
and autopilots had given out the first week, so he had been forced to hand-
steer and had not had the opportunity to repair the primary main. With
both mainsails out of commission, Martin was at press time undecided about
pulling into Albany, Western Australia, another alternative port, or
continuing to Sydney.
BELMONT FINLAND reported being rolled through 360 degrees twice in the same
night in similar weather -- winds to 65 knots for three days. Harry
Harkimo explained to Australian Ham radio operators that while his yacht
had suffered some damage, he would proceed on for Sydney.
THURSDAY'S CHILD broke her boom with two wild jibes. Luhrs repaired the
damage with Kevlar (tm) sleeves designed to be strapped to the boom, but
the repair broke after another minor jibe. At last report he was using his
spinnaker pole as a boom (the mast had been prepared for that eventuality
in advance) with a triple reefed main. He can also use the full main to
windward without the pole, provided he tacks the main down to deck level.
Luhrs is cheerfully proceeding.
December 7
BOC Race Office in Sydney received word from Perth Radio that a gale
warning had been issued by the Perth Bureau of Meteorology. Most of the
fleet had already encountered this gale. COLT BY RETTIG reported damaged
rigging and Pennti Salmi said he was heading farther north to effect
repairs. UAP-PMSF reported another knock down and some minor problems, but
Terlain said "...everything on board is a mess, but fine."
Another localized severe gale was observed on December 9 on Japanese
satellite photographs, about to pounce on the three leaders. At press
time, UAP=PMSF was just recovering from it, Jeantot was driven off course
towards Tasmania, and Lamazou had been slowed, but could still lay his
course toward the south-western approach to Bass Strait.
All of the fleet are looking forward to the warmer climate and sunshine to
be found once they are out of the "Roaring Forties." "I am tired of being
cold," exclaimed Jeantot.
Before rounding the southeast corner of Australia and heading up the coast
to warm weather, sunshine and the finish line in Sydney Horbour, however,
the fleet must traverse the treacherous Bass Strait. The entrances and
exits to the Strait are guarded by unlit rocks, the middle is known for
short, steep seas, more unlit rocks and numerous oil rigs. The BOC
Competitors have 300 miles to sail from the western approaches till they
come to Gabo Islands. During that time they must brave these hazards, as
well as traffic approaching Melbourne. Many a skipper has fallen prey to
fatigue while navigating the Strait. The notorious passage spelt the end
of the race for Desmond Hampton in the 82-83 BOC, when Hampton exhausted
after traversing Bass Strait, overslept and ran his famous Chichester yacht
GYPSY MOTH V, aground on Gabo Island.
The finish line for Leg II is between Middle Head and South Head in Sydney
Harbour. Most of the BOC Fleet is expected into port by New Year. The
fleet, and the BOC Sydney Office will be located at Birkenhead Point, a
waterfront marina and shopping complex in Sydney Harbour. Full press
facilities are available at the Race Office, and a complimentary press boat
has been arranged to go out for the arrival of each competitor.
The scheduled re-start for Leg III, from Sydney to Rio de Janeiro, is
Sunday, January 18. The prizegiving for Leg II will be held Sunday,
January 11.
The BOC Race office is located at:
Shup 64-A, The Marina
Birkenhead Point
Cary Street
Drummoyne NSW 2047
ARGOS
GENERAL PLACING
12/10/86 1700GMT
P B C
L O SKIPPERS L DIST L L
A A A TO A O
C T S GO T N
E S
1 ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE T. LAMAZOU 1 ? ARGOS XMitter lost
2 CREDIT AGRICOLE III PH. JEANTOT 1 608 41 27 S 143 40 E
3 UAP-MED. SANS FRONTIERES J.Y. TERLAIN 1 958 43 35 S 135 47 E
4 TRIPLE M/SPIRIT OF SYDNEY I. KIERNAN 1 1200 41 54 S 129 52 E
5 BISCUIT LU G. BERNARDIN 1 1250 43 20 S 129 02 E
6 SKOIERN IV J. DE ROUX 2 1546 43 14 S 122 10 E
7 THURSDAY'S CHILD W. LUHRS 1 1598 42 49 S 120 54 E
8 AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR M.PLANT 2 1620 45 34 S 120 50 E
9 TUNA MARINE J.MARTIN 1 1793 42 32 S 116 30 E
10 STABILO BOSS B. REED 1 1909 38 05 S 114 34 E
11 BELMONT FINLAND H. HARKIMO 2 1963 47 08 S 112 45 E
12 LET'S GO J.L.VAN DEN HEE2 2119 45 56 S 108 56 E
13 DECLARATION OF INDEP R. KONKOLSKI 2 2198 47 08 S 107 02 E
14 COLT BY RETTIG P. SALMI 2 2289 46 25 S 104 47 E
15 LONE STAR M. SCHRADER 2 2324 47 19 S 103 56 E
16 JOSEPH YOUNG J. HUGHES 2 2440 45 32 S 101 15 E
17 AMERICAN FLAG H. ROTH 2 2448 44 20 S 101 15 E
18 DOUBLE CROSS H. MITCHELL 2 3106 44 31 S 085 23 E
NEPTUNE'S EXPRESS R. MCBRIDE 1 Retired
LEGEND SECURITIES D. WHITE 1 "
QUAILO M. SMITH 2 "
MADONNA T. SHIMADA 2 "
ACI CRUSADER J. BIDDLECOMBE 1 "
MISS GLOBAL E. DE ALMEIDA 1 "
|
| 395.28 | Worse! | AGNT99::HAYS | Come on snow!! | Sun Dec 21 1986 19:55 | 59 |
| Associated Press Sat 20-DEC-1986 15:50 Missing Yachtsman
[1mSearches for Missing Yachtsman Called Off[m
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - Hopes of finding a missing French solo
yachtsman alive have diminished and searches for Jacques de Roux
called off, organizers of the BOC around-the-world race said.
De Roux, 49, a former French navy submarine commander, is
believed to have fallen overboard from his 50-foot yacht Skoiern IV
on Thursday off the south coast of eastern Australia.
No one has died before in the rigorous yachting event that began
earlier this year in Newport, R.I. De Roux finished first in Class
2 for the first leg of the race to Capetown, South Africa, and had
been leading the second leg to Sydney, officials said.
A spokeswoman for the federal government's Sea Safety Center
said a search by two planes and a patrol boat was called off
Saturday because it was now ``very unlikely'' the French skipper
could be found.
``Unless we receive further information, the search is suspended
as from now. If other details do come in we would consider
restarting the operation,'' said spokeswoman Marcia Ruff.
Kathy Giblin, a spokeswoman for the race organizers in Sydney,
said there was now very little that could be done.
``We have people going over the boat, trying to establish what
might have happened, but it is all speculation,'' Giblin said.
Among those in Eden, the town south of Sydney to which Skoiern
IV was towed, is French yachtsman Guy Bernadin, a friend of de Roux.
De Roux was officially reported missing Friday.
The crew of a bulk carrier sighted the yacht 35 nautical miles
southeast of Gabo Island, 300 miles south of Sydney. It was sailing
erratically with its sails flapping. The bulk carrier's crew said
there was no one on board the yacht.
``It's only conjecture what could have happened to him,'' said
race committee chairman Robin Knox Johnston of Britain.
``The rudder is jammed, we know that.
``His life jacket and saefty harness were still in the cabin.
Maybe it was an emergency and he came straight up from the cabin
and went overboard.
``Maybe he hit a whale. We just don't know.''
At first light Saturday two National Safety Council planes
searched an area of 1,300 square miles, Ruff said.
HMAS Fremantle, an Australian navy patrol boat, also joined the
search.
Fears were raised about de Roux as early as Thursday night when
satellite tracking indicated the yacht was sailing south, away from
its Sydney destination at the end of the second leg of race.
Early Friday, de Roux failed to make his regular radio contact
with fellow French competitor Bernadin, BOC officials said.
When Bernadin reported he had not heard from de Roux, the search
began.
De Roux was born in Paris and recently lived in Cognac and
Indonesia.
The BOC race, sponsored by the British Oxygen Co., began in
Newport, R.I., on Aug. 30 with 24 yachts competing.
Five withdrew on the first leg. Nineteen yachts left Cape Town
on the second leg Nov. 15, headed for Sydney. The race finishes
early next year in Newport.
The competitors are scheduled to leave Sydney on the third leg
to Rio de Janiero in mid-January.
|
| 395.29 | WEEK 15 NEVER P/R NEVER ARRIVED | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Mon Jan 05 1987 14:27 | 371 |
|
THE BOC CHALLENGE 1986-87
Race Update: Week #16
December 22 1986
What should have been a week of triumph for the BOC Fleet as boats arrived
into Sydney turned into a nightmare, when Frenchman and Class II leader
Jacques de Roux was lost overboard from his yacht, SKOIERN IV, on Thursday,
22 December, 250 miles south of Sydney near Gabo Island.
Every yachtsman's worst fears of falling overboard were realized for the
soft-spoken, well-liked de Roux, the man who miraculously cheated death
four years ago in the 82-83 BOC, when he was rescued from his sinking yacht
4,000 miles from land in the Southern Ocean by a fellow competitor.
An impeccable sailor and determined, but friendly, competitor, de Roux had
been compelled to participate in this year's BOC to, as he put it:
"...rectify my failure of the last race." He had been repeating his
stellar performance of the first BOC Challenge, maintaining astonishing
pace with the 60-foot fleet leaders and holding down a solid first among
Class II boats, when tragedy struck.
It appears that the former Naval submarine commander fell, or was swept,
overboard while on deck sometime Thursday afternoon. Race officials became
concerned late Thursday night when de Roux's ARGOS beacon showed the yacht
was taking an erratic course and fellow competitor Guy Bernardin reported
de Roux had missed three radio schedules that day. An unmanned, drifting
SKOIERN IV was found by Race representatives the following day, and a full
search was mounted but turned up no trace of the missing yachtsman. A full
report of the tragedy is attached.
Another Setback for Luhrs
Ill fate has once again found its way to American Warren Luhrs, whose
high-tech radically designed yacht, THURSDAY'S CHILD, was dismasted just
185 miles from the finish line in Sydney on Thursday, 22 December.
Luhrs, who has been beseiged with problems since the August 30 Race start,
was in moderate conditions and making good progress toward Sydney when the
unconventional rig snapped at the second spreader and tumbled overboard.
Within six hours of putting out his emergency call to Sydney Race
Headquarters, the well-prepared shore crew for THURSDAY'S CHILD was with
Luhrs. In line with BOC Challenge Race Rules, Luhrs, 41, a boatbuilder
from Florida, was able to anchor in 300 feet of water, using two 300-foot
main halyards, to allow his support crew to board and help jury-rig a
system to enable the seemingly luckless campaign to continue to Sydney.
Luhrs and his five man team worked through the night to haul 30-feet of the
mast, headstay, mainsail, jib and spinnaker back on deck before being able
to fashion Luhrs' two short spinnaker poles into a makeshift mast. Less
than 12 hours after receiving Luhrs' first call, the team had him on his
way again, heading slowly but surely, toward the second stopover of the
race. The shore crew later helped locate the abandoned SKOIERN IV from the
air while flying in the area.
Before the start of the BOC Challenge in Newport, RI, on August 30, many
people picked THURSDAY'S CHILD as an odds-on favorite to win this race,
following his 'Round Britain and 1984 OSTAR victories. Luhrs' luck turned
sour, however, less than five minutes before the starting gun when Titouan
Lamazou in ECUREUIL D/AQUITAINE
crashed into the stern quarter of the light-displacement yacht, forcing
Luhrs to start 24 hours later after repairing the damaged rudder and
steering systems. His efforts were again thwarted immediately after the
re-start in Cape Town, when he developed autopilot and water ballast pump
problems and returned to port for 36 hours. At press time, Luhrs was just
hours from the finish line in Sydney. Once in port, Luhrs and his team
will try to determine the cause of the dismasting.
Six More Yachts Arrive
In spite of the devastating loss of Jacques de Roux during the week, six of
his competitors were happy to finish what was an extremely difficult leg
and tie up in port for a few weeks of rest and repair.
First to cross the line this week, in third place for this leg, was
Jean-Yves Terlain, who arrived in port at 04:55.25 local (17:55.25 GMT, 16
December) on Wednesday, 17 December, after struggling up the New South
Wales coast onboard his 60-foot UAP-POUR MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES. Terlain
lost almost three days battling strong headwinds on his approach to Sydney,
having only a staysail left to carry him across the finish line. He had
blown virtually all of his sails during the 6,900-mile voyage, and said
that he would need an entire new inventory before setting out on Leg III.
Of the weather he encountered, Terlain said, "It was crazy. My last five
days out, I had every kind of weather -- all different conditions. I hit a
big storm in the Bass Strait, then had nothing at the other end...and I had
strong northeasterlies coming up the coast which really slowed me down.
Because I had only my staysail, I couldn't sail into the wind, so I spent
three days just tacking very slowly, back and forth," he explained.
"I don't get upset when certain things happen, like getting becalmed,"
Terlain continued. "I get philosophical. There is no use getting crazy
about it -- you can't do anything about it anyway -- so I just sit and
wait, and do thing on the boat that I don't have time to do in heavier
weather."
Terlain's elapsed time for the leg is 31 D, 04 H, 55 M, 25S, and his
combined total for Legs I and II is 78 D, 21 H, 40 M, 15 S, placing him
fifth overall in the race so far. "I think it would be difficult to win
the race at this point," he admitted, "but I can certainly win a leg. We
now know all the tuning that we must due to the boat. The main point now
is to try to finish the race in a better position without breaking
anything. That is the balance: how far to go, how fast to go, when to ease
something just a little before it gives."
After 31 days at sea, Terlain's first requests? "A good shower to clean off
a month's worth of dirt, a cigarette -- I ran out one week ago -- and a
dentist. I've got a real toothache!"
Behind Terlain into port was the only Australian left in the Race, Ian
Kiernan, sailing TRIPLE M/SPIRIT OF SYDNEY. Kiernan, 46, was given a
spectacular welcome home on Thursday 18 December when he crossed the finish
line at 11:41.54 local (00:41:54 GMT) to complete the second leg.
More than 50 spectator craft and a fleet of helicopters escorted the
60-foot Ben Lexan design through the Heads at the entrance to Sydney
Harbor in brilliant sunshine, only to see Kiernan lose control of the yacht
twice and broach dramatically under spinnaker in the 20-knot southeeasterly
wind.
He completed the Cape Town to Sydney Leg in 32 D, 11 H, 41 M, 54 S, and has
a total elapsed time of 83 D, 15 H, 02 M, 24 S, which ranks him seventh
overall at the half-way point of The BOC Challenge.
Before an overflowing crowd dockside, Kiernan talked about the trip: "The
journey wasn't that bad...It's a lot easier in the open ocean. The finish
line was a bit scary with those two broaches -- more scary than the
Southern Ocean!" Of his hot-dog finish, Kiernan laughed and said: "I guess
I was overambitious. I wanted to come in under spinnaker, I was set up to
do a gybe and I gybed outside the South Reef. But I called it a bit
shy...and what classic broaches! It was a bit of grandstanding gone out of
control," he admitted, "I got my ambitions mixed up with my capabilities!"
Of the weather: "After the first week, we had low pressure cells and fronts
coming through. We got into Southern Ocean conditions and that's when
"Spirit" really started moving. She's really well-suited for those heavy
running conditions. She performed magnificently, and I'm thrilled with
her."
Kiernan was one of the fortunate few who, to date, has arrived with very
little damage; SPIRIT OF SYDNEY looked in near-new condition. "She stood
up well, " he said. "We took a lot of trouble to prepare her at the
beginning, and I think it had stood us in good stead." And, despite
sustaining two knockdowns in the Southern Ocean, Kiernan said that he
hadn't broken anything during the leg: "There's a lot of improvising in
this sort of racing. I never had a problem I couldn't overcome."
He is confident that he will have another good leg, and is looking to move
up in the placings. "I'm really looking forward to it...I'd go out there
again tomorrow. I love it down there!" The most frightening part of the
voyage? "The finish, without a doubt," he grinned.
Next in over the line was BISCUIT'S LU, sailed by Guy Bernardin, on Friday,
19 December at 01:01.14 local (14:01.14 GMT, 18 December). Calling the
passage "absolutely the worst trip of my life!," Bernardin explained that,
while the weather was not too bad -- actually light for the Indian Ocean"
-- his main problem was equipment failure. "I tore the mainsail, one
staysail, a headsail and my roller reefing went out the first week. Also,
I lost my radar, and the track to my mainsheet traveler tore away. It was
horrible.
"I pushed the boat too much this time," he explained. "It's O.K. if you
have a crew, but when you are by yourself, it is different. The next leg,
I will not strain everything as much."
Bernardin's persistence gave him an elapsed time for the leg of 33 D, 01 H,
01 M, 14 S, and his combined time is 76 D, 06 H, 59 M, 57 S, giving him
third place overall so far. While he did well on this leg, he did not
follow the extreme southerly course taken by the other Frenchmen. "I will
not go as far south as the others on principal," he stated. "When you
have a sponsorship, you have an obligation to others to make sound
decisions and not take unnecessary risks. I will sail hard, but I won't
take those risks."
Following Bernardin, a newly naturalized American, over the line were two
native Americans, each sailing red boats that were made in Newport, RI.
David White, skippering LEGEND SECURITIES and Mike Plant, sailing AIRCO
DISTRIBUTOR, both charged over the finish line on Saturday, December 20 in
a blustery 20-knot southeasterly wind, just 90 minutes apart.
White, sailing the Class I 56-foot Alan Gurney design, bulldozed across the
finish line in Sydney Harbor at 14:23.25 local (03:23.25 GMT). The founder
of the original BOC Challenge in 82-83, White made the passage from Cape
Town to Sydney in 34 D, 14 H, 23 M, 25 S. His total elapsed time for Legs
I and II is: 86 D, 07 H, 43 M, 45 S.
As he sailed across the finish line, White made a "thumbs up" gesture and
then proceeded to ask for a beer. "It was a great trip," he shouted in his
inimitable fashion, "but the Bass Strait was the pits!"
White talked about the weather in the infamous Strait, which he termed "the
most volatile I've seen. The weather was fine until I hit the strait...in
fact, I spent a total of only three or four hours steering the boat; the
rest of the time it was on autopilot. I read 25 books this leg!" However,
Whites joy ride did not last the full length of the voyage. "I made up for
all of that reading in the last seven days -- they were murder. Heavy,
steep seas reaching 30 feet, howling winds, and very confused seas...it was
scary."
Once again, as he did when he arrived in Cape Town at the end of Leg I,
White had almost no repairs to the boat while in port. I'll check my
entire rig -- every pin on that mast, he threatened, still sporting a nasty
bruise on his lower back from a fall down the mast he took when he went up
one day to put a loose rigging pin back into place. "I don't like going up
the mast," White declared. "It's not one of my favorite things in the
world, which is why I don't race with spinnakers any more -- that's a
guaranteed mast trip!
"But I'd hoisted myself up, and suddenly a snap shackle gave way and dumped
me on my back like a sack of potatoes, right on the mast pulpit...that was
a rude awakening," he mused.
White's LEGEND SECURITIES, at 56 feet, is one of the smallest boats in
Class I. He sailed the same boat, then named GLADIATOR, in the first BOC
Challenge, but was forced to withdraw in Cape Town when the boat suffered
extensive structural damage. While he admits to having almost no chance of
winning the race against his rivals' high performance racing machines,
White is very pleased with the boat and is thrilled that he has made it
half way "to completing the dream I started a long time ago...it's still
unfinished business."
Shortly after White raced through Sydney Heads, Mike Plant followed suit,
crossing the finish line at 16:03.52 local (05:03.52 GMT), taking first
place among Class II yachts on this leg. For Plant, however, the victory
was a hollow one.
The 35 year old sailor has steered his Rodger Martin design impressively
since the August 30 Race start, always giving de Roux a run for his money.
Plant was visibly upset by the shocking news of the loss of de Roux, who
had become a good friend in spite of their on-the-water rivalry. Plant had
been just behind de Roux, less than 100 miles astern, when de Roux was
lost.
"We had one hell of a race together," said Plant. "The last couple hundred
miles were extremely tough. I wasn't sure I wanted to come in at that
point; I don't want first place under those circumstances. I had someone
to chase before; it made me really push. Now it won't be as competitive as
it could be." Plant's competitive nature helped him over the line in just
34 D, 16 H, 03 M, 52 S, eclipsing the record of 35 days set by Philippe
Jeantot during the 82-83 BOC. His total elapsed time so far is 82 D, 07 H,
34 M, 22 S, putting him in sixth overall, ahead of four Class I boats.
Plant's AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR was one of several boats which fell prey to the
mountainous and confused seas and high winds of the Southern Ocean two
weeks ago. "That week the barometer just kept rising, and the wind just
kept building," he recounted. "You know one out of every 100 or so waves
is going to hit you, and you realize there is not much you can do. You
just have to have faith that your boat will take that much punishment."
AIRCO took the punishment doled out to her surprisingly well; Plant has
only relatively minor repair jobs to do, considering he was knocked down
several times and was inverted to 180 degrees once. "That was the worst,"
he recalled. But when it get really bad, you have to steer yourself. It's
not very smart to heave-to in 40-foot seas. So you steer along with it and
try to stay away from the big ones -- or they'll break right over the top
of you, and the boat will round up and roll.
"The only thing you can do is stay at the wheel and drive; because if you
don't, it's just a matter of time before something bad happens."
One person who should know about bad things happening on this leg is John
Martin, skipper of TUNA MARINE and winner of Leg I, who had a luckless Leg
II. Martin sailed his 60-foot Lavranos-design through Sydney Heads on
Sunday, 21 December at 04:16.20 local (17:16.20 GMT, 20 December), becoming
the eighth competitor to reach the half way mark in the Race. His elapsed
time for this leg is 35 D, 04 H, 16 M, 20 S, and his combined total is 77
D, 05 H, 26 M, 56 S. While this second leg was not a good one for him,
Martin's impressive first-leg performance has kept him in forth place in
overall rankings.
"My problems began just hours after the starting gun went off in Cape
Town," he said. "The start was fine, but the it was all down hill from
there!" Martin's laundry list of problems included an overheated engine, a
number three jib over the side, two blown mainsails, failed autopilots, a
dead alternator, a broken wind vane system, and a water-logged transmitter
which prevented Martin from communicating for the last few weeks until he
got within a few miles of Sydney.
"I have never been so happy to arrive anywhere in my life," an exhausted
but happy Martin said upon arriving. "It got to the point where I wasn't
even trying to race -- I was trying to survive and get to Sydney so I could
race the third leg."
Martin was tempted to turn around and head back to Cape Town shortly after
the start when everything started going wrong. "Then I said to myself,
'no, sleep on it.' So I went to sleep for even hours and when I woke up, I
said, 'there's no way I'm going back.'"
Martin's resourcefulness was tested time after time, when he had to think
of ways to steer the boat when all self steering failed, and how to rig a
sail when he blew out his second mainsail. "A good friend of mine sweared
by a method where you hoist a storm jib back to front on the mast. I
figured, at that point, I had nothing to lose, so I cut my spinnaker pole
in half, hoisted the storm jib and rigged the control lines back to the
cockpit. It worked like a charm...and that's what got me to Australia.
I'll never sail again without it."
The night he was rolled twice, Martin said, was "just unreal. It was
blowing so hard that I had only a small jib up and was surfing at 12 knots.
I decided to go down below, and I just had a funny feeling -- about life.
I closed the hatch when I went below, and 30 minutes late all hell broke
loose; it was a pitch-pole nose dive."
"I tried to piece it all together afterwards looking at the damage. I
really don't know what happened, except I was suddenly on the roof, then I
was on the engine, then I was walking on the side of the engine casing --
water pouring all through the cabin."
"I thought we were upside down and we would come up, but i decided to go up
on deck and see what's happening. All the rigging was stuck in the wheel
and enormous waves were breaking over the boat and I just grabbed the wheel
and held on."
"I had no oilskins on -- I had gone up quickly -- and I steered the boat
that way for five hours. That night was the first night of the whole trip
I had taken my boots off! And I thought, well, I'm either going to die by
being rolled again or I'm going to die of hypothermia....It was
incredible."
"We'll have our work cut out for us to get ready for Leg III, but I'm
looking forward to getting back into the front. For right now, though, you
don't know how happy I am just to be here!"
At press time the next boats expected in were BELMONT FINLAND, a Class II
entry sailed by Harry Harkimo, LET'S GO, with Jean Luc Van Den Heede, and
THURSDAY'S CHILD, sailed by Warren Luhrs. Harkimo who has had a rough
passage, having been knocked down several times, rolled twice and washed
overboard to the full length of his lifeline, should reach Sydney on
Monday, December 22 along with Van Den Heede. Luhrs is making slow but
sure progress up the East Coast of Australia under jury-rig, averaging
about 3 knots. He is expected mid-week.
The remainder of the BOC Fleet should be in for Christmas, if the winds
are kind to them. The fleet will remain in Sydney, at Birkenhead Point
Marina, until January 18, at which point Leg III to Rio de Janeiro begins.
|
| 395.30 | OFFICIAL STATEMENT RE:DE ROUX | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Mon Jan 05 1987 14:32 | 131 |
|
STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE BOC CHALLENGE OFFICE - SYDNEY
21 DECEMBER 1986
The following statement was issued by the Sydney Headquarters of the BOC
Challenge regarding the missing BOC Challenge yachtsman, Jacques de Roux,
and SKOIERN IV.
Jacques de Roux, 50, the French skipper of SKOIERN IV, competing in the BOC
Challenge solo round-the-world yacht race, is missing. He is believed to
either have fallen or have been washed overboard in the vicinity of Gabo
Island, off the coast of Victoria, on the southeast corner of Australia,
250 miles south of Sydney.
THURSDAY, 18 DECEMBER 1986
BOC Challenge Race Officials in Sydney first became concerned about de Roux
after ARGOS satellite position reports on Thursday night indicated that the
yacht was not maintaining it's course to Sydney. A few hours later, when
BOC Challenge competitor Guy Bernardin on BISCUITS LU arrived in Sydney
(01:01.14 local Friday), he expressed concern that, since last speaking
with de Roux via radio on Wednesday night, de Roux had failed to keep their
three regular radio schedules on Thursday.
Race officials then notified Federal Sea Safety Center (SSC) and jointly
monitored the boat's position via ARGOS reports through the night.
FRIDAY, 19 DECEMBER 1986
Subsequent ARGOS reports received Friday morning further indicated that
SKOIERN was notably off course and that the boat and/or the skipper were in
difficulty.
An all-ships alert (CQ) was then issued to vessels in the area that
morning, and a BOC Race aircraft was despatched from the town of Mallacoota
(near Gabo Island). The plane located and positively identified SKOIERN at
noon on Friday, some 35 miles southeast of Gabo Island. BOC Challenge
representatives on board the plane reported that the boat's sails were
luffing, the boat was sailing erratically, and there was no sign of de Roux
on board.
SSC then despatched the HMAS "Fremantle" and an aircraft and helicopter,
and diverted "Iron Carpentaria" to the area. The BOC Challenge Office in
sydney was notified by the SSC, Canberra, the national coordinating body
for all sea rescues in Australia, shortly after 6:00 p.m. (0700 GMT) that a
lifeboat from the BHP bulk carrier, "Iron Carpentaria," had arrived
alongside SKOIERN IV at 5:00 p.m. The yacht was then boarded by the crew
of "Iron Carpentaria." However de Roux was not on board.
The Royal Australian Navy Patrol Boat, HMAS "Fremantle," and a National
Safety Council aircraft and helicopter all arrived on the scene at 7:00
p.m.
Shortly after 7:00 p.m. local time, The BOC Challenge Office despatched
another private aircraft to search the area where de Roux is believed to
have gone overboard. The plane returned two hours later, shortly after
nightfall, and reported no sightings of the missing yachtsman.
SKOIERN IV, which was leading Class II boats in the BOC Challenge when the
incident occurred, was towed to the coastal town of Eden by the HMAS
"Fremantle" on Friday evening. Members of the HMAS "Fremantle," and
members of the shore team for another BOC Challenge boat, THURSDAY'S CHILD,
were on board SKOIERN. They arrived in Eden at 4:00 a.m., Saturday, 20
December.
SATURDAY, 20 DECEMBER 1986
Two separate, coordinated search efforts were mounted Saturday morning,
local time, by the SSC/BOC Challenge Office and a group of French and
American supporters.
The SSB/BOC search comprised:
-Three aircraft departing at first light (6:15 a.m.) to scour an area 13
miles by 45 miles in the Cape Howe/Gabo Island vicinity.
-RAN Patrol Boat, HMAS "Fremantle," also searched a 20 mile area in the
same vicinity, and a helicopter was on standby at Mallacoota if a sighting
was reported.
-The search area was determined by ARGOS satellite position, and sea
currents in the area during the last 36 hours.
Additionally, a group of supporters, including fellow BOC Competitors Guy
Bernardin (BISCUITS LU) and Leg II winner Titouan Lamazou (EQUREUIL
d'AQUITAINE) flew to Mallacoota at 5:00 a.m. Saturday morning and boarded
fishing vessels to join in the search.
Neither search effort turned up any trace of de Roux, and the search was
officially terminated by the SSC Saturday afternoon.
Later Saturday, Bernardin and Lamazou went to Eden and boarded SKOIERN IV
to gather de Roux's personal effects and attempt to reconstruct what might
have happened Thursday. Members of the "Iron Carpentaria" had taken
de Roux's log books, charts and other documentation from the boat on
Friday, and turned it over to customs officials on Saturday. The two
competitors returned to Sydney Saturday night and gave the personal
belongings to the French Consulate, who will hold onto them until a member
of de Roux's family arrives in Sydney.
SKOIERN IV will remain in Eden until it's rudder, which apparently was
damaged during heavy weather and probably cost de Roux his life, can be
repaired and the boat sailed to Sydney. It will then be turned over to the
de Roux family.
From what authorities and de Roux's fellow competitors can piece together,
de Roux apparently went up on deck sometime Thursday afternoon in heavy
weather. It appears that he unexpectedly went on deck for what he intended
to be a short period of time -- he had not put on any heavy weather gear or
safety harness, all of which was found hanging below in his cabin on
Saturday.
Bernardin, who had spoken with de roux on Wednesday night, said that
Jacques had been exhausted, a result of pushing his boat mercilessly to
fend off his number one rival, Mike Plant on AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR. In
addition, de Roux had been without any navigational aids for more than two
weeks, and had managed only two to three hours of sleep per night since.
A private memorial service has been planned once all 18 of de Roux's fellow
competitors arrive in port.
|
| 395.31 | Press Release #15 | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Fri Jan 09 1987 09:26 | 511 |
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The missing #15 finally arrived:
THE BOC CHALLENGE 1986-87
Race Update: Week #15
December 17, 1986
LAMAZOU CAPTURES FIRST ON LEG II IN RECORD-BREAKING TIME;
REED INTO WESTERN AUSTRALIA WITH DEAD GENERATOR, DIESEL POISONING
Week number 15 of The BOC Challenge saw its share of triumphs and
disappointments as the fleet closed in on Sydney, the half-way point in
this round-the-world race. While Frenchman Titouan Lamazou celebrated a
hard-won, record-shattering victory in Sydney for the 6,900-mile Leg II, a
dejected Bertie Reed all but buried his long-awaited dreams of placing
well, when he put into port in Western Australia with generator problems
and diesel poisoning.
The 31-year-old, soft-spoken Lamazou, who began sailing at age 16 and has
shared the tiller with the likes of Eric Tabarly, eased his 60-foot, red
and white hulled ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE over the finish line in Sydney Harbor
at 07:13.22 a.m. (20:13.22 GMT December 13) on Sunday, December 14, to take
first place honors on the Cape Town to Sydney leg of the voyage. While he
smiled and waved to the small flotilla of boats which came out to welcome
him in the early morning sunshine, Lamazou did not show his true emotions
until the cannon on board the finish-line boat fired. When the gun
sounded, he jumped up and raised his arms in an ecstatic gesture, grinning
and shaking his head, as if in disbelief.
He was justified in wanting to pinch himself to make sure it was all real,
for he had just succeeded in obliterating the record set in the 82-83 BOC by
fellow French sailor, Philippe Jeantot, by a remarkable seven days.
Jeantot, who arrived shortly after Lamazou Sunday morning on this leg, had
sailed the distance in 35 days during the last BOC Challenge, which he won.
Lamazou made the passage in 28 D, 7 H, 13 M, 22 S, driving the
composite-constructed cutter at neck-breaking speeds to maintain his early
found lead. He averaged more than 10.2 knots, and 240 miles/day, during
the 28-day sleigh ride.
"I was very worried about Philippe (Jeantot), especially during the last
week, because he had the best wind and was coming so fast," said Lamazou.
In fact, Lamazou had explained that on his way up the Eastern Coast of
Australia, he had panicked several times upon seeing large sail boats
rapidly approaching from astern, only to find that they were motorsailors
cruising up from Tasmania. "You couldn't give up for a minute - you
absolutely did not have one minute without something to do. And when you
had spare time, which was not often," he continued, "you caught a bit of
sleep." Jeantot did whittle Lamazou's lead down from 150 miles to just 40
in the two days before they arrived, giving Lamazou good reason for concern.
Lamazou did not enjoy very many full nights of sleep. He said that at
times he slept a maximum of only one hour. "Not very much, I guess,
because you are going very fast and you must steer a lot. I was steering
the boat most of the time," he said.
"For this leg, I knew I was obliged to go really fast to win, and I had to
really push the boat. But we were knocked down twice and I was often
scared that she would break up." ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE was among 11 boats
on which the unforgiving Southern Ocean had taken its toll the previous
week. Several boats were rolled and capsized, and most experienced the
terror of having their small homes tossed upside down as waves larger than
city building swept over their yachts.
"I was frightened most of the time," said Lamazou, who took two bad
knockdowns during the voyage. "The trip was very rough. The first time I
was knocked down, I was under autopilot. The seas were hugh, and one big
wave pushed the boat sideways, then the second wave turned the boat right
over. The second knockdown was my mistake, because I was trying to change
a sail -- I had trouble with my furling gear and my main was not reefed. I
was stopped in rough seas, and in rough seas you must go fast. If you go
fast you are safe...if you are stopped, you are not safe at all. I was
stopped and could not do anything -- I was very afraid. I set another
staysail as soon as possible, but it was too late...the inside of the boat
was just horrible," he grimaced.
Several things on board were damaged during the rough and tumble weather,
and Lamazou's ARGOS was washed overboard, preventing BOC Race Hqs from
monitoring his exact position for the last two weeks of the leg. Instead,
Lamazou reported his daily position via radio. He broke two spinnaker
poles (one washed overboard along with the ARGOS and a booster sail), and
blew out a spinnaker which ended up going over the side as well. In
addition, two of his three autopilots broke, and he had some trouble with a
steering cable. Lamazou's fresh water supply also ran out two days from
Sydney, because a number of the plastic containers broke during his
knockdowns.
No stranger to mountainous seas and gale-force winds, Lamazou knew the
waters of the Indian Ocean and the infamous "Roaring Forties" -- as well as
one can know them -- from his days on board PENDUICK VI during the 1986
Whitbread round-the-world race. Perhaps that is why he explained at his
post-finish press conference: "For me, the Indian Ocean was `The Big One'
in this race; it was the most difficult and dangerous part of the trip.
That is why I am so very happy to have won this leg."
"Happy" was written all over the tired, bearded face of the young artist
and author, and he shared his victory with his parents and brother who had
come to Sydney from France. "I was very tired last night," he said,
describing how hard he pushed the Bouvet/Petit/Ogden design. He had been
becalmed the night before arriving, and was struggling to coax the boat
toward the finish line. "I was falling down in the boat when I was
sleeping...but now I'm not tired anymore -- because I have arrived first!"
Now second overall in total elapsed time to date (Jeantot is first),
Lamazou is hopeful about his performance during the remainder of the 27,000
mile race. "Am I going to win? I hope so, I hope so...but I had a very
bad first leg (Lamazou was without self-steering for five weeks of the
first leg, broke his boom and placed fifth in class). Now I think I will
be better in general placings -- but I will try my best to get to Rio first
in the next leg.
It will be tough to beat Philippe. I know my boat is as fast as CREDIT
AGRICOLE and UAP, but 3-1/2 days is a lot of time to make up."
Making up for lost time is foremost on the mind of Bertie Reed, who once
again, became the victim of misfortune when his diesel generator failed two
weeks ago and he contracted diesel poisoning trying to repair it.
Reed's chances of placing well on the first leg had evaporated when his
brand-new autopilot packed up just one day out of Newport, sending him back
into port for a new system and causing him almost four days in lost time.
His hopes for a speedy second leg to Sydney were high until his diesel
generator, the sole source of power for Reed's autopilot, lights,
instrumentation and radio seized the first week of December, rendering the
affable South African powerless. "I had no lights, no radio, no satnav, no
nothing," a frustrated Reed said from Albany, Western Australia, where he
ultimately put in. "I was living like a mole for days; it was the most
frustrating week of my life."
Determined to continue along course, Reed attempted to repair the generator
himself en route, ignoring the memory of the illness he suffered in the
first BOC Challenge because of a similar diesel-induced allergic reaction.
Bad luck rang twice, however, and Reed once again fell seriously ill with
infection. while on board antibiotics helped, Reed felt compelled to call
into the nearest port for medical treatment and repairs to the generator.
Ian Kiernan on SPIRIT OF SYDNEY reported to Race Hqs on Wednesday, December
12, that Reed was diverting course to Albany, W.A., and, on Saturday,
December 13, he arrived.
Explaining why he put into port so close to Sydney, Reed explained: "The
antibiotics were working and I could have made it to Sydney if that had
been the only problem. But the boat (STABILO BOSS), the (former Whitbread
60-footer designed by Bruce Farr) is just to big. There's no way you can
operate that boat without an autopilot," he said. Upon examination of the
generator in Albany, Reed discovered some 25 liters of fresh water in his
sealed starboard diesel tank, which was, most likely, the cause of his
problems. "We drained off almost 25 liters of the stuff from the injector,
the fuel pumps, everywhere," he lamented, "and I can't figure out how it
got there. But we bled the entire system and it's all working now."
Reed departed Albany on Monday, December 15 at 10:30 a.m. Albany time (0200
GMT) for Sydney, some 1800 miles away. He plans to head south to about 40
degrees, and continue east to the Bass Strait. He hopes to be in Sydney
for Christmas, and physically is feeling better, but having his chances of
placing well dashed a second time, he is a very disappointed man. "There's
no way I can hope to catch up now -- I could still win a leg, but I'm
afraid it's just not in the cards for me this time. I'll keep trying, of
course, but it's all been so disappointing."
Good fortune does not appear to be in the cards for Philippe Jeantot, who
climbed into first place overall in total elapsed time by arriving into
Sydney just hours behind Lamazou on December 14.
Jeantot and his green-and-white hulled CREDIT AGRICOLE III rocketed through
the Heads in Sydney Harbor at 12:52.43 p.m. (01:52.43 GMT), to earn second
place on the Cape Town to Sydney leg and first place so far among the
fleet. Jeantot's elapsed time for this leg was 28 D, 12 H, 52 M, 43 S,
just 5 hours and 39 minutes behind Lamazou. His combined time for the Race
so far is 71 D, 05 H, 50 M, 18 S. While he arrived shortly after Lamazou
on the 14th, Jeantot's weather was a great improvement over the 8-knot
southwesterly Lamazou had to greet him. The 34 year old winner of the
inaugural BOC Challenge race maneuvered his way through Sydney Harbor to
the finish line in a lively 18-20 knot southeasterly amidst a harbor full
of weekend pleasure craft. Many of the cruising boats joined in to escort
the Frenchman and his 60-footer into the Harbor.
Jeantot, a diver turned sailor, had raced the well known Whitbread maxi,
ATLANTIC PRIVATEER, into the Harbor, both boats looking magnificent flying
brightly colored spinnakers under clear, sunny skies. The fully crewed,
70-foot PRIVATEER, in training for the upcoming Sydney-Hobart Race, proved
no match for the smaller, but swifter, CREDIT AGRICOLE, as Jeantot guided
his boat past the Whitbread vessel and onto the finish line. "It was nice,
eh?," grinned Jeantot upon his arrival back at Birkenhead Point docks. "I
had just the autopilot on, touching nothing...I couldn't believe it!"
What Jeantot does believe, as do his fellow competitors without a doubt, is
that the aluminum, Ribadeau-Dumas-designed sloop is every bit as fast as
she looks. Jeantot averaged just under 10 knots for the entire 6,900-mile
voyage, and reached speeds of 24 knots on a few occasions when the boat
surfed in heavy weather. His fastest 24-hour run was 290-miles. He
admitted to pushing his boat almost constantly in an effort to gain on
Lamazou. "Titouan did a good job; he got his chance the first two nights
out of Cape Town," Jeantot explained. "He had good weather reports, and he
went with the low the night after the start. I went with the high, and one
day later, he had gone 250 miles and I had gone 80 -- and that was it; the
course was done."
"When you are 200 miles behind someone, you try all the time to catch him
and push the boat. You gain a bit every day, but to catch up two hundred
miles is a lot." Jeantot actually gave Lamazou a run for his money up the
New South Wales coast, taking 40 miles out of Lamazou's lead when Lamazou
was becalmed the night before his arrival. "The last night I really
thought I could catch him, because he was hanging close to the coast just
south of Sydney. I heard he had no wind at all, so I drew a perpendicular
line and headed due east, then I cut up at a 45-degree angle to the
northwest. I had plenty of wind; I was sailing at 11 knots and had taken
40 miles from Titouan -- he still had no wind. If it had just kept up a
bit longer, maybe...," he grinned.
Jeantot described the strategy he, Lamazou and Jean-Yves Terlain had taken
for the second leg to bring them into Sydney well ahead of the rest of the
fleet. "It was very difficult, but we went very far south to find good
wind," he commented. "Before the Kerguelen Islands, we never had more than
40 knots of wind. But after the Islands it was very windy, and I just
pushed the boat. It was very interesting and very frightening," he
reminisced. "We went far south -- I went to 52 (degrees south), and
Jean-Yves went to 54 -- it was very, very cold." When reminded that he had
thought he wouldn't go that far south this time of the year because of
iceburg threats, Jeantot replied, "you cannot say before you leave port how
far south you will go, because that depends so much on the conditions. Four
years ago I went north of the Kerguelens, and it was O.K., there was wind.
But this time, there was a very big high pretty far south...and if you want
to get the strong winds, you simply must take the risk and go that far
south."
He did mention that the main concern he had in venturing to those latitudes
was iceburgs, which had been spotted as far north as 39 degrees, and by
Class II BOC competitor Pentti Salmi, at 45 degrees south during the leg.
"I don't mind the cold, and I don't mind going down that far -- you must
take risks -- but the thought of colliding with an iceburg," he said, "that
would be a problem!"
Of his other problems during the trip from Cape Town, Jeantot cited a badly
leaking keel as the most worrisome. "I did not know until the morning of
the start in Cape Town that it was a potential problem," he said. "The
designer came to me that morning and said to 'Be careful because I am not
sure about the keel.' Can you imagine? I had to pump 800 liters of water
out every two hours during the trip," he said.
"Well, my designer is coming to Sydney, and," Jeantot said, shaking his
fist, "I've got something for him!" The other damage to CREDIT AGRICOLE
occured during the two knockdowns in 60 knots of wind the boat took two
weeks out of Sydney. "Both times the boat was under self steering, and we
were gybed by an enormous wave," he explained. "You must let everything go
and then the boat will come back over -- then you must start again. I
broke plenty of smaller things -- one spinnaker pole, one yankee, and my
roller-furling foil -- in the knockdowns, but was pretty lucky otherwise."
During the week, the rest of the BOC fleet drew closer to Sydney, the
half-way point of the race. At press time, BOC Race Officials were
awaiting the arrival of the third place boat, UAP-POUR MEDECINS SANS
FRONTIERES, sailed by another Frenchman, Jean-Yves Terlain. Terlain, who
entered the radical yellow in the race to publicize the French charity
which places medical teams in Third World Countries, had had a swift
passage through the Bass Strait, but was becalmed once he rounded the
southeast corner. Just 40 miles from the finish line, and within sight of
Sydney, Terlain inched his way north for nearly two days. Terlain's entire
inventory of sails was destroyed during the past few weeks, forcing him to
sail the final few days with only a storm jib. Since he couldn't sail to
weather, and he had intermittant blows of northeasterlies between 30-40
knots, Terlain had slow going to the finish line. He was expected to
finish in the early morning hours of December 17.
Following Terlain into port should be Australia's Ian Kiernan, sailing
TRIPLE M/SPIRIT OF SYDNEY. At week's end, Kiernan, who had a luckless
first leg, was well-established in fourth place and was expected into his
home port, where a heroes welcome is planned, on December 18. His 60-foot
Ben Lexcen design, SPIRIT OF SYDNEY, has shown great speeds in downwind
conditions during this leg, prompting Kiernan to aliken it to "a Ferrari"
in winds over 40 knots. Running behind Kiernan by slightly less than 100
miles is Guy Bernardin, who is thought to have suffered some damage to his
yacht, BISCUITS LU, during knockdowns in heavy weather two weeks ago.
First place in Class II appears to have been won by Jacques de Roux,
skipper of SKOIERN VI, who has held onto a slim lead and fended off
persistent advances by American Mike Plant to take the lead in Class. The
two boats were never more than 100 miles apart during the past week, with
Plant sailing AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR, closing the gap to just 35 miles at one
point. Both de Roux, a former French naval submarine commander, and Plant,
a builder and former Outward Bound instructor, are expected into port over
the weekend of December 20-21, along with Class I American entrants Warren
Luhrs on THURSDAY'S CHILD and David White on LEGEND SECURITIES.
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| 395.32 | PRESS RELEASE WEEK 17 | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Mon Jan 12 1987 10:11 | 502 |
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THE BOC CHALLENGE 1986-87
Race Update: Week # 17
NINE ARRIVALS FOR THE HOLIDAYS;
ENGLISHMAN MITCHELL DUE IN ONE WEEK
Christmas holidays and the arrival of nine more competitors
highlighted week number 17 of The BOC Challenge. With the thought of
family and friends awaiting many of them in Sydney, the second port
of call and half-way point on this around-the-world race, the BOC
solo sailors drove their boats hard and arrived into Sydney just in
time for yuletide celebrations.
While almost all described the second leg of this 27,000-mile
journy, some 6,900 miles from Cape Town to Sydney, as "about what I
had expected," several spoke of the "horrendous conditions" they
encountered in the Bass Strait, the infamous body of water separating
the southern coast of Australia and Tasmania. In addition, the
competitors recounted the savage weather they encountered
approximately two weeks out of port, southwest of Perth, Australia,
when a double front swept through the fleet and dealt severe blows to
many of the yachts.
Harry Harkimo/BELMONT FINLAND Arrival: 22 December, 09:34.11 Local
Leg II Elapsed Time: 36 D, 09 H, 34 M, 11 S Class II - 2nd
Total Elapsed Time (Legs I & II): 88 D, 21 H, 10 M, 40 S Class
II-3rd
Harkimo became the ninth competitor to cross the finish line when he
arrived on 22 December. The first of two Finnish entries to reach
Sydney, Harkimo eased his battered 50-footer, BELMONT FINLAND, across
the line in a moderate, 15-knot southerly wind. The conditions which
met him at the finish line were a drastic improvement in the kind of
weather the 32-year-old sailor had endured during his month at sea.
"I was terrified," Harkimo stated as he told of his nightmarish ride
through the Southern Ocean when he was knocked-down twice one night
and capsized again two nights later. During one of the knockdowns,
Harkimo was actually washed overboard to the full length of his
safety line, but managed to pull himself back on board.
"I was coming up to the crest of this one wave -- or so I thought --
but the wave just kept coming and rising."
"It took the boat and turned it right over, about 200 degrees...and
when the boat came back up, I wasn't on board anymore.
"I don't know what happened; I just tried to keep my hands on the
wheel, but I found myself hanging over the stern pulpit. There was
water everywhere, I couldn't breathe, and everything was mixed up.
It took me about 10 seconds to pull myself back on board. If you put
me there now, I'm sure I couldn't pull myself up; I just found the
strength from somewhere that day.
"I didn't have time to be scared then, but I had more knockdowns
during the day, and when night came I thought, 'I'm never going to
make it.' I was steering for 23 hours and was totally wet -- I was a
solid block of ice -- but I couldn't leave the wheel."
The second time Harkimo fell victim to the merciless seas was just a
few nights later, when a wave came up from behind the boat -- "I just
didn't see it coming" -- and swamped it, slamming Harkimo against the
steering wheel and breaking his ribs.
"Working the boat hard after that was so painful," he said. "Every
time I winched, it was like someone was cutting me with a knife."
The volatile weather conditions he encountered included one day of
35-knot winds alternating with 60-knot gales and 10-minute snowstorms
every hour.
"It was so scary surfing down waves; I had 20 knots on the meter and
the boat was just shaking. If you lose control of the boat then,
which is easy to do if you've been at the wheel for so long, you're
in big trouble."
Harkimo was also plagued with equipment failure and damage during his
36-day voyage. He tore two genoas, the type of sail he uses most,
and suffered two failed autopilots. He blames lack of sufficient
sail area during the heavy weather, and the fact that he went down to
51 degrees south, as his major reasons for having sustained so much
damage from the elements.
"Perhaps I should have stayed at about 48 degrees south, but this is
a race and I thought the others would be going down there, and you
have to be competitive. If you want to win, you have to go there. I
didn't realize how bad it is down there, so I couldn't have been
scared...but I would do it again if it affected how well I did in the
race."
Other than repairing his autopilots, genoas, a wind vane and some
minor leaks in the hull, Harkimo, who is now third overall in Class
II, has "50 little things to do" to prepare for Leg III, from Sydney
to Rio de Janeiro. As in this last leg, he plans to go "as far south
as I have to...probably to 60 degrees South."
Jean-Luc van den Heede/LET'S GO Arrival: 22 December, 17:43.52
Local
Leg II Elapsed Time: 36 D, 17 H, 43 M, 52 S Class II - 3rd
Total Elapsed Time: 88 D, 05 H, 00 M, 47 S Class II - 2nd
Sailing one of the smallest boats in the fleet, van den Heede
completed the second leg of the race in a remarkable 36-1/2 days,
only some 30 hours more than the winning time Philippe Jeantot had
sailed the course during the 1982-83 BOC. Van den Heede's tremendous
efforts with the narrow, 45-foot LET'S GO have earned him first place
honors on handicap for Legs I and II, and he holds second place
overall among Class II boats, behind AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR.
Crossing the finish line at dusk, the jovial 41-year-old mathematics
teacher from Lanester, France, appeared fit and well, though tired
from his trip. "Coming in here to Sydney was better than sailing into
Cape Town because we got to see more of the countryside...the rocks
in Bass Strait, the coastline up to Sydney..." the bearded sailor
joked.
LET'S GO, a balsa-cored fiberglass sloop, also looked in good shape
despite a broken forestay which forced van den Heede to nurse the
boat gently through most of the Indian and Southern Oceans.
"It was very disappointing to discover such serious damage right
after the start (he had gone up the mast for another reason just 30
hours after departing Cape Town when he discovered the forestay
damage). I thought, 'I have 5,800 miles to go -- it is not
possible.' So I headed back towards Cape Town, not steering, just
thinking about what I would do when I retired from the Race and
returned to France -- because it would have been no good to re-start
so far behind the others.
"I decided, 'If I don't do this Race now, I never will,' so I turned
around and headed for Sydney, but just going very gently. I knew I
wouldn't be competitive this leg."
Van den Heede finally managed, however, to repair the forestay
sufficiently to overtake a few of his competitors on the last three
weeks of the voyage. "I blew out two spinnakers and broke five jib
halyards and all my spinnaker halyards trying to repair the forestay.
But never mind, I finally fixed it and we began racing again. I
passed one boat at a time; I was trying to pick them off one by one,"
he grinned. Van den Heede managed to get through the rough weather
without any other damage.
Like many of his fellow competitors, he said he always steers the
boat himself when the conditions get bad. "But I don't steer at the
beginning," he explained. "I try to get some rest then, because the
last part of the gale is always the worst. It is not the wind which
is your enemy; it is the sea. The seas will capsize your boat. You
must keep your sail up, keep going and stay ahead of the seas."
The speeds and daily runs van den Heede achieved are that much more
impressive in light of his forestay problems. LET's GO averaged 11
knots in downwind conditions, and had two solid weeks of averaging
more than 200 miles/day. "I am very happy with this leg," he said,
"because I never thought I could do well after the forestay went. It
was good winds and luck, and I have a good boat," the modest
Frenchman explained. Fellow Frenchman and Class I winner for this
leg, Titouan Lamazou, shook his head and pointed to the skills of the
skipper: "We are lucky that Jean-Luc is not sailing a igger boat in
this race, because he would certainly beat us all."
As part of his preparations for Leg III, van den Heede will replace
his broken forestay and halyards, repair the spinnakers, and add two
autopilots to his healthy collection of six.
Warren Luhrs/THURSDAY'S CHILD Arrival: 23 December, 15:00.24 Local
Leg II Elapsed Time: 37 D, 15 H, 00 M, 24 S Class I - 8th
Total Elapsed Time: 82 D, 08 H, 42 M, 03 S Class I - 6th
Warren Luhrs sailed his damaged 60-foot rocketship over the line in
Sydney, thankful to have arrived after having been dismasted just one
day's sail from the finish line. The innovative yacht had been in
just 18 knots of wind when the rig went, some 170 miles south of
Sydney and about five miles off the New South Wales coastline.
"I'm not exactly sure what happened," Luhrs tried to recount upon his
arrival. "We had the spinnaker up and were moving along -- close
reaching. During the take-down process, the chute partially furled
and back-winded, and I just heard a 'boom.'"I was stunned because I
really had confidence in the rig; it has more than 40,000 miles on
it," he continued. "I heard the bang and just looked up. It came
crashing down alongside me. It never even dawned on me to get out of
the way, I was so stunned."
Within hours of the mishap, one of many to have haunted the man who
was a pre-race favorite, Luhrs was able to tie two spare main
halyards together with his rode and anchor in 300 feet of water. In
line with Race rules, his shore crew, which had flown down from
Sydney, was allowed to board the boat and help jury-rig the crippled
yacht. The team worked through the night hauling the rig and sails
back on board, and then used two short spinnaker poles to fashion a
makeshift mast to get Luhrs to Sydney. (The longer spinnaker poles
had broken earlier when used to replace the damaged boom.) The
spinnaker poles were set up aft as sheer legs, with a stay leading
forward to the bow.
On the stay, he set his number three jib on its side, so that the
leech was the foot of the sail and the foot was the leech. The
system had been tried out in Cape Town before the start of Leg II.
With the extraordinary-looking, yet functional, jury-rig set, Luhrs
nursed the boat up the coast to Sydney.
The cause of the dismasting appears to have been a result of the
spinnaker becoming wrapped around the spreaders and applying a
twisting load to the rig. Luhrs said his team in Sydney, which
includes the boat's designer and engineer, would have to analyze the
situation before determining the extent of the damage and whether he
can continue in the race. Luhrs did add, however: "When you get
thrown off a horse, you've got to get back on it again," indicating
his intention, if possible, to finish the Race.
Aside from the dismasting, Luhrs said he had a good sail from Cape
Town, with one remarkable 305-mile day's run the week before his
mishap. He found the Southern Ocean "fascinating...it was an
experience everyone should have sometime. The seas, the birds, the
weather patterns...to be out there by yourself is quite something."
While admitting that he can no longer be considered a serious
contender for line honors, Luhrs said he still hopes to "give the
guys a run for their money" on the next two legs. "And, just
finishing the BOC is an achievement in itself," he added.
Mark Schrader/LONE STAR Arrival: 24 December, 09:02.20 Local
Leg II Elapsed Time: 38 D, 09 H, 02 M, 20 S Class II - 4th
Total Elapsed Time: 92 D, 20 H, 01 M, 50 S Class II - 6th
Schrader, who completed a solo circumnavigation in 1982-83, said that
he found the Leg II conditions better than he had expected. "The
first week was disappointing,' he said. "The weather was very
similar to my last crossing of the Indian Ocean: I departed Cape Town
on a beautiful day and got nailed immediately in a storm on the
Agulhas Bank," he mused. LONE STAR's batten pockets were ripped in
the first-night gale, and the genoa furling drum developed a bad
wrap. Schrader watched in frustration as he headed in 45 knots of
wind toward the Falkland Islands. "The rest of the fleet was heading
southeast, and there I was, southwest of Cape Town. It was
miserable."
Once the breeze picked up and Schrader had corrected his problems,
the heavy-air boat moved along at a good clip, producing numerous
200-mile per day runs. Schrader also took advantage of a high
pressure system he saw coming and headed south. "The others (JOSEPH
YOUNG and AMERICAN FLAG) didn't. They got stuck but I kept moving;
that's how I got ahead of both of them." Schrader said the worst
weather of the trip was the severe storm he encountered a few days
before heading into the Bass Strait, which was "everything I thought
it would be...and worse."
During that gale, LONE STAR partially gybed, causing the yankee pole
and hardware to rip throughthe mainsail, shredding Schrader's only
main. In addition, the entire cockpit was filled with water up to
the boom several times. "A bit unnerving," said Schrader. But, he
said, he had very little repair work to do in port other than his
mainsail, and that his trip was enjoyable.
"I sailed harder on this leg than I've ever sailed before," said the
likeable American, "and yet I think I only steered a total of six
hours the entire trip until I got to King Island. I was at the wheel
from there to the finish -- I got two hours of sleep in five days --
but prior to that, I read alot of books. There's no sense in
steering if your autopilot does a better job of it than you," he
laughed.
Hal Roth/AMERICAN FLAG Arrival: 24 December, 09:43.25 Local
Leg II Elapsed Time: 38 D, 09 H, 43 M, 25 S Class II - 5th
Total Elapsed Time: 90 D, 21 H, 56 M, 42 S Class II - 5th
Barely forty minutes after the arrival of LONE STAR, American Hal
Roth guided his 50-foot AMERICAN FLAG over the finish line after what
he called "technically, a tough leg. The problem is not the wind as
much as the seas; I saw waves 10 meters high. And they were long;
maybe 10 seconds betweens crests."
After being plagued with rigging problems on the first leg, Roth had
a relatively uneventful crossing. "My new roller-furling headstay
worked quite well, and I've got the boat going pretty well now; I'm
learning how to get more out of her. This last leg, we moved along
very nicely."
Roth kept up quite a rivalry with his fellow Class II boats, and was
gaining on most of them towards the end of the leg. But he did
admit, "I've got my hands full when sailing a 50-footer in the
Southern Ocean. The difficulty of this race is that it is truly
competitive; the guys push their boats pretty hard. But you must
pace yourself; you walk a fine line when you are pushing hard and
exhausted," he advised.
Roth described the Southern Ocean as "...a wild and lovely place;
almost totally alone. I saw a few whales and sea birds, and once or
twice a fishing boat. It was amazing."
Aside from re-cutting his mainsail and removing the battens -- "to
lessen handling difficulties" -- Roth has only minor maintenance and
repair in readying for Leg III. "The boat is, thankfully, in pretty
good shape," said Roth, who is seeking desperately needed funds to
continue the race. "We're still pushing on, but I'm about at the end
of the line," he lamented. "But," he continued, "we have a very
special group of people here. We all keep each other going when it
gets rough, and it's great to be here with them in Sydney."
Richard Konkolski/DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE Arrival: 24 December,
10:42.00 Local
Leg II Elapsed Time: 38 D, 10 H, 42 M, 00 S Class II - 6th
Total Elapsed Time: 89 D, 22 H, 16 M, 15 S Class II - 4th
Richard Konkolski, whose 44-footer is no stranger to the treacherous
waters of the "Roaring Forties," said the leg was quite similar to
his 1982-83 BOC crossing. And, while he had his share of problems en
route to Sydney, Konkolski said he was
quite happy with his position
(currently fourth in Class).
"The first night, I tore my number one genoa, and I couldn't take it
down in the 55-knot wind. So I headed for shore, hoping to put up my
spare number one. I discovered, much to my chagrin, that my
well-meaning friends in Newport had put my number one in a different
bag --which was now on a container to Sydney -- and that I had the
number four there!"
"It was my fault," he continued, " I should have doubled checked.
So, I decided to repair the number one. I had bought an expensive --
and heavy -- sewing machine for sail repair, but when I took it out
to use it, I discovered that my friend had used almost all the
thread! I used what was left, then hand-sewed," he said, smiling,
but shaking his head.
The rest of the trip was fast for the native Czech, the only
competitor who chose to go south of Tasmania to take in all five
southernmost Capes. "I had not done that in my two previous
circumnavigations, and most people do not do it, so I thought I
would," he stated. He had enormous waves, but light winds, rounding
Cape Pilar.
DECLARATION had an impressive 19-day-run of more than 200 miles per
day. "I kept close to the Kerguelen Islands, but stayed north until
I got past them, then headed south," he explained. He was not exempt
from the double front which battered his fellow competitors, however,
recounting several knockdowns and one go-round with a wave which tore
the mainsail track from the mast, shearing off 20 1/2-inch bolts, and
breaking his spinnaker pole. The pole then tore his mainsail, and he
broke several of his lower shrouds.
Konkolski's most fascinating experience on this leg was the rainbow
he saw at night, caused by the moon and a rain cloud. "There were no
colors like a normal rainbow," he explained, "but just different
intensities of white. The inside ring was bright white,and the
outside was dark grey. It was magnificent."
Pentti Salmi/COLT BY RETTIG Arrival: 25 December, 18:27.32 Local
Leg II Elapsed Time: 39 D, 18 H, 27 M, 32 S Class II - 7th
Total Elapsed Time: 93 D, 13 H, 22 M, 54 S Class II - 7th
A competitor who seems to have had more than his share of problems,
Pentti Salmi struggled into Sydney on Christmas Day with no engine,
electricity or instrumentation, damaged lower shrouds and upper mast,
and only partially operational autopilots.
"I thought I would never make it," said a dejected and frustrated
Salmi. "I really thought after the last leg that my bad luck was
over, but it was far from over." The first night out of Cape Town,
all of Salmi's autopilots malfunctioned. Salmi held north until he
could fix them some five days later. The second week for him was
"delightful sailing," with Salmi setting new records for the boat each
day. His best 24-hour-run was 225 miles.
The enjoyment stopped there, however, when Salmi's water-driven
generator, which had given him much trouble on the first leg, packed
up. He replaced it with a second, but that also failed after only one
day. "I thought, 'I have more than 5,000 miles to go; it's going to
be a long haul.' Then the rig started to go, and that's when I got
very angry, very depressed." Three of COLT's four lower shrouds had
broken, and further examination revealed damage to the upper part of
the mast as well. "I could manage with the broken autopilots, and the
engine, but when the rigging started going, it became a hopeless case.
From then on, we had very little sail up."
Salmi was the only competitor to spot an iceberg, at 45 degrees south,
two weeks into the leg. "At first, I thought it was a strange-looking
cloud. Then when I realized what it was, I was scared because I
thought, 'If I've seen one, how many more are there that I can't see'"
Salmi thought the weather he encountered "wasn't that bad; some very
strong gales, but manageable." The Bass Strait, however, was a
different story. "We had all hoped things would calm down once we got
to the Strait so we could fix things, but it just got worse."
Now running seventh in Class II, Salmi is philosophical, but still
hopeful, about the second half of the Race. "I've been unlucky with
problems, but am lucky to have made it this far. My hopes at the
beginning of the Race have diminished and I must be realistic. I am
looking forward to rounding Cape Horn and just completing the voyage."
John Hughes/JOSEPH YOUNG Arrival: 25 December, 23:49.40 Local
Leg II Elapsed Time: 39 D, 23 H, 49 M, 40 S Class II - 8th
Total Elapsed Time: 95 D, 00 H, 13 M, 32 S Class II - 8th
For the youngest competitor in the Race, Leg II was "...a bit better
than I had expected." John Hughes, sailing the 41.2-foot JOSEPH
YOUNG, had what he described as "a relatively good trip." After
turning back into Cape Town the first night with rigging problems, the
26-year-old Canadian enjoyed favorable light winds which helped him
catch back up with several of his Class II competitors.
"There were really only two nights I was worried," he said upon
arrival into Sydney. "The first was the night Pentti (Salmi) spotted
the iceberg. He had only given a rough estimate of its location, and
my satellite navigation hadn't been working for a while...but my dead
reckoning put me only five or six miles from the position Pentti had
given.
"It was night time and it was so foggy I could barely see the bow of
the boat. I was surfing down waves at 15 knots into a wall of fog.
It was pretty unnerving, waiting for a wall of ice to emerge from the
fog. There was nothing I could do anyway; I wouldn't have seen the
iceberg until I hit it. Needless to say, I didn't step away from the
wheel the whole night."
Hughes never did see the iceberg, and the remainder of his trip was
spent "just trying to get the most out of the boat. At one point, I
spent 36 hours just steering. But you must be rational about it.
Otherwise, you will eventually end up doing a worse job of steering
the boat than your autopilot if you are too tired."
Hughes used his mainsail and a poled-out headsail for most of the
trip, and only once became so weary that he doesn't remember exactly
what took place on board. "It was during the Bass Strait -- boy, that
was terrible -- and I had had one hour of sleep in five days. I knew
if I went to sleep, I'd be gone for 12 hours, so I was fighting it and
working the boat like crazy: sail changes, tacking, gybing...I can't
remember anything for a six-hour period. When I phased back in, I was
sitting on my lifelines.
"I had taken off my harness and all of my clothes except my shorts. I
was just sitting there, on the lines, in my shorts! I jumped back on
the boat and thought, 'What am I doing!' I honestly couldn't
remember."
Hughes, now in eighth place among Class II boats, has few repairs
before setting out on Leg III, and is looking forward to the 8,400
miles of the Southern Ocean and South Atlantic between Sydney and Rio.
"It's skill, luck, preparation and timing," he said. "A very finely
balanced combination of each."
Bertie Reed/STABILO BOSS Arrival: 26 December, 18:09.43 Local
Leg II Elapsed Time: 40 D, 18 H, 09 M, 43 S Class I - 9th
Total Elapsed Time: 91 D, 11 H, 49 M, 31 S Class I - 9th
Only hours after the massive fleet of 126 yachts in the annual
Sydney-Hobart yacht race left Sydney Heads on Boxing Day, Bertie Reed,
sailing STABILO BOSS, became the 17th BOC yachtsman to arrive in port.
A veteran of the first BOC Challenge in 1982-83 who finished second
overall behind Philippe Jeantot, the 42-year-old Reed arrived weary
after his 40-day sail across the Southern Ocean. Reed had a difficult
voyage, plagued by diesel problems and illness. He spent two days in
port in Albany, Western Australia, enroute from Cape Town, suffering
from diesel poisoning -- a result of an infected wrist wound suffered
while Reed was attempting to repair his failed engine.
Reed said that his 60-foot yacht, the former Whitbred 'Round-the-World
racer Disque d'Or, has also proved a handful in the difficult Southern
Ocean conditions. "The conditions were more difficult this time. The
waves weren't as big as they were four years ago, but the cross seas
made it much more difficult to control the boat.
"They would come from the northwest and then swing around to the
southwest...the seas just came from everywhere," he said. Reed, who
has been beset with difficulties on both legs of the race, now lies
ninth in Class I.
NEW YEAR FOR THE BOC FLEET
As the BOC racers celebrate the New Year in Sydney under a blaze of
traditional New Year's Eve fireworks on the Harbour, the 18th and
final remaining competitor in the Race continues to battle on towards
the finish line.
At 61-years-old, Harry Mitchell, skipper of DOUBLE CROSS, is the
oldest competitor in the Race. On New Year's eve, he still had more
than 600 miles to go. The determined, but tired, Brit has entered the
Bass Strait, but is virtually becalmed due to an intense high pressure
system moving east through the region. Mitchell, who appears to have
broken several ribs in a fall four weeks ago, continues to be in good
spirits and is expected to reach port towards the end of the first
week of January.
INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE
Journalists wishing to arrange interviews with BOC Challenge
competitors are encouraged to contact the Sydney or Newport offices to
make arrangements.
|
| 395.33 | PRESS RELEASE WEEK 18 | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Mon Jan 12 1987 10:14 | 134 |
|
THE BOC CHALLENGE
RACE UPDATE # 18
FINAL SOLO SAILOR NEARS SYDNEY; FLEET
CONTINUES REPAIRS, PREPARATIONS FOR LEG III
As the rest of his fellow competitors ready themselves for the
gruelling 8,300 miles of Leg III, from Sydney to Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil, Englishman Harry Mitchell on DOUBLE CROSS is still
battling to finish Leg II of this 27,000-mile 'round-the-world
voyage.
As of January 8, Mitchell was still 107 miles from the finish
line, having struggled against strong headwinds in the Bass Strait
and again once he turned the southeast corner of Australia to head
up the coast to Sydney. "Diabolical, absolutely rotten weather"
confronted Mitchell at every turn, including thunderstorms,
lightning, heavy seas and forty-knot headwinds, keeping the
well-liked Brit's progress towards the finish line during the past
week down to a mere 305 miles.
The severe weather and lack of progress towards port have not
dampened Mitchell's spirits much, however, according to reports
received twice daily from the radio operators who are keeping in
touch with him. Mitchell, well-known among his fellow competitors
for his good humor, is continuing along in high spirits, and says
he is looking forward to meeting his wife, who is awaiting his
arrival in Sydney.
Given Mitchell's current rate of progress towards port, BOC
Challenge officials expect him to cross the finish line sometime
during the weekend. His 41-foot boat, a former Admiral's Cup
winner, appears to be in relatively good shape after enduring the
rigors of the second leg.
Mitchell's competitors, in the meantime, are busy preparing
themselves and their boats for the January 18 start date of Leg
III. All boats are currently undergoing intense scrutiny by their
skippers and support teams, with sails, deck hardware, hull
structure and rigging being closely examined for signs of weakness
or fatigue. The competitors now know, from their initial trek
through the Southern Ocean on Leg II, just how hard the conditions
found in the infamous "Roaring Forties" and "Screaming Fifties"
can be on their vessels. They also have to be aware that Leg III
will take them as far from land as one can get on this Earth.
During the next leg, the fleet will be at one point equidistant
from Cape Horn, Antarctica and the southern tip of New Zealand's
South Island.
One competitor with an extensive amount of structural work to do
is the current leader on total elapsed time, Philippe Jeantot.
Jeantot made the grim discovery upon finishing second in Sydney,
the half-way point of this race, that three of the eight bolts
holding the lead ballast to CREDIT AGRICOLE III had sheared. The
problem had manifested itself during the heavy weather Jeantot had
encountered in the Bass Strait as he tried to overtake Titouan
Lamazou's ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE.
Pumping 400 liters of sea water each hour, Jeantot continued to
push his damaged boat for the finish, almost overtaking the
becalmed Lamazou. Losing the keel off the 60-foot Ribadeau Dumas
design would have been disastrous for Jeantot, winner of the
1982-83 BOC Challenge. Had the lead portion of the keel fallen
off, it is one-half the boat's weight, the yacht would have
capsized and put Jeantot's life at risk.
CREDIT AGRICOLE III had experienced some difficulties with the
keel in the first leg, but Jeantot thought that the problems had
been solved in Cape Town. Now the hull/keel joint is being
re-welded to seal the leaks, and, most importantly, the internal
structure of the keel is being beefed-up. Those reinforcements
should allow the keel bolts to withstand twice the strain they
could before.
The other competitor effecting major repairs is Warren Luhrs, the
Class I American entrant whose THURSDAY'S CHILD was dismasted
within one day's sail of Sydney, just 185 miles from the finish.
Luhrs' support team has managed to repair the mast, which snapped
at the second spreader while falling down, by affixing internal
sleeves and external straps to the innovative spar. They will
begin sailing the boat shortly to test the new rig.
Virtually all of the BOC competitors have sail, generator and
autopilot repairs to effect in the next few days, and some are
giving minor repairs and general maintenance as their "work
priorities" in preparing for Leg III. Most of the racers,
however, have stressed the need to rest up themselves for the
physical and mental demands which will be forced during the next
weeks.
Before 18 January, all competitors will gather together on three
occasions. The first will be to pay tribute to Jacques de Roux,
their highly regarded and well-liked colleague who was lost at sea
December 18. Final preparations have been made for a private
memorial service on Friday, January 9, at the Navy Chapel in
Watson's Bay, overlooking Sydney Harbour.
The service will be attended by de Roux's fellow competitors,
family and friends, as well as representatives from the French
Counsulate and French Navy, in which de Roux served for many
years.
On a happier note, the BOC Competitors will gather together on the
night of Sunday, January 11, for the Leg II Prize Giving. The
festive ceremony, which will be held on the waterfront, will
include fireworks and dancing to a Brazilian band, which is meant
to turn the sailor's thoughts towards Rio de Janeiro.
The final gathering for the 18-strong sailors will be at the
Skippers' Briefing for Leg III, which will be held on Thursday,
January 15, at Birkenhead Point. Starting line procedures,
communications and a long-range weather forecast will be among the
topics discussed.
Race Start: Leg III
The third leg of the BOC Challenge will begin at 1500 (Sydney
time) on Sunday, January 18. The starting line for the 8,300-mile
voyage will be between the North and South Heads of Sydney
Harbour. All the BOC boats will be towed from their berths at
Birkenhead Point, the marina and shopping complex which has hosted
the fleet, to the starting area, beginning at 12:00 noon.
First finishers are expected to pass Cape Horn mid-February and
reach Rio during the last few days of February, 1987.
[23;1H[JEnter choice !
|
| 395.34 | Race Update #19 | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Mon Jan 19 1987 09:45 | 237 |
| I have finally started receiving the press releases electronically.
From now on the spelling errors and typos are not of my doing...
Frank
CONTACT: Tony Lush/Kathy Giblin
BOC Race Headquarters
Newport, Rhode Island
The BOC Challenge 1986-87
Race Update # 19
SYDNEY WELCOMES FINAL SAILOR, MITCHELL, INTO THE FOLD;
SAILORS FETED AT PRIZEGIVING
Crowing "you don't know how wonderful you all look" to his wecolming
party, a weary, but ecstatic, Harry Mitchell sailed his DOUBLE CROSS
across the finish line in Sydney Harbor at 03:56.21 local (16:56.21
GMT) on 10 January to become the 18th and final competitor to reach
the halfway point in this 27,000-mile 'round-the-world yacht race.
The 62-year-old Englishman, one of the most popular skippers in the
fleet, was warmly greeted by several of his Class II competitors who
had kept an all-night vigil awaiting Mitchell's arrival. His total
elapsed time for the 6,900-mile leg from Cape Town was 55 D, 03 H,
56 M, 21 S, some three weeks behind Class II leader Mike Plant on
AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR. (It should be pointed out that the average for
Leg II in the 1982-83 BOC Challenge was 50 days. The fleet is much
faster than last race.)
Mitchell's total elapsed time for Legs I and II is 121 D, 11 H, 42
M, 52 S, a notable 50 days behind current Race leader Philippe
Jeantot. But the ebullient Mitchell, sailing one of the smallest
boats in the fleet, was, quite simply, "just happy to be here."
Raising his bottle of champagne, he exclaimed, "Cheers, folks, and
here's to whatever is to come, because, by God, it can't be any
worse than that!"
Mitchell was, of course, referring to his trek across the Indian
Ocean, during which he encountered "...perfectly horrible
conditions. Before I left (Cape Town)," he recounted, "I had a
feeling that this would be a tough leg for me. But never did I
suspect... There wasn't one day when something didn't go wrong
somewhere. Yes, it was as bad as I feared it would be!" When asked
what he enjoyed most about the voyage, he quickly replied,
"Nothing...absolutely nothing!"
He said his worst days were those spent battling headwinds and bad
weather between King Island and Gabo Island. He also had problems
with his mainsail, which split at a seam on one occasion, came
crashing down when a shackle broke on another, and was damaged when
half the slides broke away from the mainsail track on a third.
Mitchell managed to effect all of the repairs amidst a severe
tropical depression, which brought heavy thunder and lightning and
40-knot winds down upon the 41-foot DOUBLE CROSS. "I had only a
foresail up, so I couldn't sail close to the wind," he explained.
"The headwinds were driving me south and there was nothing I could
do without the main. It was incredibly frustrating, going from 38
to 40 degrees south," he lamented.
Mitchell also described his days spent in the Great Australian Bight
as "some of the worst; very dull, overcast and cold...very
depressing."
He appeared to be in good physical health, however, having recovered
from the injuries he received on two separate occasions in early
December. Mitchell was tossed down in his cabin when the boat
suddenly pitched, and broke his ribs. "I lay on the cabin floor for
one hour, gasping for breath," he said. "I thought I had burst my
lungs."
Three days later, just after taking the ARGOS report over the radio,
Mitchell apparently passed out and struck his head on something; he
has no recollection of what he hit, or what happened during the next
several hours. When he came to, he was sitting on his bunk, covered
with blood from a cut on his nose and eye. "I was a horrible sight!
It was quite frightening. I lost a half-day there...I don't know
what happened, and anything could have happened during that time,"
he said, shaking his head.
Mitchell was given medical advice via radio from a South African
physician, and was feeling much better one week later. "The cut
over my eye wasn't painful, but the ribs were excrutiating," he
grimaced. He credits his speedy recovery to a hot water bottle
which he placed on his chest at night. "I said to the boys, 'You
don't need a woman; just get a hot water bottle. It's lovely and
warm...just delightful," he joked.
Mitchell's best days on the former Admiral's Cup winner were his
first few out of Cape Town, when he clocked 180- and 190-mile daily
runs. "I was actually ahead of some of the others for a while, but
it didn't last long," he said. "My boat needs 10 strong men all
sitting up on the weather side. Then I could put up some canvas,
and I bet you it would fly by a lot of these boats! But
singlehanded and without water ballast, it is difficult. If I put
up too much sail, I heel over much too far, and then I have to
reduce the sail area to reduce the heeling. So it reduces my speed.
Pretty frustrating," he mused.
DOUBLE CROSS is in relatively good shape after her long trip, with
only a baby stay, halyard and wind generator to be replaced before
the 18 January re-start date. Mitchell's sails, however, need quite
a bit of work. "But all in all, we got through everything quite
well, and we'll be ready," he said. He has received plenty of help
from his fellow competitors and British friends, and is confident he
will be on the starting line with the others on January 18, in spite
of having only eight days in port to prepare for the longest and
coldest leg of the Race.
"I am approaching it apprehensively, cautiously," Mitchell
explained. "I will be quite happy just to finish; it's just as much
an achievement for me. I should have done this 30 years ago, like
Titouan (Lamazou, the 31-year-old Leg II winner). There's no fool
like an old fool!"
Reflecting one of the reasons he is so well-like by his fellow
competitors, Mitchell said, without hesitation, when asked what he
missed most during the voyage: "People...just people, whether good,
bad or indifferent. I mean, this race is about people, isn't it?
That's the reason we're all here right now."
Mitchell had little more than 24 hours in port before he, and his 17
fellow skippers, were the guests of honor at a gala prizegiving,
held on Sunday, 11 January and hosted by CIG, the Australian
subsidiary of The BOC Group, race sponsor. More than 350 people
attended the awards ceremony overlooking Sydney Harbor and the Opera
House. They were treated to a multi-image videoshow of the
competitors and their boats, a waterfront fireworks display, dinner
and dancing to a Brazilian band to "get us ready for Rio and
Carnival," one skipper joked.
Highlighting the prizegiving was the presentation of line honors
trophies to American Mike Plant (AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR, Class II) and
Frenchman Titouan Lamazou (ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE, Class I). Each
credited his hard-working support team for his success, with Plant
pointing to his mother and girlfriend as his source of help in
Sydney. "A bit different from the way the French do it," he kidded,
comparing his assistance to that of Lamazou's, which includes the
boat's three designers and several friends who are yachting
professionals.
Earning second and third place in Class I, respectively, were
Philippe Jeantot (CREDIT AGRICOLE III) and Jean-Yves Terlain
(UAP-POUR MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES). Second place honors in Class
II went to Harry Harkimo (BELMONT FINLAND) and third place to
Jean-Luc van den Heede (LET'S GO). Winning Leg II on handicap were
Lamazou (Class I) and van den Heede (LET'S GO, Class II), who earned
the award on Leg I as well. In addition, each competitor received
plaques from BOC and the Short-handed Sailing Association of
Australia.
Final preparations, including provisioning and sail-testing, are
underway as the 18 January re-start date rapidly approaches. All 18
skippers will set sail for Rio de Janeiro, more than 8,300 miles
from Sydney, at 3:00 p.m. local to mark the beginning of Leg III.
Leg III Strategy
Weather information plays the critical role once again during Leg
III, as the fleet sails farther and farther south on their way past
Cape Horn. Already the racers are studying the weather patterns
daily, seeking some rhythm in the movements of depressions over the
Southern Ocean.
It is Summer now, and it will be high Summer when the fleet attempts
to sneak past Cape Horn. In contrast, the BOC racers were sailing
to Sydney in Spring. The fleet had expected the normal boisterous
Spring weather to provide them strong following winds anywhere south
of Latitude 42 S, with the depressions that produce the desired
winds traversing the ocean at about 50-55 degrees South. Since it
is very important to stay above the depressions to avoid gale-force
headwinds, the sailors would have kept their yachts north of
Latitude 50 S. But a high pressure zone filled with light winds
forced the the fleet leaders to go as far south as 54 degrees to get
the desired winds.
This saved them a few hundred miles of distance, being closer to the
Great Circle course, but put them deeper into iceberg country and
opened the opportunity for a depression to pass above them. The
risk was worth it, though, as Lamazou, Jeantot and Terlain were able
to dip back to the north before a depression could strike them from
the wrong side. They took the Leg handily from those sailing a more
conservative course.
Now we must see if the BOC racers are willing to take similar risks
on Leg III. Such a strategy will be harder to achieve as Cape Horn
lies at 56 degrees South, so the short Great Circle course goes even
farther south to 73 degrees. Pack ice extends as far north as 67
degrees and the limit of icebergs is 50 degrees. Thus the Great
Circle is out of the question.
The mariner's bible, Ocean Passages for the World, recommends
traveling at about 51 degrees South until close to the Horn, with
the alternative of sailing the colder route at about 55 South. That
alternative bears with it more cold weather, greater risk of
icebergs and plenty of fog. Whitbread 'Round-the-World racers and
some BOC Challenge sailors have gone as far south as 60 degrees,
only to be confronted with gale-force headwinds that wiped out any
advantage to be gained from the shorter course. If the sailor has
good weather information, he might be tempted to try this, as was
done on Leg II. However, concrete weather information in a part of
the world that is devoid of ships and land is hard to come by.
Going south of 60 degrees is a chancey proposition, therefore, and
not likely to bear fruit, so it is a route that will likely be taken
only by someone who has fallen behind the leaders.
It is likely, then, that the BOC racers will try to stay on the
first part of the Great Circle on leaving Sydney, playing the
weather as they dive south to get into the strong westerly airflow
below 45 degrees South. Once clear of New Zealand, the fleet will
travel east at about 52 to 55 degrees unless another high pressure
area forces them south, as on Leg II.
Individual rivalries may play a large part, though. If one or two
of the competitors go farther south, the fleet leaders may feel
compelled to "cover" them -- just as in day-sailing -- to preserve
their lead. This leg, more than any other, brings to the fore the
conflicts between prudence and aggressive racing. The sailors will
have some hard decisions to make in the midst of the fog, icebergs
and wind.
Video Clips
Video clips showing the BOC Challenge racers arriving in Sydney and
featuring interviews with many of the sailors are now available.
Television stations desiring copies in NSTC format are asked to
contact the Newport BOC Challenge Headquarters. PAN format tapes
are available from the BOC Challenge office in Sydney.
13 January 1987
|
| 395.35 | Race Update #20 | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Fri Jan 30 1987 14:14 | 180 |
|
CONTACT: Tony Lush/Kathy Giblin
BOC Race Headquarters
Newport, Rhode Island
THE BOC CHALLENGE
RACE UPDATE # 20
SEVENTEEN GET FAST START FROM SYDNEY;
FIRST GALE HITS FLEET IN TASMAN SEA
The 8,300-mile third leg of the BOC Challenge is underway, with
seventeen yachts bound for Cape Horn and Rio de Janeiro. The fleet
took advantage of favorable winds to clear the land, and have
already faced their first gale of the leg.
Amidst more than 500 spectator craft under a sky full of
helicoptors, Australian Prime Minister Robert Hawke fired the
starting gun from the HMAS GEELONG at 3:00 p.m. (local) to send the
fleet on their way toward Rio de Janeiro in spectacular fashion.
Facing the 8,300 miles to come, the longest, and perhaps most
arduous, leg of the Race, the BOC fleet made a conservative start
under cloudy skies and a freshening 16-18 knot breeze from the
north-northeast.
Leading the pack out of Sydney Heads was Bertie Reed on STABILO
BOSS. Hot on the gregarious South African's stern was fellow
countryman and Leg I winner John Martin aboard TUNA MARINE. Only
Frenchman Jean-Luc Van Den Heede on LET'S GO dared fly his
spinnaker through the milling crowds of yachts and spectator craft
at the entrance to Sydney Harbour. The order of crossing for the
solo sailors was:
1) STABILO BOSS -- Bertie Reed/South Africa -- Class I
2) TUNA MARINE -- John Martin/South Africa -- Class I
3) UAP-PMSF -- Jean-Yves Terlain/France -- Class I
4) LET'S GO -- Jean-Luc Van Den Heede/France -- Class II
5) AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR -- Mike Plant/USA -- Class II
6) LONE STAR -- Mark Schrader/USA -- Class II
7) DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE -- Richard Konkolski/USA -- II
8) ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE -- Titouan Lamazou/France -- Class I
9) LEGEND SECURITIES -- David White/USA -- Class I
10) BELMONT FINLAND -- Harry Harkimo/Finland -- Class II
11) CREDIT AGRICOLE -- Philippe Jeantot/France -- Class I
12) COLT BY RETTIG -- Pentti Salmi/Finland -- Class II
13) BISCUITS LU -- Guy Bernardin/USA -- Class I
14) DOUBLE CROSS -- Harry Mitchell/England -- Class II
15) TRIPLE M/SPIRIT OF SYDNEY -- Ian Kiernan/Australia -- Class I
16) JOSEPH YOUNG -- John Hughes/Canada -- Class II
17) AMERICAN FLAG -- Hal Roth/USA -- Class II
The sailors will be without the company of American Warren Luhrs,
who withdrew his 60-foot THURSDAY'S CHILD from the race Saturday
morning. Thursday afternoon his yacht was dismasted in Sydney
Harbour while testing the newly repaired rig. On December 18,
within one day of Sydney, at the conclusion of Leg II, THURSDAY'S
CHILD had been originally dismasted. He was able to anchor
offshore, retrieved the mast, and finished Leg II under jury rig.
The mast had broken at the second spreader when it fell, apparently
after the forestay broke. The break was repaired, but the thin
spar has highly tensioned rigging. Other fittings near the top
spreader were overstressed in the first dismasting, and failed
during the test sail. The problem was not evident, despite a
thorough examination, until the boat was sailed. Luhrs announced
the withdrawal of his entry after it proved impossible to prepare a
new rig in time for the Sydney re-start. Luhrs departure from the
field leaves 17 yachts of the 25 which left Newport, Rhode Island,
August 30.
The seventeen managed a safe start despite the crowds and the late
arrival of the Starting Boat carrying the Prime Minister. Once
clear of the Heads, the racers took advantage of the fair breeze.
The fleet demonstrated superior speed as the lead boats quickly
exceeded ten knots on a broad reach, leaving the spectator fleet
far behind. Within fifteen minutes of the start, though, American
David White on LEGEND SECURITIES announced over VHF radio that he
was putting back into Sydney with autopilot problems.
The other racers enjoyed steadily improving winds. One hour after
the start, STABILO BOSS, on a southerly course, had a slight edge
over Jean-Yves Terlain's UAP-POUR MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES, on a
more easterly course. One mile astern of Reed and STABILO BOSS was
Guy Bernardin and BISCUITS LU, who had made up quickly for a slow
start. Bernardin was followed by TUNA MARINE, CREDIT AGRICOLE III,
and ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE. Not far behind Lamazou, winner of Leg
II, was American Mike Plant, whose AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR was leading
Class II. Frenchman Jean-Luc Van Den Heede on LET'S GO, who won
the handicap trophy for the two previous legs, maintained second in
Class II.
Six hours into the leg only two boats were doing less than ten
knots, with TUNA MARINE on a more southerly course making better
than 15 knots. CREDIT AGRICOLE III, UAP-PMSF and ECUREUIL
D'AQUITAINE were all doing better than 14 knots on a more easterly
heading. LET'S GO was also off to a fine start, making nearly 14
knots and taking the lead in Class II from AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR, who
was on a more easterly heading.
While the fleet clocked off the miles, David White returned his
56-foot LEGEND SECURITIES to Sydney. Upon tying back up at
Birkenhead Point Marina, home for the BOC fleet during the past few
weeks, White explained that, when he went forward to hoist his
large jib shortly after the start, his red sloop started to tack
while under autopilot. White went back to the cockpit, reset the
course, and returned to the mast, only to find the boat once again
veering off course.
White then attempted to set up a secondary pilot, but its engaging
lever snapped. Knowing that the manufacturer's representatives
were still in Sydney, White decided to head back to Sydney. "It
was the smart thing to do," White said later. "I had spares for
the 6000 (primary unit), but not the 3000 (backup), and knew the
people were here to repair the problems quickly. I had two
self-steering units go down in five minutes, so I thought, 'I'm not
in contention for first place anyway, so it's smarter to be safe
and go back in to check the whole thing over.'"
A loose wire had caused the problem in the primary unit, and a
spare engagement lever was available for the secondary. White
departed Sydney again Monday morning, having missed the fine
afternoon winds that had sent the fleet on their way. But he also
missed the first gale of the leg, 50 knot headwinds which struck
the fleet Sunday night.
This gale seems to have caused no significant damage, unlike that
which marked the first night of Leg II. The manner in which the
sailors handled the gale does provide us with the first hints about
their overall strategies for the leg.
All must sail 1,100 miles southeast to clear the south end of New
Zealand -- almost 48 degrees South -- before they can start running
in the strong westerly winds for Cape Horn. After the gale hit,
John Martin on TUNA MARINE was the farthest south, with UAP-PMSF
and ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE abeam to port farther north and east.
BISCUITS LU and CREDIT AGRICOLE were even more north and east of
Martin, Bernardin having made the most easting in the fleet. It
seems that Martin plans to go south as fast as possible, in hopes
of reaching the strong westerlies first. We cannot yet tell how
far south he, or any of the fleet, plan to go.
Since this is a very long leg, going largely east and west, the
great circle course cannot be followed by the sailors. The great
circle is the shortest distance between two points on the Earth's
surface, but in this case it leads through pack ice on the
Antarctic shore. But, since it is the measure for distances on
earth, the ARGOS position reports you will receive will initially
be biased in favor of the boats farther south. Thus TUNA MARINE is
shown to be in the lead after one day, even though BISCUITS LU is
more to the east. After the leaders have made the first 3,000
miles, the ARGOS position reports will be more indicative of true
placings.
The sailors' real strategies for the portion of this leg to Cape
Horn will not really be clear until they pass south of New Zealand.
Then we will see at which latitude they intend to make their
easting. Icebergs cover the path between New Zealand and the Horn,
so all of the fleet expects to see them. But the shorter courses
farther south have more ice and fog plus the risk of getting on the
wrong side of the eastward-marching depressions. The next weeks
will be very interesting as these strategies develop.
The record for this leg was set by Philippe Jeantot on CREDIT
AGRICOLE I. In the 1982-83 BOC Challenge he took almost 48 days to
sail the course. Since seven days were taken off his record for
the second leg, Jeantot, who leads the fleet after two legs, and
his compatriots expect that they will arrive in Rio in about 40-42
days. This means that they expect to pass Cape Horn, weather
permitting, the third week of February.
Once in Rio de Janeiro, the racers will have a chance to make
repairs and rest before the April 11 start of the final leg.
19 January
|
| 395.36 | BOC BLUE RIBAND TAKING SHAPE | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Mon Feb 02 1987 09:59 | 48 |
|
BLUE CHIP ENTRY LIST FOR BOC BLUE RIBAND TRANS-ATLANTIC RACE
MONTVALE, N.J., Jan. 14 -- Philippe Jeantot and his 60-foot monohull
Credit Agricole III, current overall leader in The BOC Challenge single-
handed 'round-the-world race at the half-way mark in Australia, will be
among the competitors in this year's BOC Blue Riband Trans-Atlantic
Race. John Martin who won the first leg of The BOC Challenge from
Newport, Rhode Island to Cape Town aboard Voortrekker-Tuna Marine, and
Titouan Lamazou who won the second leg to Sydney in Ecureuil d'Aquitaine
have also entered. They will be among a dozen or so yachts attempting
to break the 1905 monohull record for a crossing from Sandy Hook, which
marks the outer limits of New York Harbor, to Lizard Point in South West
England.
The race will start from Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club near New York
on June 4, and end at Plymouth, England.
The BOC Group announced today that it would put up a trophy and a
$10,000 cash prize for the first boat in the race to break the record of
12 days, 4 hours, 1 minute, 17 seconds. The Group's principal British
company, BOC Limited, will award a purse of sovereigns to the first boat
to cross the finish line in Plymouth Sound in both classes (40-50 feet
and 50-60 feet). The City of Plymouth, in addition to hosting the boats
at Queen Anne's Battery, will also award prizes for both classes.
The BOC Group also announced today that the race would be limited to
yachts entered in the current BOC Challenge. The same rules concerning
safety, water-tight bulkheads and water-ballast systems will apply.
However, there will be no restrictions on sponsor identification on
sails and hulls, and up to seven crew will be permitted on each yacht.
There will be a compulsory feeder "sprint" race from Newport to
Atlantic Highlands, starting June 1. A purse of silver dollars will be
awarded to the first boat in each class to cross the finish line. The
town of Atlantic Highlands, NJ, celebrating its bicentennial this year,
will also award prizes and host the yachts in port.
For further information please contact:
The BOC Challenge Race Headquarters, Newport R.I., Tel.: (401) 841-5110
or Nigel Rowe, The BOC Group, Windlesham, England, Tel.: 0276-77222 or
Patricia Secrist, The BOC Group, Montvale, N.J., Tel.: (201) 573-0800
|
| 395.37 | UPDATE #21 | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Mon Feb 02 1987 10:00 | 240 |
| CONTACT: Tony Lush/Kathy Giblin
BOC Challenge Headquarters
Newport, Rhode Island
THE BOC CHALLENGE
RACE UPDATE # 21
CLOSE RACING MARKS WEEK;
BOATS OFTEN WITHIN SIGHT OF EACH OTHER
Nine days into Leg III, the three fleet leaders are battling hour
by hour for position, occasionally within sight of each other,
while some Class II boats have found that New Zealand has proven to
be an obstacle in the course.
South African John Martin held the lead from the first day until he
rounded the southern end of New Zealand, when TUNA MARINE lost a
running backstay. Forced to slow down, Martin was quickly passed
by Jean-Yves Terlain's UAP-POUR MEDECINE SANS FRONTIERES and
Titouan Lamazou's ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE. The two Frenchmen were
shortly joined by compatriot Philippe Jeantot on CREDIT AGRICOLE
III, who leads the fleet on total elapsed time after two legs.
Martin reported to his wife Lynn that a running backstay broke
where it attached to the mast. He has gone up the mast a number of
times in heavy seas trying to effect a repair, without success thus
far. A running backstay provides additional support to the mast
when the wind comes from the side or from behind the boat -- the
mainsail provides support when going against the wind. TUNA MARINE
has a set for each side of the boat, attached to the mast in two
places and to the deck at the stern. Having lost one set, Martin
must be very careful going downwind one-half of the time, which
will prove to be a real concern in the Southern Ocean.
Weather information has proven to be critical thus far. Terlain,
Lamazou and Jeantot have taken the same strategy as on Leg II when
faced with a high pressure area in their path -- they have sailed
farther south than originally planned. And gained a lead in the
process. The three Frenchmen had been sailing at about 50 degrees
South when, in what looked like a choreographed movement, they took
a dog-leg farther south to avoid predicted light winds. Their move
paid off. They did have to endure some light airs, but not the
frustrating conditions which struck John Martin, Guy Bernardin on
BISCUITS LU and Ian Kiernan on TRIPLE M/SPIRIT OF SYDNEY.
Before the high struck, the lead five boats had been sailing
line-abreast making their easting for Cape Horn, with TUNA MARINE
farthest south, ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE eleven miles north, UAP-PMSF
another 15 miles north, BISCUITS LU fifty miles north of Martin,
and CREDIT AGRICOLE III five miles north of Bernardin. UAP-PMSF,
ECUREUIL and CREDIT made their move south in time to avoid the
worst of the high, though they did lose some speed. They soon
entered into some close boat-for-boat racing, close enough for
"photo opportunities" as the boats passed and re-passed within
sight of each other.
Terlain found the conditions particularly to his liking. He had
replaced his old mainsail, which gave up the ghost early this leg
after major repairs in both Cape Town and Sydney. The new sail
proved superior in light airs as UAP-PMSF passed ECUREUIL. Terlain
was able to photograph Lamazou and report the event back to France
with his satellite telephone. Jeantot also kept pace despite
blowing out his genoa on Thursday, January 22.
At press time, TUNA MARINE was still holding off BISCUITS LU to the
north. Newly-naturalized American Guy Bernardin has reported sunny
skies and calms which have often reduced his speed below 2 knots.
Thus far his repaired roller-furling gear has not broken as it did
on the first two legs. But Bernardin has fallen to sixth place as
Australian Ian Kiernan is making greater progress in the track of
the three lead Frenchmen.
Kiernan told reporters in Sydney that he feels more like a mechanic
than a sailor. The head gasket on his generator is leaking and its
mounting brackets have broken in an earlier gale. South African
Betie Reed has also had to make repairs to STABILO BOSS. The
slides attaching the mainsail to the mast came adrift, forcing Reed
to make repairs on deck. At the same time he had to work below,
stemming a leak in the keel area. All of this in the cold, sloppy
conditions typical of the Tasman Sea. STABILO BOSS ended the week
in ninth position overall according to ARGOS reports, following in
Guy Bernardin's track.
Reed has made more easting, but has been passed on ARGOS reports by
two Class II boats farther south. American Mike Plant on AIRCO
DISTRIBUTOR has finally established a small lead over Frenchman
Jean-Luc Van Den Heede on the petite LET'S GO. It took Plant five
days to pass Van Den Heede, who had taken his smaller boat on a
more southerly course out of the Tasman. Part of Van Den Heede's
success appears to come from his course planning. His path,
plotted from day to day, shows a smooth curve with no wasted miles.
It seems that the mathematics teacher is applying his profession
to his sailing. Neither yacht has reported any difficulties thus
far.
The nine first boats in the fleet managed to clear New Zealand's
South Island before strong southerly headwinds struck the remainder
of the boats. At the start of the week John Hughes, the youngest
sailor in the fleet and sailing the smallest boat, had his JOSEPH
YOUNG up to third in Class II against longer and, theoretically,
faster boats. But his light, slim Scandinavian design could not go
against the wind as well as her competitors. The heavier boats
have more stability, which gives them more power against the wind,
and their weight and length help them punch into the seas.
During the week Hughes was passed first by BELMONT FINLAND, sailed
by the Finn Harry Harkimo, and then American Richard Konkolski's
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. As the group tacked south, LONE STAR
(American Mark Schrader) and COLT BY RETTIG (Finn Pentti Salmi)
also got past. A number of the yachts were forced close to the
western shore of South Island. In fact, Pentti Salmi saw the
fjords as he beat south. Hughes has still managed to keep ahead of
American David White on LEGEND SECURITIES, who has had a hard time
catching up after leaving Sydney 17 hours late because of autopilot
failures.
Faced with the same strong headwinds, and trailing much of the
fleet, American Hal Roth decided to take a different route from his
competition. AMERICAN FLAG is an ultra-light boat built in
California for down-wind sailing. She does not have the weight to
punch into heavy seas. Since he was on the same latitude as Cook
Strait, and recognizing his yacht's strong points, Roth bore off
from the southerly winds to head between North and South Islands.
With more favorable winds AMERICAN FLAG quickly made her easting
and by the end of the day January 27 was through the Strait despite
losing a spinnaker pole overboard. In fact, Roth, while his
position on the great circle course shows him to be back in the
fleet, now has only AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR in Class II farther east than
he. Roth's move seems to be very sensible, and, if the winds are
not too light east of New Zealand, it may be very much to his
advantage.
Inter-yacht and ship-to-shore communications are proving very
important to the sailors again this leg. When BELMONT FINLAND did
not reach Sydney with planned ship-to-shore radio calls, fellow
competitor Mark Schrader on LONE STAR was able to communicate with
Harry Harkimo through John Hughes (JOSEPH YOUNG) on different
frequencies. Harkimo was having problems with both his generator
and his radio. Schrader relayed that information to ham radio
operators in New Zealand following the fleet. This maritime
"safety net" then relayed the word that Harkimo was all right, reass
uring his friends back home in Finland.
Harry Mitchell on the British yacht DOUBLE CROSS also has reason to
appreciate his radio. His self-steering gear has broken and must
be welded back together. After discussions with other racers and
radio operators ashore, Mitchell has decided to sail for Dunedin,
on the extreme southeast coast of New Zealand, to effect repairs.
Once close to the port, Mitchell will be guided into harbor by
boaters with local knowledge. Coincidentally, Dunedin is the home
of Richard McBride, who sailed NEPTUNE'S EXPRESS in this race and
also competed on CITY OF DUNEDIN in the 1982-83 BOC Challenge.
Thanks to the radio nets, Mitchell anticipates leaving quickly
after repairing the self-steering and a torn sail.
Weather and Strategy
In the coming week we should see clearly how far south the
individual racers choose to sail while making their easting toward
Cape Horn. Thus far we can see that Guy Bernardin and Bertie Reed
have committed themselves to a course along Latitude 50 South, and
John Martin is not much below them, while Terlain, Lamazou and
Jeantot all seem willing to accept the risks that accompany a path
closer to the ice. The next week will tell us more about the plans
of the remainder of the fleet. We should also see if the high
pressure area, that has slowed some of the fleet, moves off to
permit the usual flow of depressions across the cold Southern
Ocean.
Rio de Janeiro
The mailing address in Rio de Janeiro is:
BOC CHALLENGE OFFICE 'VOLTA DO MUNDO'
DEPARTAMENTO DE VELA
IATE CLUBE DO RIO DE JANEIRO
AVENIDA PASTEUR 333
URCA 22.290
RIO DE JANEIRO
BRAZIL
Telephone: (021) 295.6445 -- Direct
(021) 295.4482 -- Switchboard. Ask for ext. 167.
The restart in Rio de Janeiro is April 11, and the first boats are
expected to arrive in Rio near the first of March.
01/29/87 2351 Hrs EST
B.O.C. CHALLENGE 1986 - 1987
LEG 3 SYDNEY - RIO DE JANEIRO
No 47
GENERAL PLACING
INTERPOLATED AT 1 30 00 H 10 M GMT
-C-N-E-S- SERVICE ARGOS 01-30-1987 AT 03:25 GMT
************************************************************************
No BOAT SKIPPER SAIL NUMBER CLASS
NATIONALITY DIST TO GO LAT * LONG. DATES
************************************************************************
1 UAP-MED. SANS FRONTIERES J.Y.TERLAIN 47072929 1
FRANCE 5013 57 50 S * 158 6 W 030/0150
2 CREDIT AGRICOLE III PH.JEANTOT 85 1
FRANCE 5020 57 40 S * 158 9 W 030/0152
3 ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE T.LAMAZOU 11 1
FRANCE 5036 57 23 S * 158 37 W 030/0151
4 TUNA MARINE J.MARTIN SA8 1
SO. AFRICA 5248 53 53 S * 161 27 W 030/0152
5 AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR 2 M.PLANT 5 2
U.S.A. 5310 56 18 S * 168 8 W 030/0146
6 TRIPLE M/SPIRIT OF SYDNEY I.KIERNAN 105 1
AUSTRALIA 5324 54 42 S * 166 0 W 030/0151
7 BISCUIT LU G.BERNARDIN 86 1
USA 5425 50 49 S * 163 26 W 030/0154
8 STABILO BOSS B.REED 100 1
SO.AFRICA 5466 52 60 S * 168 50 W 030/0152
9 LET'S GO 2 J.L.VAN DEN HEE F8 2
FRANCE 5571 52 56 S * 172 58 W 030/0147
10 BELMONT FINLAND 2 H.HARKIMO 25 2
FINLAND 5794 52 26 S * 178 16 E 030/0151
11 DECLARATION OF INDEP. 2 R.KONKOLSKI 17 2
U.S.A. 5805 52 7 S * 178 23 E 030/0151
12 LONE STAR 2 M.SCHRADER 47 2
U.S.A. 5874 51 34 S * 176 14 E 030/0147
13 COLT BY RETTIG 2 P.SALMI 140 2
FINLAND 5951 49 37 S * 175 56 E 029/2122
14 LEGEND SECURITIES D.WHITE 10 1
U.S.A. 5976 49 45 S * 174 29 E 029/2123
15 AMERICAN FLAG 2 H.ROTH 7 2
U.S.A. 5989 47 1 S * 178 44 W 030/0152
16 JOSEPH YOUNG 2 J.HUGHES 9 2
CANADA 6011 49 37 S * 174 25 E 030/0150
17 DOUBLE CROSS 2 H.MITCHELL K712 2
G.B. 6303 46 29 S * 167 38 E 029/2123
|
| 395.38 | race update #22 | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Sun Feb 22 1987 19:22 | 265 |
| CONTACT: Tony Lush/Kathy Giblin
BOC Challenge Headquarters
Newport, Rhode Island
THE BOC CHALLENGE
RACE UPDATE # 22
JEANTOT TAKES THE LEAD, BUT FACES HEADWINDS;
MITCHELL GOES AGROUND IN NEW ZEALAND
The BOC Challenge leaders continued to drive hard across the
Southern Ocean this week, with three French sailors exchanging the
lead from day to day. The Class II leader sighted an iceberg, and
Harry Mitchell, sailing DOUBLE CROSS, went aground in New Zealand.
The week started with Jean-Yves Terlain's UAP-POUR MEDECINS SANS
FRONTIERES holding a slight edge over second-place Titouan Lamazou,
aboard ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE, with Philippe Jeantot's CREDIT
AGRICOLE III close behind in third. The three exchanged places
several times as they settled into the latitudes at which they
chose to make their easting. As Lamazou leveled off at
approximately Latitude 57 S, slightly below the level of Cape Horn,
Jeantot passed him into second and started to doggedly apply
pressure to Terlain.
As Jeantot and Terlain continued further south, CREDIT AGRICOLE III
overtook UAP-PMSF, snatching the overall lead in the process. The
critical moment came when the fleet received radio weather
forecasts predicting a secondary low traveling at about 60o S.
When the reports first came through, Terlain and Jeantot were
sailing only 30 miles above the predicted center of the depression.
Terlain edged back north, losing some speed in the process, and
Jeantot grabbed the lead. It appears that the boats passed within
a mile of each other in the process.
Terlain quickly resumed his earlier path, but 50 miles behind
Jeantot. Both continued to sail more to the south, in the face of
the weather predictions. If they ended up south of the depression,
Jeantot and Terlain could face headwinds and lose their lead over
the rest of the fleet in the coming week. Since there are so few
stations reporting weather conditions in the Southern Ocean,
however, forecasts are notoriously unreliable. As a result, each
sailor must decide for himself the level of accuracy he can apply
to sketchily formulated predictions, and choose his strategy based
on that decision. This week, Terlain's course indicated his
uncertainty about the weather, while Jeantot continued to follow a
path similar to that which proved successful when he won this leg
in the 1982-83 BOC Challenge.
The rest of the fleet seems determined to stay at the latitudes
they think will bring ultimate success on the way to Cape Horn.
South African John Martin, sailing TUNA MARINE, has a firm hold on
fourth place, having levelled off at 55o S. American Mike Plant,
leading Class II, eased south to 57o, the same latitude as ECUREUIL
D'AQUITAINE, taking AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR into fifth place in the
process ahead of TRIPLE M/SPIRIT OF SYDNEY.
Plant also overtook a slow-moving iceberg, news of which must give
pause to the fleet. At 56o 40' S x 152o W, Plant passed just 100
feet south of the iceberg, which he reported was 300 feet tall and
one-half mile long. With heavy fog often reducing visibility, each
sailor has to keep his "eyes peeled" for the massive chunks of ice
which may be in the immediate vicinity.
Australian Ian Kiernan's TRIPLE M, in sixth place overall, is
making her easting at 55o, ahead of eighth place STABILO BOSS,
sailed by South African Bertie Reed, and ninth place LET'S GO.
Frenchman Jean-Luc Van Den Heede has continued to sail LET'S GO on
a very smooth course, wasting very few miles. American Guy
Bernardin, currently holding down seventh place, is still sailing
BISCUITS LU conservatively and steadily at 51o-52o South, well to
the north of most of the fleet. If the predicted depressions pass
north of the leaders, Bernardin should be on the down-wind side,
and could easily pick up a number of places.
Finn Harry Harkimo has kept BELMONT FINLAND in third place among
Class II boats, but not without a fight; he has not been able to
shake American Richard Konkolski's DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.
The boats have been sailing within VHF radio range (up to 30 miles)
for most of the week, with neither boat able to get an edge over
the other. Finally, towards the end of the week, Harkimo took his
50-footer 80 miles to the south in an effort to get past Konkolski,
picking up a narrow 40-mile-lead for the effort.
Mark Schrader, from the Seattle, WA, area, has kept his Texas-built
cruising boat LONE STAR in fifth place in Class II. He is quite
anxious, however, to pick up some of the stronger winds in which he
thinks LONE STAR goes fastest. He has managed to stay ahead of
Race founder David White's Class I LEGEND SECURITIES, sailing less
than 60 miles to the north at 53o S.
Farther north, and to the east, is Hal Roth on AMERICAN FLAG. Roth
had taken his Santa Cruz 50 through the Cook Strait between New
Zealand's North and South Islands in an effort to avoid the
headwinds facing most of the Class II boats. In doing so, Roth
quickly made more easting than the other yachts in his class. If
he could have continued to the east, easing gradually to the south,
Roth would have, by this time, established his boat well up in
Class II. The wind gods were not kind, however; instead, Roth
faced North-East winds that steadily forced AMERICAN FLAG -- a boat
not at her best against the wind -- south toward the rest of the
fleet. Roth was not given the opportunity to play out his hand.
On the 3rd of February the sparsely predicted series of moderate
depressions started to traverse the fleet, giving the sailors to
the South headwinds interspersed with calms. The winds have not
brought the leaders to a standstill, but they have been forced to
tack farther north. CREDIT AGRICOLE III and UAP-PMSF have felt the
headwinds the most, being the most southerly of the fleet, while
ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE was slowed only slightly. TUNA MARINE and
TRIPLE M found generally fair winds, while BISCUITS LU started to
show high average speeds on course.
Judging by the courses and speeds being made by those in the middle
of the fleet, more depressions are on the way at the same latitude
as the one hitting the leaders on February 3. If that is the case,
we may see significant changes on the leaderboard in the next week.
The other major news during the week was of fleet veteran Harry
Mitchell running aground on a beach near Bluff, a small town at the
southern tip of New Zealand's South Island. Mitchell had reported
to Race Headquarters at the beginning of the week that he was
putting into Bluff to effect repairs on his Fleming windvane. On
January 30, Race HQ was informed via ham radio operators that
Mitchell had sailed past the entrance to Bluff Harbor during the
previous night and anchored several miles east of Bluff. During
the night, and under a high tide produced by a new moon, DOUBLE
CROSS' anchor dragged, and the boat ran aground on a beach a few
miles away in Fortrose, a "town" consisting of five houses.
With help from local farmers, who used a machine to dig a trench in
the sand to help re-float the boat, Mitchell was off the beach on
February 3. However, DOUBLE CROSS sustained rudder damage in the
process, and was taken to Bluff for assessment and repairs.
Mitchell, who at week's end was approximately 1,200 miles from his
closest competitor, John Hughes on JOSEPH YOUNG, was undecided
about continuing in the Race.
No other major news was relayed by the fleet during the week.
Bertie Reed (STABILO BOSS) reported that the leak he had thought
was in his keel was actually in his prop shaft tube. While the
leak was serious initially, Reed managed to plug the tube and
covered the end with a plastic bag, which seems to be working.
Reed also reported some damage to his headsail and mainsail, and
said "...the sewing machine is coming out!"
Both Harry Harkimo (BELMONT FINLAND) and David White (LEGEND
SECURITIES) reported the failure of their satellite navigation
units, and were using their sextants.
Race leader Jeantot reported a broken yankee, but repaired it. He
also said that his cabin was a "very cold" four degrees Celsius
(approximately 38 degrees Farenheit), but he treated himself to a
hot shower and felt "much better."
Word received from Pentti Salmi (COLT BY RETTIG), who was plagued
with engine and rigging problems during the last leg, was that his
new engine was "working impeccably" and that his new rigging seemed
to be fine. Salmi said that he thought he had lost a few positions
shortly after leaving Sydney because he was sleeping too much
instead of manning the helm. Apparently, Salmi was exhausted after
almost non-stop work to ready his boat in the last days before the
January 18 re-start from Sydney.
During the next week, the fleet will close in on Cape Horn, the
infamous landfall which, in rounding it, many consider the
highlight of the entire voyage and a milestone in their lives. The
fleet leaders could reach the Horn as early as February 11, some
five days ahead of the record set by Jeantot in the 1982-83 BOC
Challenge. First boats are expected into Rio de Janeiro during the
first few days of March, right in the middle of the well-known
"Carnival," Rio's annual five-day explosion of festivities
celebrating the coming of the Easter season. The re-start date for
Leg IV, from Rio to Newport, RI, is Saturday, April 11.
BOC Race Office - Rio de Janeiro
The BOC Race Office in Rio will be operational beginning
February 20. Correspondence may be addressed to:
BOC CHALLENGE OFFICE 'VOLTA DO MUNDO'
Departamento de Vela
Iate Clube do Rio de Janeiro
Avenida Pasteur 333
Urca 22.290, RJ
BRAZIL
Telephone: (55-21) 295-6445
541-4391
Fax: (55-21) 541-3293
Telex number will be avaiable shortly.
FLASH FLASH FLASH FLASH
February 8, 1987
BOC boat JOSEPH YOUNG has been demasted. J Hughes is in high spirits and all
on board is ok with exception of his VHF radio. He is working on a "jury rig"
mast and making two knotts toward Talcahuano Chile.
Radio propogation is very poor from the states to the present location of the
fleet, however things should improve as they round the horn.
Two radio nets are in use now with the BOC boats. Chile Hams are working the
BOC boats from 7:50 to 8:30 PM EST on 14240 mhz upper side band. Australia hams
are working the boats at midnight EST on 14324 mhz upper side band.
02/08/87 2252 Hrs EST
B.O.C. CHALLENGE 1986 - 1987
LEG 3 SYDNEY - RIO DE JANEIRO
No 82
GENERAL PLACING
INTERPOLATED AT 2 8 14 H 30 M GMT
-C-N-E-S- SERVICE ARGOS 02-08-1987 AT 19:20 GMT
***********************************************************************
No BOAT SKIPPER SAIL NUMBER CLASS
NATIONALITY DIST TO GO LAT * LONG. DATES
***********************************************************************
1 CREDIT AGRICOLE III PH.JEANTOT 85 1
FRANCE 2928 58 44 S * 87 54 W 039/1419
2 ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE T.LAMAZOU 11 1
FRANCE 3000 56 36 S * 90 3 W 039/1418
3 UAP-MED. SANS FRONTIERES J.Y.TERLAIN 47072929 1
FRANCE 3207 59 33 S * 96 54 W 039/1426
4 TUNA MARINE J.MARTIN SA8 1
SO. AFRICA 3478 55 31 S * 104 13 W 039/1426
5 BISCUIT LU G.BERNARDIN 86 1
USA 3750 52 54 S * 111 27 W 039/1239
6 AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR 2 M.PLANT 5 2
U.S.A. 3757 57 33 S * 114 44 W 039/1243
7 TRIPLE M/SPIRIT OF SYDNEY I.KIERNAN 105 1
AUSTRALIA 3848 56 14 S * 116 47 W 039/1246
8 STABILO BOSS B.REED 100 1
SO.AFRICA 3910 54 30 S * 117 29 W 039/1244
9 LET'S GO 2 J.L.VAN DEN HEE F8 2
FRANCE 4098 54 38 S * 123 1 W 039/1426
10 DECLARATION OF INDEP. 2 R.KONKOLSKI 17 2
U.S.A. 4404 55 11 S * 133 33 W 039/1422
11 BELMONT FINLAND 2 H.HARKIMO 25 2
FINLAND 4408 56 25 S * 134 54 W 039/1427
12 LEGEND SECURITIES D.WHITE 10 1
U.S.A. 4428 54 27 S * 133 38 W 039/1427
13 AMERICAN FLAG 2 H.ROTH 7 2
U.S.A. 4472 51 43 S * 132 14 W 039/1421
14 COLT BY RETTIG 2 P.SALMI 140 2
FINLAND 4508 55 33 S * 137 27 W 039/1427
15 LONE STAR 2 M.SCHRADER 47 2
U.S.A. 4518 54 51 S * 137 1 W 039/1427
16 JOSEPH YOUNG 2 J.HUGHES 9 2
CANADA 4907 52 22 S * 147 25 W 039/1426
17 DOUBLE CROSS 2 H.MITCHELL K712 2
G.B. 6287 46 36 S * 168 20 E 039/1327
|
| 395.39 | FEB 14 UPDATE VIA HAM RADIO | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Mon Feb 23 1987 09:45 | 13 |
| Feb 14, 1987
Ecureil brushes rock rounding horn, only paint damage, all else ok.
Joseph Young making slowly to Talcahuano, Chile.
Newport is concerned with the amount of food and water on board Joseph Young
and suggest he goes to Tahiti. He feels he can make it to Chile.
Fleet West of horn in 25-30 foot seas with wind 40 to 70 kts.
All sailors doing very good in heavy weather.
Propogation is improving with the boats nearing South America and signals are
improving daily.
|
| 395.40 | ROUNDING CAPE HORN | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Mon Feb 23 1987 09:46 | 52 |
| Contact: Tony Lush/Kathy Giblin
BOC Race Headquarters
Newport, RI
For Immediate Release
FIRST TWO BOC BOATS ROUND CAPE HORN
Credit Agricole III, Ecureuil D'Aquitaine Better Record By Four Days
NEWPORT, R.I., 11 February, 1987 -- Frenchman Philippe Jeantot,
sailing the 60-foot CREDIT AGRICOLE III, today became the first boat
in this year's BOC solo, around-the-world yacht race to round Cape
Horn. Jeantot passed the infamous landmark, at the southern tip of
South America, at 07:20 GMT (02:20 a.m. EDT) today, making between 11
and 12 knots in 20-25 knots of wind and rainy conditions.
Jeantot, the current race leader on overall elapsed time, was
followed around the Horn by fellow countryman Titouan Lamazou, sailing
ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE. Lamazou, the winner of Leg II from Cape Town to
Sydney, was less than four hours behind Jeantot, going around at
approximately 11:00 GMT (06:00 a.m. EDT). There was no word from
Lamazou as to the weather conditions at that time.
Jeantot has sailed the Sydney-to-Cape Horn passage in less than
24 days, bettering his 1982-83 BOC time to the Horn by almost five
days. Given Jeantot's and Lamazou's present rates, BOC Race officials
expect the two competitors to reach Rio de Janeiro, the third stopover
of this 27,000-mile race around-the-world, on approximately March 1.
With Lamazou currently only 31 miles behind Jeantot, the finish for
these two in Rio is likely to be very close.
The next BOC boats expected to round the Horn during the next
two days are UAP-POUR MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES, sailed by Frenchman
Jean-Yves Terlain, and TUNA MARINE, sailed by Leg I winner John
Martin.
Class II leader American Mike Plant, sailing AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR,
was 1,100 miles from Cape Horn as of today and is expected to pass the
notorious point sometime next Tuesday, February 17.
The BOC Challenge 1986-87 began on August 30, 1986 from Newport,
Rhode Island, and the 16 sailors still racing will finish back in
Newport during the first part of May 1987, after stopovers in Cape
Town, S.A., Sydney and Rio de Janeiro.
|
| 395.41 | RACE UPDATE #23 | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Mon Feb 23 1987 09:52 | 260 |
| CONTACT: Tony Lush/Kathy Giblin
BOC Challenge Headquarters
Newport, Rhode Island
The BOC Challenge
Race Update # 23 February 11, 1987
MITCHELL WITHDRAWS, HUGHES DISMASTED;
JEANTOT AND LAMAZOU ROUND CAPE HORN
As the BOC fleet continued towards Cape Horn and Rio de Janeiro
during the past week, highlighted by the rounding of the Horn by
the first two boats, the youngest and oldest contestants in the
fleet suffered major setbacks, causing one to retire from the Race.
British skipper Harry Mitchell, sailing the 41-foot DOUBLE CROSS,
announced his retirement from the Race on Friday, February 6.
Mitchell, at 62-years-old the eldest member of the fleet, had run
aground last week off the farming village of Fortrose, on the
southern tip of New Zealand's South Island. Mitchell had anchored
off the entrance to Bluff, New Zealand, waiting for daylight to
enter the harbor to repair his automatic steering equipment. His
anchor dragged during the night, and DOUBLE CROSS, a former
Admiral's Cup winner, went onto the beach. After several days
aground, Mitchell re-floated his boat with the help of a small boat
and several farmers, but in the process, his rudder was jammed.
Mitchell said his decision to retire was "...a matter of
seamanship." By the time he could have fixed his rudder, the rest
of the BOC fleet would have been more than 2,000 miles ahead of
him. The solo skippers are sailing through some of the loneliest
and roughest waters in the world. If they get into trouble, their
only hope of rescue lies with their fellow competitors. Under the
circumstances, Mitchell, one of the most popular men in the fleet,
did not think it prudent to continue.
As BOC Race Headquarters was receiving word of Mitchell's
withdrawal, they were notified via ham radio operators in New
Zealand that Canadian John Hughes, at 26-years-old the youngest
member of the BOC fleet, had been dismasted. Hughes' yacht, JOSEPH
YOUNG, named after his grandfather, lost its mast above the
gooseneck at about 1700 GMT (12:00 noon EDT) on February 6. In
falling, the mast poked a one-foot-square hole in the deck, and
also ripped off the boat's starboard lifelines and bow pulpit.
At the time of the dismasting, Hughes, from Halifax, Nova Scotia,
was at 52o 47 S by 149o 08 W, some 1,500 nautical miles from New
Zealand and more than 3,000 miles from Chile, South America. He is
nearly as far south as Cape Horn. A merchant seaman by profession,
Hughes had fashioned a jury-rig using his two spinnaker poles
within 12 hours of his dismasting, and was making way towards
Talcahuano, Chile, about 3,500 miles away. The 41-foot JOSEPH
YOUNG is the smallest yacht of the 25 which departed Newport last
August.
BOC Challenge Race HQ received word of Hughes' dismasting from Ron
Kingston, a ham radio operator from Dunedin, New Zealand. Kingston
is part of a world-wide network of amateur radio operators
following, and speaking with, the solo sailors. The net is
organized and coordinated by ham radio operator Fred Chew, of Fall
River, Massachusetts. Ham operators in Rhode Island, Florida,
Chile, Australia and New Zealand are keeping track of Hughes,
relaying communications primarily through Mark Schrader on LONE
STAR. In a display which reflects the tremendous comaraderie among
the fleet, Hughes' fellow competitors have told Hughes that they
would all "chip in" to pay for a new mast for the young Canadian,
if he can make it to Chile to continue the Race. Spearheading the
effort are competitors Mike Plant, Bertie Reed and Hal Roth.
On an equally positive note, Frenchmen Philippe Jeantot, sailing
CREDIT AGRICOLE III, and Titouan Lamazou, on ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE,
rounded Cape Horn at week's end, bringing them closer to Rio de
Janeiro, the third stopover of this 27,000-mile marathon.
Jeantot, sailing his 60-foot rocketship, became the first boat to
round the infamous landmark at the southern tip of South America,
doing so at 07:20 GMT (02:20 a.m. EDT) on February 11. At the time
he passed the Horn, Jeantot, the winner of the inaugural BOC race
in 1982-83, was making between 11 and 12 knots in 20-25 knots of
wind and rainy conditions.
Jeantot, the current race leader on overall time, was followed
around the Horn by fellow countryman Lamazou, winner of Leg II from
Cape Town to Sydney. The 31-year-old Lamazou was less than four
hours behind Jeantot, going around at approximately 11:00 GMT
(06:00 a.m. EDT). There was no word from Lamazou as to weather
conditions or visibility at the time.
Jeantot has sailed the Sydney-to-Cape Horn passage, a distance of
approximately 5,500 miles, in less than 24 days, bettering his
1982-83 time to the Horn by five days.
Given the two Frenchmen's rates of progress, BOC Race officials
expect the two competitors to reach Rio de Janeiro, some 2,250
miles from the Horn, during the first two days in March. With
Lamazou currently only about 35 miles behind Jeantot, the finish
for these two in Rio is likely to be very close. And, just hours
after both had rounded the Horn, each was posting astounding speeds
of more than 14 knots.
Lamazou reported in that he had become violently ill during the
past week, a result of a reaction to antibiotics he had taken to
combat infected salt water boils on his hands. He said he was very
pleased with the modifications that had been made to the boat in
Sydney, which had improved the comfort level on board, and that the
boat was in "great shape - just the way it was at the start in
Sydney." He also echoed the comments received from other
competitors that Leg III had been much less arduous than Leg II.
Lamazou said his trip through the South Pacific had been "... a
holiday compared to my trip through the Indian Ocean!"
The next BOC boats expected to round the Horn are UAP-POUR MEDECINS
SANS FRONTIERES, sailed by Jean-Yves Terlain, and TUNA MARINE,
skippered by Leg I winner John Martin. Terlain, who began the week
just 16 miles behind Lamazou, had apparently damaged something on
board the 60-foot "yellow boat," causing him to drop back
significantly during the past several days. By week's end,
Terlain, while still holding on to third place, was more than 450
miles behind Lamazou. Word was received from Terlain at week's end
that he has sustained a severe cut to one of his hands which is
"extremely painful" and debilitating.
Martin, who began the week some 200 miles behind Terlain, was still
in fourth place and approximately the same distance from Terlain at
week's end. Moving up two spots, from seventh to fifth place, was
Guy Bernardin sailing BISCUITS LU. Bernardin posted some of the
highest speeds in the fleet during the week, and his more northerly
position than AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR (Mike Plant/USA) and TRIPLE
M/SPIRIT OF SYDNEY (Ian Kiernan/Australia) apparently paid off.
While Plant, who still has a commanding lead among Class II boats,
and Kiernan were lammenting the fact that for three days they were
virtually beclamed in the Southern Ocean, Bernardin had just enough
wind to carry him ahead of the two.
Kiernan reported into the Sydney Race office that, "Mike and I
agreed that if we'd had a dog on board, we would have kicked him
overboard out of sheer frustration!" Plant actually took his sails
down at one point to avoid any damage from excessive flapping.
He reported in to Race HQ that he is surprised his 135 % jib, which
he uses most often, is still at all intact, and that he has no
propane left for his on-board heater, which has left him
"absolutely freezing!" In addition, Plant has only enough diesel
remaining to power his generator for electricity, so he said he
will not be using that for heating purposes.
Kiernan, who ended up the week in eighth place behind Bertie Reed
on STABILO BOSS, and several others, have all commented on the
extreme cold they are currently experiencing. Accompanying the
intense cold was the sighting of another iceberg, by Richard
Konkolski on DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, at dusk on February 8.
The iceberg, which Konkolski said was 100-feet-high and
approximately one half-mile-long, was at 54o 58 S, 135o 18 W.
Konkolski was running 10th overall, and third in Class II at the
time.
Upon receiving the broadcast of the iceberg sighting, David White
(LEGEND SECURITIES/USA) reported to Race HQ that Mark Schrader, who
was some 100 miles behind Konkolski and running in 14th place,
turned LONE STAR towards the position of the iceberg. He reached
the spot the following day and, in bright sunshine and clear
visibility, proceeded to take photographs and videotape of the
iceberg from all sides. Schrader later joked that he was "the only
BOC sailor to have circumnavigated an iceberg!"
Harry Harkimo (BELMONT FINLAND/Finland) moved ahead of Konkolski
into third among Class II boats by week's end, and was behind
Plant, some 500 miles ahead, and Jean-Luc Van Den Heede, about 300
miles ahead on LET'S GO, when he spotted two large brown whales on
February 4. Harkimo, who said he initially thought the whales were
large bunches of kelp, quickly turned the boat away to avoid
hitting the whales. Harkimo reported later in the week that he was
enjoying good winds and was running under spinnaker. On Monday,
February 9, he said he hoped to make Cape Horn in 11 days.
David White, still running near the back of the pack in 13th place
after having turned back into Sydney on the re-start day with
autopilot failure, reported that this leg of the journey was "...a
piece of cake compared with Leg II." White, whose 56-foot LEGEND
SECURITIES is the smallest boat in Class I, said that he was "bored
silly. The winds have not gone above 30 knots since the Tasman
Sea, and I've been running under autopilot and reading books. I've
read 15 books so far, and I'm bored with that now," he complained.
Pentti Salmi, running 15th overall and seventh in Class, said his
COLT BY RETTIG had averaged 190 miles for six straight days and
that it was "the best the boat has performed." Salmi said that,
for a change, he had no problems on board and that "...this is what
I call perfect sailing; I feel just great!"
Weather and Strategy
As the BOC sailors round Cape Horn, they will have little time to
celebrate the milestone. There is no "best" way to cover the last
2,250 miles to Rio, so the sailor must determine his strategy
carefully.
Rio lies at 23o 05 S x 40o 00 W. In that vicinity, the winds tend
to be from the east, ranging from NE to SE, with occasional
southerlies appearing; calms can pose a real problem. In addition,
close to land, breezes are very much affected by inland
temperatures. Closer to shore, there are more NE winds, which give
the sailors winds dead ahead. It is mid-summer south of the
Equator, so the weather in Rio is hot and sultry.
Before the sailors reach the tropical climates to the North,
however, they must work their way out of the generally heavy
westerly winds that prevail from Cape Horn up to Latitude 40 South.
Between 35o and 40o S, there is a tendency for headwinds,
especially closer to Argentina, but there tend to be fewer north
winds farther offshore. One peril of sailing close to Argentina is
the notorious "Pampero," sudden storms with strong, gusty winds
accompanied by dark rain clouds that strike suddenly from land.
The BOC fleet also must pass through a period of variable weather
patterns on its way into the tropical weather. The light winds
will be found closer towards shore, so sailors staying well
offshore may be able to take advantage of the outer fringes of the
SE tradewinds on their way to Rio. Those winds would be light, but
generally in the correct directions.
Ocean currents come up from Cape Horn along the South American
coast, helping the sailor along, and are more favorable inshore
than offshore. However, halfway up the coast toward Rio de
Janeiro, these favorable southerly currents collide with warm water
currents coming from the North. Again, the stronger currents are
inshore -- against the sailor.
Given these considerations, we will probably see the sailors go
either side of the windswept Falkland Islands, which lie directly
in their path en route to Rio. Those choosing to go east of the
Falklands will work their way north gradually, making as much
easting as possible in the higher latitudes. These sailors will be
trying to stay well offshore, planning to approach Rio from the
SSE.
The racers going west of the Falklands may choose to sail between
Tierra del Fuego and Isla de los Estados (Staten Island) to save
some distance. In doing so, they may encounter some of the
nastiest sailing conditions of the race. The narrow strait between
Tierra del Fuego and Staten Island has a strong tidal flow which,
when it runs against the prevailing winds, creates big waves very
close together. Whether or not they pass inside of Isla de los
Estados, the boats we see passing west of the Falklands probably
will take the inside route to Rio, closer to shore.
In the 2,250 miles to sail from Cape Horn to Rio, the BOC sailors
will find a variety of weather conditions. Since some of the boats
in the fleet are better in light winds than in heavy, and because
strategies will play a large part on this final portion of Leg III,
we may see some major changes in positions before the leg is
finished.
|
| 395.42 | RACE UPDATE #24 | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Mon Feb 23 1987 09:56 | 238 |
|
THE BOC CHALLENGE
RACE UPDATE # 24
JEANTOT, LAMAZOU MAINTAIN RECORD PACE;
SEVEN MORE YACHTS ROUND CAPE HORN
A total of nine yachts have rounded Cape Horn, most of them
equaling or beating the pace set by Philippe Jeantot in the 1982-83
BOC Challenge. Jeantot and Titouan Lamazou, who rounded last week,
continue to set a blistering pace, while John Hughes struggles to
take his dismasted yacht into Chile.
Both CREDIT AGRICOLE III (Jeantot, France) and ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE
(Lamazou, France) enjoyed fresh sailing breezes as they romped past
the Falkland Islands, rarely falling under ten knots. However,
Jeantot stretched his lead, from 32 miles at Cape Horn, to as much
as 150 miles, must likely due to Lamazou's misfortune at the Horn.
Lamazou has been very concerned over the damage AQUITAINE suffered
rounding the Horn. Sailing at 14 knots, in what was supposed to be
90 meters of water, his keel struck a submerged object. The impact
was so great that the battery boxes above the keel were forced
upwards. At first it was thought that he struck an uncharted rock.
But now Lamazou suspects that he may have hit a whale, since he
felt no grinding as he went over the object. Lamazou is now
pumping by hand two hours a day to remove water coming through a
crack in the hull.
By February 17, Lamazou started to take a more easterly course than
Jeantot, and it has started to pay off. By the 18th, AQUITAINE had
taken 80 miles off CREDIT's lead. Both of the yachts had slowed as
the winds fell north of Latitude 40o S, but thus far Lamazou is
making better progress on an easterly tack against apparently
light, northerly headwinds. Both sailors have reported peeling off
their layers of cold weather clothes, and are enjoying the
sunshine.
Jean-Yves Terlain, meanwhile, has a firm grip of third place this
leg. His UAP-POUR MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES (France) passed Cape
Horn at 0130 GMT February 14, less than 40 hours behind Lamazou.
Terlain has fallen back to 500 miles behind Lamazou, following on
the same track, but still has a 300 mile lead over TUNA MARINE and
BISCUITS LU. No further word has been received concerning
Terlain's cut to his hand received several weeks ago.
John Martin took TUNA MARINE (South Africa) around Cape Horn at
0900 GMT on the 15th, followed about two hours later by Guy
Bernardin's BISCUITS LU (USA). Bernardin had reported 50-knot
winds the day before, but had better conditions when he passed the
famous landmark.
John Martin anchored at Deceit Island, less than ten miles past the
Horn, to repair his running backstays. Martin had lost the running
backs during the first week of this leg, and fell from first place
in the process. The running backstays are wires permanently
attached to the mast, which can be temporarily attached to the
yacht's stern and then tensioned. They help keep the mast in
column under certain conditions, and are very important going
down-wind. Martin was able to climb his mast in the shelter
provided by Deceit Island, and he resumed racing one hour after he
anchored. Coincidentally, Bertie Reed, who sails STABILO BOSS in
this race, stopped at Deceit during the first BOC Challenge to take
on drinking water.
After replacing the stay, Martin had to get underway quickly, with
Bernardin so close behind him. Both men decided to take a
different route than the three leades, all of whom had gone east
of the Falkland Islands. Their oly chance to close in
significantly on Jeantot and Lamazou lay with taking a westerly
route, closer to the South American coast. Both cut through the Le
Maire Strait between Tierra del Fuego and Isla de la Estados
(Staten Island). Sailing within sight of each other, the two
yachts raced northwards, often trading places. They soon
encountered headwinds, and had to take a tack to the West to avoid
West Falkland Island. Bernardin tacked before Martin, and picked a
more favorable breeze first. By February 18, BISCUITS LU had
picked up fourth place and a slim 10-mile lead over TUNA MARINE.
A virtual traffic jam developed at Cape Horn on February 17, wih
three racers going round. STABILO BOSS was first, at 0830 GMT,
skippered by South African Bertie Reed. One half hour later, Ian
Kiernan's TRIPLE M-SPIRIT OF SYDNEY (Australia) cleared the island
-- the two boats were within sight of each other after 6,000 miles
of racing. Mike Plant rounded at 1248 GMT. His AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR
(USA) still leads Class II, but he must keep a weather eye out for
Jean-Luc Van Den Heede (LET'S GO), who was just over 200 miles
behind him at the time.
All three racers have taken the westerly route through the Le Maire
Strait, and have cleared the Falklands without having to tack, thus
picking up some distance on TUNA MARINE and BISCUITS LU. Plant is
keeping pace with the larger boats, and so he must, with LET'S GO
right on his tail.
Frenchman Van Den Heede rounded Cape Horn on the February 18, and
appears to be planning to follow the easterly path of Jeantot and
Lamazou. By taking a different route than Plant, Van Den Heede is
putting a lot of pressure on AIRCO. The two sailors may find
themselves in very different weather conditions that would give the
advantage to one boat or the other. Plant's 200 mile lead could
increase -- or evaporate. Plant must use his boat-for boat racing
with the 60-footers to keep his mental edge, if he is to maintain
first place in Class II. Van Den Heede's performance thus far is
the most remarkable of the fleet, as he has been staying ahead of
many larger -- and theoretically faster -- boats.
It seems that virtually all of the fleet thus far have been able to
see the Horn when passing it. Thanks to the long hours of daylight
at 56o S, the generally favorable conditions, and because they have
passed so close, the solo sailors have had the opportunity to see
the landmark clearly. For those passing for the first time, it is
one of life's milestones. It is perhaps just as important for
those passing the second time.
Cape Horn is to this day a sailor's shrine. One cannot help but
recall the history books that tell us of the perils facing sailors
in those cold waters. The winds and currents that circle the world
in the Southern Ocean have only one obstacle, South America, and
are forced to thread their way through the gap between Cape Horn
and Antarctica. They converge in a tempestuous frenzy that makes a
successful passage all the more remarkable. Each Cape Horn passage
lives long in the memories of these racers.
Seven more BOC sailors are on their way to Cape Horn. Led by Finn
Harry Harkimo on BELMONT FINLAND, who is holding on to third in
Class II, a tightly-knit group is making their approach. Class I
LEGEND SECURITIES (USA), sailed by Race founder David White, is 100
miles behind Harkimo. White reported via radio that he has been
"bored silly" by the lack of wind since clearing New Zealand. He
has not seen more than 30 knots of wind since that time, and he is
even getting tired of reading the books on board!
BELMONT FINLAND has third place in Class II presently, but only 130
miles behind are DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE (USA), sailed by
'82-'83 Race veteran Richard Konkolski, and AMERICAN FLAG, which is
skippered by Hal Roth. Roth is a veteran of several
'round-the-world voyages in his previous boat, Whisper, which he
sailed with his wife Margaret. Whisper was shipwrecked near Cape
Horn in the Tierra del Fuego Archipelago, and salvaged by the
Roths.
Mark Schrader's LONE STAR (USA) is 300 miles behind Roth, and
Schrader has been very active in recent weeks helping dismasted
sailor John Hughes (JOSEPH YOUNG) communicate with his support team
in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Pentti Salmi's COLT BY RETTIG
(Finland), now running seventh in class and fifteenth overall, has
been slowed by a damaged roller-furling gear. The forestay
extrusion is broken in two places, so Salmi has not been able to
take down his twin headsail, forcing him to use a less-than-ideal
sail when reaching or beating. Salmi plans to put in to Stanley,
on East Falkland Island, for a few hours to repair the furling gear
and a recalcitrant autopilot. He expects that he can make the
repairs in five hours or less, and then continue on to Rio.
Meanwhile, Canadian John Hughes has been edging his wounded JOSEPH
YOUNG toward Chile. After his dismasting February 6, Hughes
erected a jury rig using two spinnaker poles. He then sailed north
400 miles before turning east for Chile. At times he has shown
bursts of speeds, clocking seven knots when the winds are
favorable, but has also suffered from calms and headwinds.
At press time, Hughes still has 2,900 more miles to sail to reach
Talachuano. According to reports from his support team in Halifax,
Hughes left Sydney with 60 gallons of water and enough food "to
make it home to Canada." Thus, he should have enough supplies to
make shore if he can get any favorable winds. Meanwhile, a new
mainsail and jib have been made, and a replacement mast is under
construction by Isomat in North Carolina. At this point, the
determined young skipper has every intention of completing the BOC
Challenge, and has given his ETA into Chile as 20 March.
Rio de Janeiro
The BOC Challenge Race Office in Rio de Janeiro is now open.
Support team members and journalists are reminded to have their
visas and passports in order, as Customs and Immigration officials
are requesting proper documentation. Those traveling to Rio who
would like have entrance to the Yacht Club are required to advise
the Rio Race Office, so that passes may be obtained in advance.
Telephone and fax lines are now in place.
Telephones: 011-55-21-541-4391 Fax: 011-55-21-541-3293
541-6042
541-6093 Telex: 21-34222 (RTEC-BR)
B.O.C. CHALLENGE 1986 - 1987
LEG 3 SYDNEY - RIO DE JANEIRO
No 128
GENERAL PLACING
INTERPOLATED AT 2 21 16 H 00 M GMT
-C-N-E-S- SERVICE ARGOS 02-21-1987 AT 20:46 GMT
***********************************************************************
No BOAT SKIPPER SAIL NUMBER CLASS
NATIONALITY DIST TO GO LAT * LONG. DATES
***********************************************************************
1 CREDIT AGRICOLE III PH.JEANTOT 85 1
FRANCE 349 28 21 S * 45 7 W 052/1819
2 ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE T.LAMAZOU 11 1
FRANCE 449 30 19 S * 42 2 W 052/1640
3 UAP-MED. SANS FRONTIERES J.Y.TERLAIN 47072929 1
FRANCE 925 37 59 S * 46 18 W 052/1821
4 BISCUIT LU G.BERNARDIN 86 1
USA 1324 42 42 S * 54 27 W 052/1819
5 TUNA MARINE J.MARTIN SA8 1
SO. AFRICA 1350 43 10 S * 54 27 W 052/1815
6 STABILO BOSS B.REED 100 1
SO.AFRICA 1575 46 29 S * 56 56 W 052/1818
7 AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR 2 M.PLANT 5 2
U.S.A. 1577 45 40 S * 58 55 W 052/1811
8 TRIPLE M/SPIRIT OF SYDNEY I.KIERNAN 105 1
AUSTRALIA 1583 46 55 S * 56 17 W 052/1818
9 LET'S GO 2 J.L.VAN DEN HEE F8 2
FRANCE 1730 50 41 S * 52 42 W 052/1818
10 BELMONT FINLAND 2 H.HARKIMO 25 2
FINLAND 2005 52 21 S * 63 16 W 052/1816
11 LEGEND SECURITIES D.WHITE 10 1
U.S.A. 2108 54 46 S * 62 22 W 052/1816
12 AMERICAN FLAG 2 H.ROTH 7 2
U.S.A. 2145 55 4 S * 63 37 W 052/1815
13 DECLARATION OF INDEP. 2 R.KONKOLSKI 17 2
U.S.A. 2173 54 57 S * 65 14 W 052/1815
14 LONE STAR 2 M.SCHRADER 47 2
U.S.A. 2596 57 50 S * 78 5 W 052/1303
15 COLT BY RETTIG 2 P.SALMI 140 2
FINLAND 2620 56 10 S * 78 60 W 052/1303
16 JOSEPH YOUNG 2 J.HUGHES 9 2
CANADA 4717 46 31 S * 134 17 W 052/1802
|
| 395.43 | PRESS RELEASE #25 | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Tue Mar 03 1987 13:58 | 304 |
| THE BOC CHALLENGE
RACE UPDATE # 25
JEANTOT EDGES OUT LAMAZOU TO WIN LEG III
OF ROUND-THE-WORLD RACE
Shatters Existing Record -- His Own,
Set During '82-83 BOC -- By Eleven Days
After racing more than 8,400 miles across the Southern Ocean, the
"Flying Frenchman," Philippe Jeantot, managed to stave off a
last-minute surge by fellow countryman Titouan Lamazou and cross
the finish line in Rio de Janeiro on Monday, 23 February, to win
Leg III of this around-the-world yacht race.
The 34-year-old Jeantot, sailing CREDIT AGRICOLE III, steered his
60-foot speedster across the finish line off Copacabana Beach at
18:46.53 local (21:46.53 GMT) in a warm, 15-knot northwesterly
breeze. His total elapsed time for this leg, from Sydney,
Australia to Rio de Janeiro, was 36 days, 17 hours, 46 minutes, 53
seconds, an amazing 11 days, four hours faster than the time he
sailed the same passage during the 1982-83 BOC Challenge, which he
won. Jeantot's total elapsed time for the Race so far, a distance
of approximately 23,000 miles, is 107 days, 23 hours, 37 minutes,
11 seconds.
"I am quite happy, and a bit relieved, to be here," the former
deep-sea diver admitted upon tying up at the Rio de Janeiro Yacht
Club amidst a crowd of press, friends and awed spectators. "This
leg was a regatta the entire time. It was not the conditions which
were so difficult this time," he explained, "it was the competition
I had with the other sailors, especially Titouan (Lamazou)."
Jeantot had good reason to be worried about Lamazou, the
31-year-old first-timer to the BOC, but a seasoned ocean racer
nonetheless. Lamazou, skipper of the 60-foot thoroughbred ECUREUIL
D'AQUITAINE, and winner of Leg II from Cape Town to Sydney, arrived
in Rio at 22:15.45 local (01:15. 45 GMT 24 Feb.) on the same night,
just three hours, 30 minutes after his main rival.
Lamazou, who was a mere 30 miles astern of Jeantot when he struck
an unknown, submerged object and sustained keel damage at Cape Horn
during the first week of February, managed to make up 110 miles on
Jeantot during the last few days out of Rio. He was hot on
Jeantot's trail, only 20 miles behind, when CREDIT AGRICOLE crossed
the finish line. Lamazou's elapsed time for the leg: 36 days, 21
hours, 15 minutes, 45 seconds.
Even with the keel damage, which dislodged his batteries and kept
him pumping out water from the boat two hours each day, Lamazou
feels he could have won the Leg, had it not been for a tactical
error coming up the South American coast on February 12-13. "There
was a miscommunication between myself, my radio operator and my
meteorologist," explained Lamazou. "I had been on a more easterly
course than Philippe, and was gaining on him each day, but then I
got instructions -- or so I thought -- to head west, towards where
he was. I should have stayed east instead of cutting west; I had
more wind, and a better course to Rio. But I cut inside and that,
I think, cost me the Leg."
Lamazou, still second in overall standings, has a total elapsed
time for the first three legs of 111 days, 12 hours, 33 minutes, 29
seconds. Jeantot, who had not won either of the first two legs of
the race, is the current leader and the obvious favorite to win
this around-the-world marathon for the second time.
Both men said that this third leg had been very easy compared to
the second leg of the race; "...a holiday," commented Lamazou.
With one exception, the second night out of Sydney in the Tasman
Sea when wind speeds topped 0 knots, neither man had winds of more
than 40 knots the entire trip.
"It was not as windy as I thought it would be," said Jeantot. "It
was far easier than the Indian Ocean. Except for that second night
out, I had no problems. That particular night, though, I took my
only knockdown of the trip.
"I had lost a lot of time -- I made a mistake in the weather
forecast -- so I was about 50 miles behind Titouan and Jean-Yves
(Terlain - skipper of UAP-POUR MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES). A cold
front came across, but I thought, 'I won't reduce the sails because
I must catch up with them.' So, I kept all of my sails up during
the cold front, and all of a sudden, the wind went to 50 knots, and
here I was, caught with all of my sails up. I took the knockdown,
and the genoa went 'pop!' -- it blew apart. So," Jeantot grinned,
"then I reduced the sails."
Jeantot's efforts, and the resulting torn genoa, paid off, however;
he gained 35 miles on the leaders that night -- just slightly more
than the margin he won this leg by from Lamazou. Jeantot admitted,
though, that he would not take a risk like that again during the
voyage.
When asked if he was surprised himself at the tremendous amount of
time he had taken off his 1982-83 Sydney-to-Rio passage, Jeantot
said: "Yes, I am. I knew I would be faster, along with some of
the others, because we have bigger boats and there is stiff
competition. But I never thought we would be this quick." At the
rate he is going, and barring any unforeseen problems, Jeantot
stands to lop off as much as 30 days from his winning 1982-83 BOC
record, which was 159 days, two hours.
While Jeantot did not achieve the 1,800 miles-per-week he had
managed on the more turbulent Leg II -- his best week's run this
time was "only 1,600 miles," he attributes his rapid crossing on
this Leg to "very good daily averages." His fastest 24-hour run
was 260 miles.
Lamazou, who, in spite of the error he feels cost him Leg III line
honors is still happy with his overall position, also said that
this leg was "...a bit of a let-down weather-wise. I was really
ready for heavy weather; I kept saying to myself, 'O.K. wind, I am
ready, let's go,' but except for that one night, the good winds
never came. We did not have exciting conditions, which I kept
hoping for; it got a bit boring every now and then because of
that."
It was not boring the entire time for the 31-year-old artist,
however; Lamazou became violently ill three weeks ago, a victim of
an adverse reaction to the antibiotics he was taking to combat
infection from salt water boils on his hands. He spent one entire
day in bed, too sick to get out of his bunk. "It was horrible," he
recalled. "I do not remember feeling that ill before. I was
helpless; I couldn't lift my head from the bunk." After one
uncomfortable day, the reaction passed and Lamazou was back at the
helm, driving his boat hard in the lighter conditions.
Owing to the relatively mild conditions, both CREDIT AGRICOLE and
ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE sustained almost no "wear and tear" damage.
Jeantot blew out one genoa during his knock-down, which he
initially attempted to fix on board. "But, after I spent two days
sewing, I said, 'I'm tired of repairing sails; I'd rather
concentrate on sailing the boat -- so I did." Jeantot will haul
CREDIT AGRICOLE out of the water during the Rio stopover, but only
to check the keel repairs made to the boat in Sydney which Jeantot
feels "worked beautifully," and to clean and re-paint the hull.
Jeantot was also pleased that, this Race, he had rounded Cape Horn
during daylight hours and was able to see the notorious landmark
(he hadn't during the last BOC). He was sailing at 14 knots, just
after sunrise, when a photo boat attempting to document Jeantot's
rounding asked him to slow down and wait for them to catch up with
him. "I had to take my spinnaker down and wait," he said. "Then I
heard Titouan on the VHF saying that he was not very far from the
Horn. I started yelling to the photographers, 'Hurry Up! Come
on!' Imagine if I had lost this leg by one hour!"
Aside from his keel damage, Lamazou also has very little repair
work to do on ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE. The boat was lifted almost
immediately upon arrival to inspect the keel and assess the damage.
What Lamazou's team found was "not good, but repairable," said
Lamazou. "My design and construction team are here, and we will
spend about two weeks fixing the keel," which they discovered upon
hauling was hit by a rock, not a whale as Lamazou had surmised.
"By the damage we saw, it was definitely a rock -- I left a large
chunk of my keel -- about 10 pounds -- back on a rock at Cape
Horn," he joked. Lamazou had already earned the nickname "Crash"
early-on in the Race, following his pre-Race-start collision with
THURSDAY'S CHILD and his tendency to dent rental cars in the
stopover ports. His team has now named the guilty slab of
submerged stone "Lamazou Rock," which Lamazou admits with a smile
"...could have been on the chart, but I am not the best
navigator...!"
Lamazou had been sailing the boat, making 14 knots, close to the
infamous Horn at the request of the same photo boat, when the keel
of AQUITAINE struck the rock head-on, on the port side and on the
bottom of the keel. The force of the collision, "a tremendous
crash which stopped the boat dead," said Lamazou, pushed the aft
portion of the keel up into the underbody of the hull and tore the
forward part down, away from the hull. "I thought it was all over
at that moment," Lamazou recalled. "I was sure the Race was
finished for me." But, somehow, Lamazou explained, the keel bolts
managed to hold, and in spite of a gap between the keel and hull
and a loose keel, the boat continued to sail.
"I managed to sail the boat alright by tightening and loosening
keel bolts (on opposite sides of the hull interior) depending upon
the tack I was on. When I was on one tack, I would tighten one
bolt and loosen the other. Then, when I changed tacks, I would
tighten the loose bolt, and loosen up the tight one. I could do it
with my bare hands!" Aside from the leakage, the crude "repair"
served Lamazou well until he arrived in Rio. Planned repairs are
to remove the keel and waterproof the joint between the keel and
the hull, and to re-shape the aluminum piece attaching the keel to
the hull which was badly dented in the collision.
"I was a bit worried," said Jeantot of Lamazou's determined
approach even after the accident. "Because of my position (further
west), I had to tack to come in to Rio, and Titouan didn't. At
that point (in 30-knot northeasterly winds), I was not sure who
would cross the line first."
The next BOC boat expected into port is UAP-POUR MEDECINS SANS
FRONTIERES, sailed by Frenchman Jean-Yves Terlain. As of late
Wednesday, 25 February, Terlain had 350 miles to go, and is
expected to reach Rio late Friday, February 27 after finally
receiving moderate winds to help him along. Terlain, now making a
play for third place overall in standings against Guy Bernardin and
John Martin, has been battling light winds for several days during
his approach to Rio in spite of heading well east (to 40 degrees
West) in search of heavier air.
Terlain reported that he has managed to fix his generator, which
had plagued him for a good bit of the trip, but has a
malfunctioning oil pump in his main engine which, said Terlain, "is
more noisy than anything else."
Behind Terlain by approximately 350 miles are John Martin (TUNA
MARINE - South Africa) and Guy Bernardin (BISCUITS LU - USA), who
are waging a fierce battle for fourth place, having traded places
several times during the past week. As of presstime, Martin had
managed to pull ahead of Bernardin by a slim 30 miles.
At their present rates, AIRCO and LET'S GO are expected into port
some time around March 6. Running 3rd in Class II is Harry
Harkimo, sailing BELMONT FINLAND. At week's end, the 32-year-old
Finn had 1475 miles to go. Harkimo is 130 miles behind David
White's LEGEND SECURITIES, which is running in 10th place overall.
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, skippered by Richard Konkolski (USA),
rounded Cape Horn February 21, and has taken over 4th in Class II,
just 10 miles ahead of Hal Roth's AMERICAN FLAG (USA). Roth
rounded Cape Horn about six hours ahead of Konkolski, but pulled
into an anchorage on East Falkland Island for a few hours to make
some repairs. American Mark Schrader is almost 300 miles behind
Roth on his heavy cruising boat LONE STAR. He is taking an
easterly route towards Rio, trying to avoid the calms that have
affected those on the western side of the course.
The youngest competitor in the fleet, 26-year-old Canadian John
Hughes, continues slow, but steady, progress towards South America
under jury-rig after being dismasted two weeks ago. He is
currently approximately 2,200 miles from Cape Horn, and has
notified Race Headquarters that he has decided to by-pass Chile,
the initial intended port for the determined young skipper to
replace his mast and sails. Instead, Hughes intends to round Cape
Horn under jury-rig and put into Port Stanley in the Falkland
Islands, about 400 miles past Cape Horn, for a new rig.
Hughes will follow Finn Pentti Salmi into Stanley. Salmi took COLT
BY RETTIG, currently running 15th in fleet, and 7th in Class II,
past Cape Horn February 24. Salmi plans to put into Port Stanley
to repair his roller furling and autopilot. He is expected to
arrive February 26, and leave the same day.
The BOC fleet, now numbering 16, departed Sydney on January 18.
The re-start date for Leg IV, from Rio back to Newport, Rhode
Island, site of the Race start, will be April 11.
The BOC Challenge 1986-87 is sponsored by The BOC Group, a
multinational company with headquarters in the U.K. and the U.S.
whose primary businesses include industrial gases and health-care
products and services.
B.O.C. CHALLENGE 1986 - 1987
LEG 3 SYDNEY - RIO DE JANEIRO
No 161
GENERAL PLACING
INTERPOLATED AT 3 2 11 H 00 M GMT
-C-N-E-S- SERVICE ARGOS 03-02-1987 AT 15:27 GMT
***********************************************************************
No BOAT SKIPPER SAIL NUMBER CLASS
NATIONALITY DIST TO GO LAT * LONG. DATES
***********************************************************************
1 CREDIT AGRICOLE III PH.JEANTOT 85 1
FRANCE 00000 23 0 S * 43 11 W 054/2146
2 ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE T.LAMAZOU 11 1
FRANCE 00000 23 0 S * 43 11 W 055/0115
3 UAP-MED. SANS FRONTIERES J.Y.TERLAIN 47072929 1
FRANCE 00000 23 0 S * 43 11 W 058/1354
4 BISCUIT LU G.BERNARDIN 86 1
USA 102 24 28 S * 42 17 W 061/1111
5 TUNA MARINE J.MARTIN SA8 1
SO. AFRICA 120 24 56 S * 42 42 W 061/1116
6 LET'S GO 2 J.L.VAN DEN HEE F8 2
FRANCE 324 28 8 S * 41 22 W 061/1117
7 STABILO BOSS B.REED 100 1
SO.AFRICA 324 28 23 S * 42 54 W 061/1117
8 TRIPLE M/SPIRIT OF SYDNEY I.KIERNAN 105 1
AUSTRALIA 370 29 8 S * 42 43 W 061/1117
9 AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR 2 M.PLANT 5 2
U.S.A. 415 29 54 S * 42 60 W 061/1118
10 LEGEND SECURITIES D.WHITE 10 1
U.S.A. 879 36 56 S * 48 19 W 061/1120
11 BELMONT FINLAND 2 H.HARKIMO 25 2
FINLAND 948 38 7 S * 48 29 W 061/1119
12 DECLARATION OF INDEP. 2 R.KONKOLSKI 17 2
U.S.A. 1002 39 26 S * 46 28 W 061/1121
13 AMERICAN FLAG 2 H.ROTH 7 2
U.S.A. 1041 39 56 S * 47 27 W 061/1121
14 LONE STAR 2 M.SCHRADER 47 2
U.S.A. 1307 44 3 S * 49 55 W 061/1122
15 COLT BY RETTIG 2 P.SALMI 140 2
FINLAND 1363 45 2 S * 49 47 W 061/1122
16 JOSEPH YOUNG 2 J.HUGHES 9 2
CANADA 4194 52 24 S * 124 3 W 061/1112
|
| 395.44 | PRESS RELEASE #26 | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Mon Mar 16 1987 14:27 | 448 |
| THE BOC CHALLENGE 1986-87
RACE UPDATE # 26
RIO WELCOMES TERLAIN, BERNARDIN AND MARTIN DURING CARNIVAL;
VAN DEN HEEDE TAKES OVER CLASS II
The festive atmosphere that pervades Rio de Janeiro, host city for
the third stopover of The BOC Challenge, during its annual Carnival
celebration was in full evidence this past week for the arrivals of
three more BOC sailors, Jean-Yves Terlain (UAP POUR MEDICINS SANS
FRONTIERES/France), Guy Bernardin (BISCUITS LU/USA), and John
Martin (TUNA MARINE/South Africa).
And, while Rio was welcoming his fellow sailors into port,
Frenchman Jean-Luc Van Den Heede was quietly having his own
celebration -- for overtaking his main Class II rival and moving
into first place among the fleet's smaller boats with his 45-foot
marvel, LET'S GO.
The week began with the arrival of the third skipper to finish Leg
III of this around-the-world yacht race, Terlain, who was given a
full carioca welcome to Rio.
After coaxing his 60-foot, bright yellow boat, UAP pour MEDECINS
SANS FRONTIERES, over the finish line at 10:54.18 local (13:54.18
GMT) in a barely perceptible breeze, the Frenchman was feted in
true "Carnival" form at the Rio de Janeiro Yacht Club dock.
Complete with a costumed samba band, scantily-clothed native
dancers, confetti, streamers, 100 dancing onlookers -- and, of
course, the traditional bottle of French champagne -- a party was
in full swing to signify the completion of Terlain's 8,300-mile
passage from Sydney, second stopover of the Race.
Looking quite happy with his unusual reception, Terlain, who
managed the Sydney-to-Rio leg of this solo sailing marathon in 40
days, 09 hours, 54 minutes, 18 seconds, said, "I think I'm going to
like this place!" He will have plenty of time to enjoy his new
surroundings; his speedy time into port allows the Frenchman more
than six weeks before the start of the final leg of the Race back
to Newport, Rhode Island.
Terlain's total elapsed time for the first three legs of the race
is 119 days, 07 hours, 34 minutes, 33 seconds. Going into this
leg, Terlain held fifth place overall, for in spite of a
third-place showing on the second leg (Cape Town to Sydney),
Terlain had had a poor first leg from Newport, site of the Race
start on August 30, 1986, to Cape Town, the first stopover port.
When asked how this third leg had been, Terlain echoed the
sentiments of the two BOC skippers, Philippe Jeantot (CREDIT
AGRICOLE/France) and Titouan Lamazou (ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE/France),
who had preceded him into port: "Much, much easier than Leg II. I
did have some engine and autopilot problems, and injured my hand
which hampered me somewhat, but overall things went smoothly," he
said.
Terlain had been vying for first place with Jeantot, the ultimate
Leg winner, and Lamazou, the Leg II victor, for the first few weeks
out of Sydney. He fell into a bad weather pattern, however, which
slowed him down just long enough to let his two fellow countrymen
sneak by him. "After that," said Terlain, "I really did not have
much of a chance to catch them." He did, however, hold onto third
place in convincing fashion for the remainder of the Leg from
Sydney, the longest, and typically most arduous, portion of the
27,000-mile circumnavigation.
Terlain, whose boat bears the name of the international charity
which provides needy Third-World countries with medical support,
talked about his memorable rounding of Cape Horn with a failed
generator and autopilot in a 45-knot gale. "I looked at the
engine, and it was half underwater," he explained. "It had just
died. So, right in the middle of the gale, which was rather bumpy,
I stopped sailing and took the entire engine apart, piece by piece,
on the chart table.
"I figured that if I didn't try to fix the generator, I would be
without my autopilot for the rest of the trip to Rio, which would
have added several days to my time. I had never actually taken
apart an engine before," he smiled, "but I figured, 'now is as good
a time as any to learn!'" Terlain painstakingly disassembled the
engine and dried each piece with towels and compressed air from a
diving tank; the effort took him five hours. It paid off, however;
after reassmebling the engine, it started again on the second try.
"I will never forget that day," he mused.
Terlain also explained how he had severely cut his left hand. "It
was just two days before Cape Horn," he recalled, "and I was
cutting a piece of bread in two. I had done it so many times
before without paying much attention, but I had just spent one hour
before that sharpening the knife with a stone. I wasn't looking at
what I was doing, and the knife slipped." The newly sharpened
utensil sliced right through Terlain's hand to the bone.
He managed to stem the flow of blood by keeping the hand tightly
bandaged for days, and padded it heavily so that he could still use
the hand for more rigorous maneuvers. "But I didn't do things like
use the spinnaker poles for the rest of the trip," he said.
Terlain said that UAP pour MSF was in very good shape after her
Southern Ocean crossing. In addition to known problems, a broken
oil pump in the engine and a slightly loose rudder, Terlain said he
would go over the boat thoroughly with his shoreside crew during
the next week to determine what other work will need to be done
during the remainder of the stopover. "But for the next few days,"
he grinned, "it's 'Carnival' time!" And, true to his word, the
affable Frenchman spent much of the ensuing few days following his
arrival practicing the samba.
Following Terlain into port at the tail-end of this infamous party
weekend, with only two hours separating them, were newly-
naturalized American citizen, Guy Bernardin of Rhode Island, and
BOC Leg I winner, South African John Martin.
Having waged a neck-and-neck battle up the entire South American
coast from Cape Horn, Bernardin managed to squeeze ahead of Martin
during the final approach to port, and arrived first, at 00:52.00
Local (03:52.00 GMT) on Tuesday, March 2.
Both men had suffered the light winds typically found off the
Brazilian coast after rounding Cape Horn within two hours of each
other on 15 February. Martin, whose 1981 Lavranos-designed TUNA
MARINE is one of the oldest boats in the Race, actually held a
slight edge over Bernardin rounding the Horn, but was forced to put
into Deceit Island, just 10 miles east of the infamous landmark, to
stabilize the boat's mast, which had lost both of its running
backstays during the trip. Even though the repair cost Martin only
one hour in time, it allowed Bernardin, sailing the 60-foot "Cookie
Boat," BISCUITS LU, to gain precious miles which Martin failed to
recoup coming up the coast.
The two skippers were in sight of each other for one entire day
near Isla de los Estados (Staten Island), when both boats were on a
beat. After that, however, a fog bank crept in, and the boats
parted company. Although never more than 37 miles apart, and
generally about 20 miles apart, the boats didn't see each other
again until they were being towed into Rio Harbor together after
crossing the finish line.
On the penultimate night of the voyage, both men had found
favorable winds and approached Rio making a steady eight knots.
Bernardin held onto the breeze long enough for it to help him over
the finish line; Martin, however, found himself windless just one
mile from the line: "Absolutely nothing, no wind, nothing," he
said. It took him one hour to cover the final mile of the course,
coaxing his 60-footer over the line at 02:56.44 Local (05:56.44
GMT).
Bernardin's time for Leg III was 43 days, 23 hours, 52 minutes, 00
seconds, and his total elapsed time for the voyage so far is 120
days, 06 hours, 51 minutes, 57 seconds. Martin sailed the Sydney
to Rio passage in 44 days, 01 hours, 56 minutes, 44 seconds, giving
him a total elapsed time of 121 days, 07 hours, 23 minutes, 40
seconds. While both men bettered the winning time of Jeantot in
the 1982-83 BOC (47 days, 23 hours), they each fell one spot in
overall standings, with Jean-Yves Terlain moving up into third
position overall, and Bernardin and Martin each moving down one
slot to fourth and fifth overall, respectively.
For Bernardin, who had been plagued with roller-furling and gear
failure problems during the first two legs, the trip to Rio from
Sydney was "...almost a bore! I had no problems compared to the
other legs; two out of my three autopilots failed after the first
week, and I had other minor setbacks, but in general everything
worked fine."
One of 10 finishers of the first BOC Challenge, held during
1982-83, Bernardin said in comparison: "I am glad I did the last
BOC, because I would have been very disappointed this time. We
should have had heavy weather on this leg, which is typical of the
Southern Ocean; we had very difficult conditions four years ago.
But I had only one gale this time," explained the former
restauranteur, "when I was just before Cape Horn and it hit 60
knots. Other than that, the wind hardly ever went above 30 knots.
Unfortunately, there was nothing special about this crossing," he
said.
Bernardin did see Cape Horn on a sunny day, something that most of
the sailors, particularly "first-time-rounders," hope for, passing
within one mile of it. Cape Horn was also the furthest south
Bernardin went: "Yes, to 56.30 South, that is as far as I went,"
he explained. "That was my plan. I didn't want to go any further
south like the others. I give them credit, but was not going to
follow them. I went only as far south as I had to," he said.
Bernardin talked about the the Southern Ocean conditions he
encountered, which he described as "...very mild and unusually
warm. The coldest it got was 10 degrees Celsius (about 50 degrees
Farenheit); I wore just a T-shirt some nights; nothing like the
cold we expected!"
His most unusual experience during the voyage was two weeks before
Cape Horn, when a baby seal washed into the cockpit of BISCUITS LU.
"I didn't know who was more startled, me or the seal!" The mammal
followed the boat for several days, feeding off the Burry Lu
biscuits and cookies that Bernardin always has in ample supply on
board. The supply was intended for one person, though, and when
the biscuits were gone, so was the seal.
Owing to the light weather conditions, Bernardin says he has only
minor repairs to make on board BISCUITS LU:"...my water pump, a
running backstay, the wind direction indicator, the winches...
that's really about it," he shrugged.
Martin, who, after winning Leg I into his homeport had everything
possible go wrong on Leg II, described this leg as "...a picnic
compared to the last. The conditions were nothing like I had
expected; you know, you "psyche" yourself up for the worst. But I
had no autopilot problems, no other serious difficulties except
that both of my running backstays parted and, eventually, I had to
put in to correct the problem.
"The first backstay parted at the end of the first week. I had
been one of the frontrunners after the Sydney start, but got caught
in a low pressure area south of New Zealand that the French
anticipated and went around. Then, the backstay parted and I
dropped back. The French guys slipped around the low and around
me!
"After that, I just followed the way points and stayed at around 55
South. Going to 60 degrees South, straight away after the start,
was my plan, and I had decided to stay at 60 degrees even though I
knew Philippe would go further. But after the backstay parted and
I hit the bad weather, I was miles behind the French. There was no
point in chasing them -- once Jeantot is gone, he's gone -- so I
just raced my own race, driving the boat as hard as I could."
TUNA MARINE's second backstay parted one week before he rounded
Cape Horn. "Everything was going quite well until the Horn," he
recalled, "in fact, it was unexpectedly pleasant. Then, the second
backstay went. I didn't have any secure means of holding the mast
together at that point; it's pyschologically damaging knowing that
you can't push the boat, and I couldn't on an upwind beat. Also, I
had three gales during the week before the Horn."
"The race became a bit tedious then. I managed to put into Deceit
Island, where Bertie (Reed, sailing STABILO BOSS) had put in four
years ago to get help. There was no one around to help, though, so
I found a very calm area and fashioned a make-shift backstay using
kevlar line that I had on board. I wrapped it around the
spreaders, then the front of the mast, the down the side of the
mast. It apparently worked O.K., because I pushed the boat as hard
as I could coming up the coast, and it held until I got here," the
32-year-old master mariner said.
Were he not pushing the boat, and, consequently, awake at the helm
as he came up the coast, Martin may not have been as lucky with a
close call he had with a merchant ship. "It was the closest shave
I've ever had in all my years of being on the water," Martin said.
"It was a crystal clear night -- just beautiful, one where you can
see forever into the black night -- and I saw a ship on the
horizon. I watched it, watched it, watched it...took a position on
it, and knew that we were on a dead-center collision course.
"I had the spinnaker up and was at the helm, because I was trying
to beat Guy," he explained, "otherwise, I would have been asleep.
When the ship was one mile off, I called him and said, 'I'm on your
starboard side...do you see me?' 'Sure I do,' he said. But he
just held course anyway, and at the last moment, I had to
broach-to, flattening the boat out, and let the guy go by; he was
only 250 yards away," said Martin, shaking his head.
Martin also had to deal with gas- rationing, the result of an empty
propane bottle when a slow leak in his regulator went undetected.
"I smelled something; I knew it was leaking, but I didn't think it
was bad. Well, the bottle that was supposed to last three weeks
lasted three days." Martin, who was 10 days before the Horn, had
to take stock of all his tinned food, because 90 percent of his
food is a dehydrated, soybean-based product which must be cooked to
be eaten. "I had 15 days worth of tinned food there, so it was hot
tea and coffee, and cold, tinned food, for the rest of the trip.
Cold baked beans and bully beef for breakfast," he grimaced,
"Yuck!" Martin arrived in port with three remaining tins of food.
Of his surroundings on this leg, Martin said, "...vast and empty.
There was no bird life until we were within 1,500 miles of the
coast, but I did see some great fish." Other than the typical
flying fish many of the sailors see, Martin had a dolphin accompany
him alongside for one week: "I watched him for hours; he was
fascinating." In addition, Martin saw a whale and "enormous game
fish, like marlin, with a tremendous dorsal fin" coming up the
Brazilian coast. "They created incredible turbulence in the
water," he said.
Other than having his engine serviced, alternator and boomvang
fixed and a problematic mainsail repaired, Martin said he has
"...bits and pieces to do in the next five weeks. After the last
stopover, where I worked day and night to repair everything, this
is a pleasure."
BOC fleet leader Philippe Jeantot, who arrived in Rio on 23 March,
had his own share of enjoyment during the past week. The
34-year-old Frenchman paid full heed to the addage, "When in Rome,
do as the Romans," as he joined one of Rio's best-known samba
schools during the opening ceremonies of Carnival, the annual
four-day-long, frenzied celebration of music and dancing which
sweeps the city heralding the Lenten season.
Jeantot samba'ed his way into the wee hours of the morning as one
of the lead dancers in the samba school's group, which numbered
1,500. Jeantot was invited to portray a male dancer in the King
Louis XV era, and donned the full garb, consisting of the typical
white wig, tights, bloomers and cape for the occasion.
"It was absolutely fantastic," crowed an exhilirated Jeantot
afterwards. "So many people who did not know each other, dancing
together, smiling and laughing -- all so friendly." Jeantot's
group won first place in the competition that night, and has been
invited back for more competition next week. Jeantot, however,
will not be among the dancers; the few nights of non-stop dancing
and no sleep produced a full-blown cold for the new samba star.
"Going around Cape Horn is easier than surviving Carnival," sniffed
a tired, but still-smiling, Jeantot.
Arriving just after the parties, but with just as much reason to
celebrate, will be Jean-Luc Van Den Heede, who overtook Class II
leader Mike Plant (AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR/USA) during the past week and
moved into first place among Class II boats for this Leg. Van Den
Heede, the mathematics teacher who is taking a sabbatical for one
year "from homework," has proved that bigger isn't necessarily
better. Taking advantage of the lighter air, and drawing on his
own skill and tenacity, the likeable Frenchman artfully maneuvered
his 45-foot, 10,000-pound sloop past several Class I boats, as well
as Plant, during the past several days.
Plant, of Jamestown, Rhode Island, was ahead of Van Den Heede by
some six days in overall time going into this leg, rounded Cape
Horn 25 hours ahead of Van Den Heede. However, by press time, the
positions had virtually reversed, with Van Den Heede some 75 miles
ahead of Plant and expected to arrive in port approximately one day
before the American.
In addition to having the advantage of a lighter boat, Van Den
Heede had access this leg to sophisticated weather information from
France, courtesy of fellow competitor Titouan Lamazou. The
information helped Van Den Heede avoid high pressure areas and find
more favorable winds coming up the South American coast. The
primary factor in his success, however, is undoubtedly his own
talents and perseverance.
Plant, whose Rodger-Martin designed sloop has kept pace with many
of the Class I boats throughout the Race, has not had a stellar
leg, having suffered sail damage, autopilot and instrumentation
failure and a myriad of other setbacks. Plant chose the west side
of the course coming up from Cape Horn, and it proved incorrect,
for the sailor fell into several light air pockets and could not
recapture his first-place spot from Van Den Heede.
Van Den Heede, at press time, was within miles of crossing the
finish line in Rio, along with Class I competitor Bertie Reed on
STABILO BOSS. Reed, whose enormous 60-footer, and former Whitbread
boat, bears the name of a stationery company, had his capable hands
full the past few days contending with Van Den Heede. The two
exchanged leads almost daily, were often in sight of each other and
less than one mile apart, and were so close just miles from the
finish line that Van Den Heede, ever the comedian, said to Race
Headquarters: "We are having our own America's Cup; when Bertie
tacks to starboard, I tack to starboard. When he tacks to port, I
tack to port to cover him!"
Just ahead of Plant, and fighting a losing battle to the high
pressure system currently hanging over Brazil, is Australia's Ian
Kiernan. Kiernan, whose 60-footer, TRIPLE M/SPIRIT OF SYDNEY, has
not fared too well in the lighter air, was about 50 miles from the
Copacabana finish line at press time and was expected to cross the
line on 5 March, along with Plant.
Behind Plant, still holding third place among Class II boats, is
Harry Harkimo sailing BELMONT FINLAND. The 32-year-old Finn has
covered appproximately 1,000 miles in the past seven days, and has
slightly less than 500 miles to go. He is expected into Rio around
March 10.
Just 20 miles behind Harkimo is American David White, skipper of
the 56-foot Class I boat, LEGEND SECURITIES. White has encountered
the omnipresent light winds along the coast, and, judging from his
recent progress, has had virtually no wind for the past few days.
Following White, in order of distance to Rio, were: Richard
Konkolski (DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE/USA - Class II), who is
currently fourth in Class with approximately 520 miles to go; Hal
Roth (AMERICAN FLAG/USA - Class II), running fifth in Class with
about 550 miles to go; Mark Schrader (LONE STAR/USA - Class II),
sixth in Class with 920 miles to go; and Pentti Salmi (COLT BY
RETTIG/Finland - Class II), with about 950 miles to go. Salmi, who
put into Port Stanley earlier in the week to weld an autopilot
bracket and repair his roller-furling gear, was on his way again
after only a few hours.
The final BOC competitor, Canadian John Hughes, continues his
diligent trek under jury-rig toward Port Stanley in the Falkland
Islands. Hughes, whose 42-foot JOSEPH YOUNG was dismasted in early
February, had picked up speed during the week, and was moving along
at about five knots in SSE winds. He covered some 92 miles in 19
hours between March 2 - 3, and could continue at that pace if the
wind does not come around to the East to give him headwinds.
03/13/87 2353 Hrs EST
B.O.C. CHALLENGE 1986 - 1987
LEG 3 SYDNEY - RIO DE JANEIRO
No 198
GENERAL PLACING
INTERPOLATED AT 3 13 12 H 25 M GMT
-C-N-E-S- SERVICE ARGOS 03-13-1987 AT 19:01 GMT
***********************************************************************
No BOAT SKIPPER SAIL NUMBER CLASS
NATIONALITY DIST TO GO LAT * LONG. DATES
***********************************************************************
1 LEGEND SECURITIES D.WHITE 10 1
U.S.A. 00000 23 0 S * 43 11 W 010/1256
2 BELMONT FINLAND 2 H.HARKIMO 25 2
FINLAND 00000 23 0 S * 43 11 W 010/1526
3 DECLARATION OF INDEP. 2 R.KONKOLSKI 17 2
U.S.A. 00000 23 0 S * 43 11 W 010/1526
4 LONE STAR 2 M.SCHRADER 47 2
U.S.A. 00000 23 0 S * 43 11 W 011/1242
5 COLT BY RETTIG 2 P.SALMI 140 2
FINLAND 00000 23 0 S * 43 11 W 011/1329
6 CREDIT AGRICOLE III PH.JEANTOT 85 1
FRANCE 00000 23 0 S * 43 11 W 054/2146
7 ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE T.LAMAZOU 11 1
FRANCE 00000 23 0 S * 43 11 W 055/0115
8 UAP-MED. SANS FRONTIERES J.Y.TERLAIN 47072929 1
FRANCE 00000 23 0 S * 43 11 W 058/1354
9 BISCUIT LU G.BERNARDIN 86 1
USA 00000 23 0 S * 43 11 W 062/0352
10 TUNA MARINE J.MARTIN SA8 1
SO. AFRICA 00000 23 0 S * 43 11 W 062/0557
11 LET'S GO 2 J.L.VAN DEN HEE F8 2
FRANCE 00000 23 0 S * 43 11 W 064/0156
12 STABILO BOSS B.REED 100 1
SO.AFRICA 00000 23 0 S * 43 11 W 064/0310
13 TRIPLE M/SPIRIT OF SYDNEY I.KIERNAN 105 1
AUSTRALIA 00000 23 0 S * 43 11 W 064/2243
14 AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR 2 M.PLANT 5 2
U.S.A. 00000 23 0 S * 43 11 W 065/0700
15 AMERICAN FLAG 2 H.ROTH 7 2
U.S.A. 00000 23 0 S * 43 11 W 069/1247
16 JOSEPH YOUNG 2 J.HUGHES 9 2
CANADA 3138 54 22 S * 93 17 W 072/1224
|
| 395.45 | PRESS RELEASE #27 | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Mon Mar 23 1987 10:05 | 482 |
| THE BOC CHALLENGE 1986-87
RACE UPDATE # 27
EIGHT MORE SKIPPERS ARRIVE IN RIO,
LED BY CLASS II WINNER VAN DEN HEEDE;
JOSEPH YOUNG MAKES STEADY PROGRESS TOWARDS CAPE HORN
The docks of Rio de Janeiro Yacht Club were busy this past week
with the arrivals of eight more BOC solo sailors into port, as they
finished the third and longest leg of this around-the-world yacht
race.
Leading the pack was Frenchman Jean-Luc Van Den Heede, sailing his
45-foot marvel LET'S GO, who out-maneuvered Class II leader Mike
Plant and arrived into Rio first to capture line honors among Class
II boats for Leg III. Crossing the finish line off Copacabana
Beach at 22:56.09 Local on March 4 (01:56.09 GMT on March 5), Van
Den Heede was little more than one hour ahead of BOC veteran Bertie
Reed, who sailed the Class I 60-foot STABILO BOSS over the line
just after midnight on March 5.
Both men had battled light air in their approach to Rio, trading
places on several occasions before the 42-year-old Frenchman eked
out a slight lead over Reed and, with help from the prevailing
current, held onto it for the last few miles. LET'S GO, weighing
only 10,000 pounds, has enjoyed a distinct advantage over several
other heavier boats in the fleet since meeting with light winds
after rounding Cape Horn.
"I feel fantastic," exclaimed Van Den Heede, when asked how it felt
to arrive first in Class and ahead of larger Class I yachts. "I
wanted to win this leg more than anything, more than any other,
because it was the leg with Cape Horn," he said. "I cannot explain
all of my emotions to you and how happy I am. I am doing well on
handicap, too, and that makes me feel good."
Van Den Heede, who has placed first on handicap on each leg to
date, did the Sydney-to-Rio passage in 45 D, 21 H, 56 M, 09 S --
almost two full days faster than Philippe Jeantot, the 1982-83 BOC
winner, and current leader, who travelled the same distance four
years ago in 47 D, 23 H. Van Den Heede's Total Elapsed Time for
Legs I-III is 134 D, 02 H, 56 m, 56 S, placing him second in Class
and eighth overall.
"When I bought my boat and was preparing for the BOC Race, all of
my thoughts and preparations were aimed at being first," he said.
"But when I got to Newport at the start and saw all the other boats
in Class II, I was very, very afraid. If someone had said to me in
Newport, 'You are going to win the third leg,' I would have said,
'No way!'"
"But through the Race, I have seen the differences in the boats and
how everyone is doing. In this kind of race, it is a couple
between the boat and the skipper, and I think some of the couples
might be better pairs than others. I think my couple is good; I am
in love with my boat," he grinned.
For Van Den Heede, a mathematics teacher who has taken a year's
sabbatical, the third leg of the Race, through the Southern Ocean
and around Cape Horn, was "...exactly as I expected it." Unlike
several of his competitors, Van Den Heede did experience heavy
weather during the 8,400-mile voyage. The night he rounded the
southern tip of New Zealand, LET'S GO endured 50-knot headwinds for
eight hours. On another occasion, he described having such strong
winds that he took all of his sails down. "I don't know how strong
the winds were, but it was much more than 50 knots," he said.
And Cape Horn? "Simply fantastic," he smiled. "I simply could not
dream of a better passage." Van Den Heede described the conditions
that swept him around the well-known landmark at an incredible 24
knots. "The day was just dawning, I could just see the light
coming...then a low came through and the wind changed to the
southwest. It was perfect conditions for me, so I decided to go
close to the Horn.
"By the time I got close, it was mid-day and there was beautiful
sun. The wind began to pick up -- it went to 30 knots, then 35,
and the waves became shorter and shorter, and the wind kept
increasing, up over 50 knots. I was making tremendous speeds,
surfing at more than 20 knots. And my top speed was over 24 knots!
I covered 160 miles during the daylight, in 13 hours, averaging 11
knots...what a memory," he smiled, now sporting a pierced ear
which, in seagoing tradition, signifies a rounding of the Horn.
The leg from Sydney did not have a particularly auspicious
beginning for the gregarious Frenchman, however. "I had a good
start, but then I had bad winds. It seemed I couldn't avoid them;
everywhere I went for the first week or so, I had the wrong winds
for my boat. AIRCO was gaining 30 miles per day on me. Then
suddenly, I had a lot of good downwinds so I could go...and I did!"
Van Den Heede explained how he thought he was able to wrench first
place from Plant, the 36-year-old American sailing the 50-foot
AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR. "I was still quite far behind after Cape Horn;
I had 300-350 miles to catch up and I thought it was finished for
me. But I first thought, 'I may have a little chance to catch him
(Plant)' when he went to the West of the Falkland Islands. I
thought that was a mistake. But I was afraid that, as soon as he
knew I was going east, he would come to cover me.
"I avoided chatting on the radio so that I wouldn't have to say
what I was doing," he said. "So when Mike finally realized how far
east I was heading, it was too late for him; he would have lost too
much time to follow me. So he had no choice but to continue, and
he fell into calms. And that really was it."
Van Den Heede benefitted from sophisticated weather information he
received from fellow competitor Titouan Lamazou (ECUREUIL
D'AQUITAINE) to guide him through the Southern Ocean and up the
coast of South America. "There was a lot more wind further east,
so I thought I would head east first, then go north. My actual
progress towards Rio was much better than the ARGOS reports were
showing," explained Van Den Heede, who went as much as 10 degrees
further east than some his fellow sailors.
Of the damage LET'S GO sustained during the trip, Van Den Heede
said he has only "...little problems with little things. Both
spinnakers, which are old, need repairs, and if I have any money, I
will buy a new spinnaker for the last leg." Van Den Heede spent
many hours repairing the spinnakers on board. At one point, he
toiled over his best chute for 20 hours, only to have it blow again
after being up for 10 minutes. He was left with only his
ultra-light spinnaker for the last few days into port, which, as it
turned out, was the correct one to have.
Of the remaining leg back to Newport, Rhode Island, and the final
outcome of the Race, Van Den Heede is fairly pragmatic. "Mike
(Plant) will win the Race in Class II. I can not catch him now,
but he let me win this one leg!
"I am very happy with things right now. But I am a bit concerned
about the last leg, because I do not want to push the boat too hard
and break something; I just want to arrive in normal position. If
I just arrive, I will be second in Class and first on handicap.
Before I did not have anything to lose -- now I do. I won't
push," said Van Den Heede, "...well, I say that now, but maybe I
will!"
For South African sailor Bertie Reed, a man who has spent most of
his life on the water, the 8,400-mile sail from Sydney was "...run
of the mill." Reed followed Van Den Heede over the finish line in
Rio by little more than one hour, arriving at 00:10.31 local
(03:10.31 GMT) on March 5, after what he described as "...an
uneventful trip."
"I guess, like everybody else, I didn't have enough heavy weather,
and the winds weren't strong enough," said Reed, whose third leg
time was 45 D, 23 H, 10 M, 31 S, some four days faster than his
1982-83 BOC time in the 49-foot VOORTREKKER. His total elapsed
time for Legs I-III is 137 D, 11 H, 00 M, 02 S, placing him seventh
in Class I and ninth overall, a position which is rather
disappointing to Reed, who placed second behind Jeantot four years
ago.
"I have a good light-air boat, which was right for the conditions
we had, but I was off the pace a bit," he explained. "STABILO BOSS
is a great boat, but I think she was meant for a few more people."
The 60-footer is the former Whitbread around-the-world boat, DISQUE
D'OR, and was not modified for singlehanding before Reed took over
the helm.
"Regardless," said the popular skipper, "I had a good time on this
leg talking with some of the other guys. It's a very special group
of people we have here doing this race. Even though I am not doing
as well as I would have hoped this time around, it is still worth
it for me. There is nothing else like this race."
Reed admits that he is hoping to be one of the first boats into
Newport at the finish in May. "The key to doing well on this last
leg will be getting up the Brazilian coast quickly during the first
few days after the start from Rio," he explained. "That is where
the ultimate winners will have made their move, because after that
we will hit the Tradewinds, and everyone will have good winds. Of
course, it will help to have a boat that can move in lighter air,
and a skipper with a bit of knowledge who has sailed those waters
before. Who knows," shrugged the seasoned vet with a grin, "I may
still pull a rabbit out of my hat after all!"
Also looking for a bit of good fortune on the last leg will be
Australia's Ian Kiernan, who followed Reed into Rio on March 5.
Kiernan and his 60-footer, TRIPLE M/SPIRIT OF SYDNEY, were pushed
over the line at 19:43.23 local (22:43.23 GMT) by a light wind
which appeared after Kiernan had sat, virtually becalmed, for the
last 24 hours before finishing. Kiernan's Leg III time was 46 D,
18 H, 43 M, 23 S, which gives him a total elapsed time of 130 D, 09
H, 45 M, 47 S, putting him sixth in Class and seventh overall.
"I'm happy to be here, but am a bit disappointed," he admitted.
"SPIRIT is a fast boat when there is breeze, but I was lucky if I
saw three days of heavy weather -- upwards of 35 knots -- this
leg." The conditions which carried Kiernan from Sydney to Rio
averaged 15 - 20 knots, a good bit less than what he was hoping
for. "I had a half-ounce spinnaker up for the last eight days
before Rio; I've never needed to do that before in my life!
"I'm not very patient in light conditions; I find it difficult
because it's not very exciting," said Kiernan. "And it's also a
lot more taxing: more sail changes, more sail trimming, gybing,
back and forth work. Most of my sailing and my achievements have
been in heavy weather. I much prefer strong conditions; they suit
me. However, I think to be a good, all-around sailor you've got to
be good at light as well as heavy weather."
The weather was also uncharacteristically warm; Kiernan reported
several times that he was sailing in just his T-shirt. "It was not
typical 'Southern Ocean' weather," he said. "I took a seawater
bath at 53 degrees south, and the water -- it was a tropical blue
-- was 60 degrees Farenheit. That's warmer than the water I swim
in back home in Sydney!"
In talking about the performance of his boat on this past leg,
Kiernan said that the Ben Lexcen design was lightened by almost one
ton in Sydney to make her more competitive in the anticipated light
winds, but it wasn't quite enough. "If we hadn't pulled out the
centerboards (in Sydney), I'd still be out there (sailing) now. My
light-weather performance is much improved, but I'd like to take
even more weight out of the boat -- perhaps another half-ton -- for
the last leg."
"I also wish that I had a taller rig. Just look at how my rig
compares to the other Class I yachts. It's a fantastic rig, but
it's too short. It became a very serious problem on this leg when
the wind strength went down; I just couldn't move. I do know,
though, that SPIRIT can perform up to the standards of the other
(Class I) boats; I proved that to myself on the second leg. The
next leg, I'll just try to get a very good start and move quickly
up the coast; those first few hundred miles will be crucial.
Kiernan spoke about his rounding of Cape Horn and passage through
the Strait de le Maire, the passage just east of Cape Horn between
the land and Staten Island notorious for its raging counter-
currents and severe weather. "Bertie (Reed/STABILO BOSS) and I
went around the Horn on the same day; I passed at sunrise -- it was
beautiful -- and Bertie passed through at dusk. We were nearly
becalmed after the Horn, but then when got to the Straits, all that
changed.
"The wind began gusting up to 50 knots, and the seas were very
large and quite steep. I went straight up the middle; I thought I
was doing the right thing. But the bloody current! I was making
10.5 knots, and wasn't going anywhere; I was standing still! It
took me hours to get through...I wasn't sure I'd make it."
His disappointing trip notwithstanding, Kiernan still feels that he
can finish up well, and he has thoroughly enjoyed the voyage so
far. "I think about what we have all accomplished, regardless of
our relative positions; I mean, this last leg we've sailed across
three Oceans -- the Tasman, Southern Ocean and South Atlantic
again. It was amazing to me -- when I got to the Horn, I
thought, 'It was only 93 days ago that I was here in the South
Atlantic, heading for Cape Town.' The world is really not that big
a place!"
Arriving into Rio less than 12 hours after Kiernan, and
unannounced, was Class II leader Mike Plant, sailing AIRCO
DISTRIBUTOR. Because of radio difficulties between Plant and the
BOC Race Office on his final approach to Rio, the 36-year-old
American slipped across the finish line and sailed, unnoticed, into
Rio Harbor early on the morning of March 6. His finish time, taken
by Plant, was 04:00.00 a.m. (07:00.00 GMT).
Placing second in Class II on this leg, but still the overall
leader among Class II boats, Plant's time for LEG III was 47 D, 03
H, 00 M, 00 S, some 20 hours better than Philippe Jeantot's winning
time in 1982-83 for Leg III. Plant's total elapsed time for Legs
I-III is 129 D, 10 H, 34 M, 22 S, which puts him sixth overall to
date, ahead of three Class I boats.
"The last five or six days prior to the finish were crazy," said
Plant after tying up at the Rio de Janeiro Yacht Club. "The wind
never went over 10 knots, and my spinnaker never came down. It was
the end of a frustrating trip," he admitted.
This was not Plant's leg. "I had a feeling leaving Sydney that
this leg wouldn't go very well," he said, "and it didn't.
Everything broke that first week; first, it was my forestay. The
entire headstay came undone. The two chainplates which hold the
pro-furling to the deck just tore; I don't even know how it could
have happened," he lamented.
"Two of my three autopilots immediately broke. I thought, 'That
leaves me with one autopilot to go the whole way to Rio, through
the Southern Ocean? There's no way it will hold.' But I did
manage with it, in spite of its many quirks. On its own, without
any provocation, the self-steering would flash into another mode
and the boat would go hard over. If I had a spinnaker up, it would
be deadly."
"In addition, my satellite navigation and weatherfax both packed up
the second day, and I could have torn my hair out over my windvane.
I could never get it to sail the boat for more than 30 minutes at
a time. As soon as the wind died, or increased, more than two
knots, it would steer a different course. All of this happened
during the first five days out, and I was constantly playing with
everything to try to repair it. It gave me no time to relax; it
was very tiring."
Of his main Class II rival and winner of this leg, Jean-Luc Van Den
Heede, Plant said: "No doubt, he sailed a great leg. I knew right
away I'd have trouble with Jean-Luc this leg, and it began to show
about two weeks before the Horn. We were basically at the same
latitude, but we were getting consistently different weather. At
one point, Jean-Luc was 400 miles behind me, but I was sitting
becalmed -- in the middle of the Southern Ocean! -- and he was
getting much steadier conditions. It was very frustrating."
After both boats rounded Cape Horn -- with Plant still ahead of Van
Den Heede by one day at that point -- Plant headed west of the
Falkland Islands and Van Den Heede to the east. Van Den Heede and
his speedy, light-weight LET'S GO found more winds, and chipped
away the lead Plant had held with AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR. Van Den
Heede's strategy and light-air boat proved too tough to beat;
during the week prior to their arrival in Rio, LET'S GO slipped
ahead of AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR, and held on to win the leg.
Plant told of his spectacular ride through the Straits de le Maire
just after rounding Cape Horn. "I had had a perfect rounding of
the Horn; a nice southwesterly wind during the morning. You could
see the snow-capped mountains in the distance. But I was a bit
apprehensive; you hear all sorts of horror stories about sudden,
violent storms that come out of those mountains. But after I
cleared the last group of rocks, I was becalmed for four hours.
"Then the wind began to fill in from the mountains and the coast.
It steadily got heavier and stronger. By the time I got to the
mouth of the Straits, the wind was at 50 knots, and it just kept
rising. It actually went up over 70 knots! I had to take the
mainsail down and left just the staysail up. Now that's a heavy
sail, but you normally don't keep anything up in that much wind;
but I had to. I had to keep some headway up because the wind was
from the northwest and it was a lee shore. I was fighting not to
slip to leeward. It would have been big trouble; I mean, the boat
was pinned down for what seemed like ages." The winds lasted for
five more hours, then finally subsided.
Plant also described the highlight of the trip: spotting an
iceberg just 300 meters away. "I was working on a sail and saw a
white reflection in the window. I thought, 'It's just the sail,' so
I continued working. I looked up again and thought, 'You know,
that's really not the same color as the sail...' I ran up on deck
and saw it; bigger than life! It was more than 300 feet high and
several hundred yards long. To clear it by more than 100 meters
would have meant a gybe, and I didn't have the time. I scrambled
up the rigging to see where underwater it extended. The walls
looked pretty vertical, so I went for it. I cleared it by 100
meters, but it was pretty scary."
Of the upcoming leg IV, from Rio back to Newport, Rhode Island,
Plant is looking forward to a good race. "It should be the best
leg of the Race; the most interesting, and the most fun. The
tradewinds and the North Atlantic could hold some real surprises."
Following Plant's arrival into port were a flurry of BOC
competitors over the next few days. They were, in order of finish:
March 10:
AMERICAN FLAG (Hal Roth/USA)
Finish time: 09:47.17 Local (12:47.17 GMT)
Leg III Time: 51 D, 08 H, 47 M, 17 S -- Third in Class II
Total Time: 142 D, 06 H, 43 M, 59 S
LEGEND SECURITIES (David White/USA)
Finish time: 09:56.20 Local (12:56.20 GMT)
Leg III Time: 51 D, 08 H, 56 M, 20 S
Total Time: 137 D, 16 H, 40 M, 05 S
BELMONT FINLAND (Harry Harkimo/Finland)
Finish Time: 11:42.20 Local (14:42.20 GMT)
Leg III Time: 51 D, 10 H, 42 M, 20 S
Total Time: 140 D, 07 H, 53 M, 00 S -- Third in Class II
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE (Richard Konkolski/USA)
Finish Time: 12:25.58 Local (15:25.58 GMT)
Leg III Time: 51 D, 11 H, 25 M, 58 S
Total Time: 141 D, 09 H, 42 M, 13 S
March 11:
LONE STAR (Mark Schrader/USA)
Finish Time: 09:42.24 Local (12:42.24 GMT)
Leg III Time: 52 D, 08 H, 42 M, 24 S
Total Time: 145 D, 04 H, 44 M, 14 S
March 11 - continued:
COLT BY RETTIG (Pentti Salmi/Finland)
Finish Time: 10:28.46 Local (13:28.46 GMT)
Leg III Time: 52 D, 09 H, 28 M, 46 S
Total Time: 145 D, 22 H, 51 M, 40 S
We will report on the voyages of each of these sailors in next
week's update.
In the meantime, the final BOC sailor continued his slow, but
steady progress towards Cape Horn, and Rio, this past week.
Canadian John Hughes, sailing the 42-foot JOSEPH YOUNG, enjoyed a
week of heavier winds which carried him more rapidly towards Cape
Horn and Port Stanley, Falkland Islands, where he intends to put in
to replace the rig he lost February 6.
A large group of people from Hughes' hometown area of Halifax, Nova
Scotia, Canada, have joined together to help ensure that the
determined young man finishs this circumnavigation. Sufficient
funds have been raised to purchase a new mast and sails for JOSEPH
YOUNG, at 42 feet the smallest boat left in the Race. They will be
flown to Port Stanley, where a group of people will await the
arrival of Hughes, who is now approximately one week from rounding
Cape Horn. They hope to give Hughes a night's rest and replace the
rig for him, then send him on his way to Rio.
In spite of his misfortune, Hughes has remained in very good
spirits and has vowed, "I'll be in Newport for the prizegiving (May
30)!" He has reported, though, that as of March 15 he was down to
10 litres of drinking water. Physicians recommend that a person
should drink at least one litre a day. Hughes also has on board 30
cans of fruit and potatoes packed in water, which can extend his
drinking supply.
The current weather prognosis calls for westerly winds for the next
several days, which should help JOSEPH YOUNG around the Horn. But
it must be understood that the predictions are based upon scarce
meteorological data, and chances that Hughes will find himself
facing severe headwinds are still very strong. Hughes must balance
the need to stay clear of the land, since his disabled yacht cannot
go against the wind, with the need to be close to water supplies if
he runs any lower.
Since his decision to head for the Falkland Islands instead of
Chile, Hughes has made much better progress, thanks to the stronger
winds at lower latitudes. He recognizes, though, the risks
inherent with such a bold move. We are now observing an historic
battle between man and the sea.
[?3h
****If anyone can help me set 132 column (successfully) in the middle of a
note, please tell me how!!!*****
# # # #
BOC CHALLENGE 1986-87
LEG TIMES AND RUNNING ELAPSED TIMES FOR FLEET
(All times in Days, Hours, Minutes, Seconds)
Yacht/Class Leg I Time (Place) Leg II Time (Place) Leg III Time(Place) Leg IV Time(Place)
Skipper Total I & II Total I-III Final Total
CREDIT AGRICOLE III (1) 42 16 57 35 (2) 28 12 52 43 (2) 36 17 46 53 (1)
Philippe Jeantot (France) 71 05 50 18 (1) 107 23 37 11 (1)
ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE (1) 46 08 04 22 (5) 28 07 13 22 (1) 36 21 15 45 (2)
Titouan Lamazou (France) 74 15 17 44 (2) 111 12 33 29 (2)
UAP-POUR MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES 47 16 44 50 (8) 31 04 55 25 (3) 40 09 54 18 (3)
Jean-Yves Terlain (France) 78 21 40 15 (5) 119 07 34 33 (3)
BISCUITS LU (1) 43 05 58 43 (3) 33 01 01 14 (5) 43 20 52 50 (4)
Guy Bernardin (USA) 76 06 59 57 (3) 120 03 52 47 (4)
TUNA MARINE (1) 42 01 10 36 (1) 35 04 16 20 (8) 43 22 56 44 (5)
John Martin (South Africa) 77 05 26 56 (4) 121 04 23 40 (5)
AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR (2) 47 15 30 30 (7) 34 16 03 52 (7) 47 03 00 00 (9)
Mike Plant (USA) 82 07 34 22 (6) 129 10 34 22 (6)
TRIPLE M/SPIRIT OF SYDNEY (1) 51 03 20 30 (10) 32 11 41 54 (4) 46 18 43 23 (8)
Ian Kiernan (Australia) 83 15 02 24 (8) 130 09 45 47 (7)
LET'S GO (2) 51 11 16 55 (11) 36 17 43 52 (10) 45 21 56 09 (6)
Jean-Luc Van Den Heede (France) 88 05 00 47 (10) 134 02 56 56 (8)
STABILO BOSS (1) 50 17 39 48 (9) 40 18 09 43 (17) 45 23 10 31 (7)
Bertie Reed (South Africa) 91 11 49 31 (14) 137 11 00 02 (9)
LEGEND SECURITIES (1) 51 17 20 20 (13) 34 14 23 25 (6) 51 08 56 20 (11)
David White (USA) 86 07 43 45 (9) 137 16 40 05 (10)
BELMONT FINLAND (2) 52 11 36 29 (14) 36 09 34 11 (9) 51 10 42 20 (12)
Harry Harkimo (Finland) 88 21 10 40 (11) 140 07 53 00 (11)
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE (2) 51 11 34 15 (12) 38 10 42 00 (14) 51 11 25 58 (13)
Richard Konkolski (USA) 89 22 16 15 (12) 141 09 42 13 (12)
AMERICAN FLAG (2) 52 12 13 17 (13) 38 09 43 25 (13) 51 08 47 17 (10)
Hal Roth (USA) 90 21 56 42 (13) 142 06 43 59 (13)
LONE STAR (2) 54 10 59 30 (17) 38 09 02 20 (12) 52 08 42 24 (14)
Mark Schrader (USA) 92 20 01 50 (15) 145 04 44 14 (14)
COLT BY RETTIG (2) 53 18 55 22 (16) 39 18 27 32 (15) 52 09 28 46 (15)
Pentti Salmi (Finland) 93 13 22 54 (16) 145 22 51 40 (15)
JOSEPH YOUNG (2) 55 00 23 52 (18) 39 23 49 40 (16)
John Hughes (Canada) 95 00 13 32 (17)
[?3/
|
| 395.46 | PRESS RELEASE #28 | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Mon Apr 06 1987 15:54 | 604 |
|
THE BOC CHALLENGE 1986-87
RACE UPDATE # 28
ALL BUT ONE BOC BOAT IN RIO;
SAILORS TELL OF LIGHT CONDITIONS, ICEBERGS
JOSEPH YOUNG, UNDER JURY-RIG, ROUNDS CAPE HORN
With their lone comrade John Hughes (JOSEPH YOUNG) still waging his
own battle to complete Leg III of this Race, the six BOC sailors
who have most recently finished the longest leg of this 27,000-mile
journey spoke this past week of their own long, often frustrating,
voyages from Sydney to Rio de Janeiro, the third stopover of the
event.
Following a few days' respite after the arrival of Class II overall
leader Mike Plant (AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR/USA) into port, six BOC
sailors found their way over the finish line off Copacabana Beach
within 25 hours of each other. They arrived in three pairs,
separated by as little as nine minutes after more than 8,400 miles
of sailing.
AMERICAN FLAG (Hal Roth/USA) Class II
Finish Time: 09:47.17 Local (12:47.17 GMT)
Leg III Time: 51 D, 08 H, 47 M, 17 S - Third in Class II
Total Time: 142 D, 06 H, 43 M, 59 S
For Hal Roth, who outsailed a few of his Class II rivals on the
latter part of the leg to capture third place, the third leg was
"...much easier than Leg II. Except for the headwinds I had from
the Falklands to Rio, and a few strong gales just before Cape Horn,
it was a good bit milder. But it was a very, very long leg; you
get all the way to Cape Horn, and then you just about start all
over again."
Roth was the only competitor in the fleet to opt to pass through
the Cook Strait, between the North and South Islands of New
Zealand. "Crossing the Tasman was hard; we had southwesterlies,
and I was afraid of getting pinned on the west coast of the South
Island. I've had alot of experience in coastal navigation, so it
was really no problem for me. It was an easy trip, and I saw some
very nice scenery of New Zealand. I picked my way through, and,
although I stayed up for a couple of days with almost no sleep,
thought it was an interesting variation."
Roth found the conditions in the Southern Ocean far milder than
those he had encountered in the Bass Strait on Leg II, and his
rounding of Cape Horn, the second time Roth had passed the famous
rock, was "pleasant...I rounded in fairly light weather at dusk.
It is quite a distinctive rock."
Once around the Horn, Roth ran into nasty gales near Staten Island.
"The boat was simply uncontrollable for one day. I managed to get
the mainsail down, but the seas were horrendous."
He also had quite a battle with a spinnaker, which became
hopelessly wrapped around AMERICAN FLAG's midstay. "The chute went
around the midstay 12 times; then the sock went the other way, and
the drawstrings to the sock went back the other way. It was
unbelieveable!
"I took the clews off, and tried untwisting those, which generally
works. Then I went up the masthead and disconnected the halyard.
I slid it part-way down the midstay, then tried to winch it down.
It was an absolute mess; I couldn't set sails with this enormous
pile on the foredeck. If you had wrapped it with a proper machine,
you couldn't have done a better job," he sighed.
"That problem, along with a few other minor things, prompted me to
put into East Falkland Island for a few hours. The wind was
blowing at 35 knots, and the maneuvering was tricky; I had a local
tow driver who was not terribly skilled, and I went under a dock.
It tore off my stern pulpit," he said shaking his head. "I think I
was diverted for about 15 hours, and once out, I had a completely
different weather pattern -- light headwinds the whole way to Rio.
It was very slow going."
Of the remainder of the Race, Roth feels confident that he can do
well: "I must try very hard during the next leg to make up a few
days on BELMONT. My headstay problems on the first leg cost me
three days, but I am sailing well, and am getting more used to the
boat. So we'll see."
LEGEND SECURITIES (David White/USA) Class I
Finish Time: 09:56.20 Local (12:56.20 GMT)
Leg III Time: 51 D, 08 H, 56 M, 20 S
Total Time: 137 D, 16 H, 40 M, 05 S
Leg III for this American got off to a disappointing start when,
within minutes of the start on January 18, White returned to port
with two failed autopilots. They were repaired that evening and
White set out again the next day, some 16 hours after his fellow
competitors.
"I think I lost three days by putting back into Sydney with the
autopilot problems," he recently explained. "I got into a
different weathern pattern; a front came through and stayed. It
left us with wind out of the southeast and a lot of it; I just
couldn't go anywhere but east or south, and couldn't even do that
very well."
White's satellite navigation equipment failed at that time, too,
which made it very difficult for him to get an accurate position
for his 56-foot LEGEND SECURITIES in relation to New Zealand, which
was a lee shore. "The weather turned foul, and those of us who
didn't get down south fast enough really got pinned. It was
atrocious; the Tasman Sea is not fun," he grimaced.
Other than a less than enjoyable start, however, Leg III gave White
no problems. "I think I will set the record for the least amount
of problems in a circumnavigation. If you gave me one hour in a
grocery store and let me put water on my boat, I could set off for
Newport right now," he said within hours of finishing.
"I was bored...I actually read 39 books because it was just
something to do. The problem for me is, I cannot be competitive
with the other Class I boats," Whie explained, referring to the
four-foot size difference between his boat and the others in Class
I, all of which are 60-feet long. "Pushing the boat doesn't really
do me any good; I break things, it costs me money, which I don't
have, and it accomplishes nothing. I can't beat these guys, so why
break my boat? I'm just happy to be doing the race."
When comparing Leg II to this Leg, White, like his fellow
competitors, described the voyage from Sydney as "...a piece of
cake. It should have been much tougher -- the Southern Ocean, Cape
Horn -- but it wasn't. The second leg (Cape Town to Sydney) was
much faster, more fun and more challenging. I worked a lot harder
then. This leg, there simply wasn't anything to do!"
White talked about throwing food overboard because he was eating
"...just for the sake of eating -- out of sheer boredom. I finally
rationed myself on bread, butter and crackers, and I threw a lot of
stuff away. I got mad at myself for eating so much."
His communications with the others were hindered this leg, the
result of a dead radio. "My radio blew up -- it was my own fault --
so I couldn't speak with the other guys like I normally do. I had
installed a new automatic coupler into my older radio instead of
the older, mechanical type of coupler...I had just started
transmitting to Richard (Konkolski) one day and forgot to turn the
coupler on, and I blew it up...after that, I couldn't get ahold of
anyone."
White's highlight for Leg III was rounding Cape Horn, a goal he
fell short of in the 1982-83 BOC Challenge when he was unable to
complete the Race. "Rounding Cape Horn was very exciting, but I
was in mild conditions. I was navigating with a sextant, because
my SatNav was out and I couldn't get good ARGOS positions.
Unfortunately, I couldn't get as close to the Horn as I would have
liked, because I didn't know exactly where I was. I would have
loved to get within half a mile, but you don't do that if you don't
know where you are, so I gave it eight or nine miles. It was still
great."
Perhaps more eventful than his actual rounding of the Horn was the
knockdown LEGEND SECURITIES took at the well-known landmark. "The
wind was from the northwest, and I was on the banks there, which,
because of the shallow water, was producing some nasty waves. I
put the mast in the water on one of the waves; I guess I couldn't
have had a totally uneventful rounding."
"I was in the galley. I'd come running down to have a cup of
coffee, and the boat went over 90 degrees. I just ducked. The
galley was on the high side, and stuff went all over the place.
You hear stories about things ending up in the strangest places;
well, I had a pot of rice on the stove. It went from the stove,
did a dogleg around to the chart table and back into a cubbyhole in
the chart table. Now there's no direct line, and I don't know how
it happened! And I couldn't find the salt for a week -- it had
found it's way into a locker -- and I had chutney and sauces all
over my foul weather gear, all over the place. When it was over,
and we were on our way again, I just laughed as I cleaned; I
couldn't have just cruised around the Horn."
Of preparations for Leg IV, the final 5,400 miles back to Newport,
Rhode Island, White said: "I have nothing to do that requires any
kind of work; I have to clean the boat, provision, and I can go.
If I break anything on the last leg, I'll just have to get to
Newport without it."
A bit of the competitor in White does evidence itself, however,
when he speaks of the final leg. "I do look forward to pushing
myself and the boat a bit on this last leg. Now that I did what I
wanted -- had -- to do, which was getting around the Horn, I'll
push a bit more.
"I've been really lucky this Race; everything's gone just super.
It's just too bad it couldn't have happened four years ago when my
boat (White is sailing the same boat he had started with in the
1982-83 BOC) was competitive. Maybe I'll do this Race again, but
it would be in a competitive boat with a warchest!"
BELMONT FINLAND (Harry Harkimo/Finland) Class II
Finish Time: 11:42.20 Local (14:42.20 GMT)
Leg III Time: 51 D, 10 H, 42 M, 20 S
Total Time: 140 D, 07 H, 53 M, 00 S - Third Overall in Class II
Leg II for the 32-year-old Finn was not a very positive one:
"Overall, I am happy with my boat and my position in Class, but
this leg was extremely frustrating for me, psychologically very
tough," he explained. "I have the heaviest boat in the fleet, so I
need heavier air to go. On this leg, there were never any heavy
downwinds, never enough wind so that I could get the boat (a
50-foot Swan) to perform to its waterline length. So it was no use
to have a big boat on this leg. I cannot complain about the boat
-- I picked it -- but we, the boat and I, are slow in light air.
"I couldn't believe it," said Harkimo, who had sailed the same
waters in the last Whitbread 'Round-the-World Race. "It was like
Sunday sailing! There is not much to say about the trip, except
that it was depressing for me and that it was very long. I didn't
sail well the first few days out of Sydney, either, which was a
disadvantage."
Harkimo said he has not sailed well his first few days out of each
port: "I think it is very difficult for me to get away from
people. The problem is that I have had so many in friends in each
port and it's very nice ashore. I find it very difficult to leave
all of that, so I am not myself sailing when I first leave."
The first week out of Sydney, the halfway point of the Race, found
BELMONT FINLAND with a broken alternator as well. While some of
Harkimo's shoreside team had discussed the possibility of him
putting into New Zealand to repair rather than face more than 8,000
miles without electricity, Harkimo says stopping never entered his
mind.
"I never considered it," he said without hesitating. "Others did,
but I didn't. It would have cost too much time, and that would
have been the Race for me. As long as my mast is up and my sails
are working, I will try to get to port, even if everything else
breaks," said the determined skipper. "I would not stop."
Harkimo feels his tactics for Leg III were incorrect for the
resulting conditions. "The situation was totally different than I
had planned for, which was difficult mentally. I only went to 58
South, and I should have gone down to 62. I tried to get there,
but I couldn't. Clearing New Zealand wasn't too bad, although I
was forced to tack once for three or four hours to clear it. I
didn't lose much time, though."
Where he does feel he lost time, and his lead over some of his
Class II rivals, was on the last 2,200 miles up the South American
coast to Rio from Cape Horn. "I shouldn't have gone through the
Straits de la Maire. I found myself in the middle of the Strait at
night, and the current was moving me along like a little cork.
Thankfully, the wind came up and I was O.K."
"But I leading many of those boats by 200 miles at the Horn; I
simply lost my edge coming up the coast in the light air," he said.
"I don't think I erred tactically after the Falklands, I just
couldn't get the boat to go fast, and the others could. They were
faster. It is difficult knowing that others may not have made
better tactical decisions, and they are still beating you."
Harkimo did not spot any icebergs like some of the sailors, but he
did have a close call with a whale on this leg: "...a very large
whale," he added. "I had been talking on the phone, and went up on
deck. There it was, only meters away! I turned the boat sharply
to avoid hitting it. I guess I was lucky; I've had my share of
luck," he said smiling, referring to his brush with death on Leg
II, when he was washed overboard to the full length of his safety
harness. He had managed to pull himself back on board.
Harkimo, like most of his fellow competitors, has relatively little
to do to ready his boat for the final leg of the Race. "I broke a
babystay, and my boomvang broke twice. Other than that, and
installing my new engine and getting a new mainsail and light-air
spinnaker, I'm ready. Mentally, I am already set to go. I don't
anticipate any problems this coming leg. If I can get from here to
the Doldrums quickly, I will be O.K. from there. The most
important thing for me will be to finish third overall in Class II,
and I don't see that as a problem. I have the confidence in
myself; I'm just hoping for wind."
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE (Richard Konkolski/USA) Class II
Finish Time: 12:25.58 Local (15.25.58 GMT)
Leg III Time: 51 D, 11 H, 25 M, 58 S
Total Time: 141 D, 09 H, 42 M, 13 S
Konkolski, one of 10 finishers of the first BOC Challenge, found
Leg III this time around: "...much, much lighter than four years
ago, and not nearly as rough as Leg II this time, either. We did
have some heavy weather -- strong headwinds -- trying to round the
southern part of New Zealand, but after that, it was all very
light." Even still, Konkolski managed to shave two days off the
time this leg took him on the last BOC, "...but the mileage I
covered during the last five days into port just now only took me
two days four years ago. It was not a very exciting trip."
Konkolski was one of the competitors who sighted an iceberg this
leg. "It was the best part of the trip for me. I spotted it just
after sundown, but I could still see all of the outlines and
shadows. It was tremendous."
Of his Cape Horn rounding, Konkolski's third, he said: "It is
always a special occasion to go around the Horn. This time, I
sailed around in good weather, just one mile off. It was sunrise,
and it was beautiful. The area surrounding Cape Horn is very
unusual; the rocks and the snow-capped mountains...it's just very
different." Konkolski chose the Le Maire Straits and encountered
the same strong current and 50-knot-plus headwinds the others who
took that route had. "It was not fun," he recalled.
Coming up the coast from the Horn to Rio, Konkolski had several
battles going with the other Class II boats in the area. "Hal
(Roth) had passed me just before the Horn, and had been trying to
cover me since then. So, I tried to get east of him, and the
others, coming up the coast, because the favorable winds were from
the northeast. So, I finally made it there and was ahead of Hal
and Harry (Harkimo). Then the wind swung around to the northwest;
all of a sudden, I was far behind the others! And DECLARATION
(formerly NIKE, the same boat Konkolski has circumnavigated in
before) is an older, heavier, girl; we couldn't manage to catch
back up." Konkolski crossed the finish line just 43 minutes after
Harkimo, and less than three hours after Roth.
LONE STAR (Mark Schrader/USA) Class II
Finish Time: 09:42.24 Local (12:42.24 GMT)
Leg III Time: 52 D, 08 H, 42 M, 24 S
Total Time: 145 D, 04 H, 44 M, 14 S
Schrader, who circumnavigated the globe by himself while the last
BOC Race was taking place, found Leg III, like most everyone else,
"yes, frustrating. I really enjoy the spirit of competition in
this race which I obviously didn't have when I was doing this in my
own. But when I'm not moving as well as I think I should be now,
it matters more and I become frustrated, particularly if I'm
behind. I mean, I'm pushing the boat as hard as I can, as hard as
I know how, but wwe thoughtwe'd have a couple of heavy-air legs
here which we haven't had, so it's been tough.
"The boat (a modified Valiant) has done fairly well, but it is
difficult to compete well with ultra-lights and boats which were
built specifically for this Race. And, in all fairness, we knew
that going into the Race."
Schrader reiterated his disdain for the volatile Tasman Sea, which
had given many of the BOC sailors problems at the finish of Leg II
and again at the start of this leg. "When I went through the
Tasman four years ago, I wrote in my log, 'Never, never, EVER will
I sail in the Tasman Sea again!' So much for sailors promises...
But, with the conditions the way they were this time, the best
course I could have made would have been to bisect the South Island
of New Zealand, which I didn't really want to do," he joked.
"Thankfully, the wind changed 150 degrees from the coast, so I was
able to run down the coast of New Zealand. It was still crummy,
though; five days of pounding into a steep sea. It was universally
agreed by all of us on the radio that the Tasman Sea was a terrible
stretch," Schrader reported.
After turning the corner of New Zealand, however, Schrader found
light-air sailing for the next four weeks. His plan for the
Southern Ocean? "I thought I'd stay between 50 and 55 south,
depending on the weathern patterns," he explained. "During the
last leg, I had been watching this area and the lows were tracking
through 52 and 53, so it looked like 50 would be O.K.
"But by the time I was about 10 days past New Zealand, the lead
boats were already 800 to 1,000 miles ahead and they had dipped
south to 60 and 61. They were obviously getting weather
information that said 'go south,' so I said, 'O.K. go south.' I
found myself at 55, 56 and 57 degrees south fairly quickly and ran
along there."
From there on, Schrader alikened the ocean conditions to those
found on the first leg of the Race, from Newport to Cape Town:
"frustrating light air...most everyone had it." Still, Schrader
said he "played it conservatively" with spinnakers and the like
"simply because I was so far south for that sort of thing."
Schrader perhaps got the best look at an iceberg of all the men who
spotted them on this leg. He was about one week from Cape Horn
when he heard the report of an iceberg sighting by Richard
Konkolski, who was 150 miles ahead of Schrader at that point. "It
was a calm day, so I decided to go have a look. Basically I sailed
right for it.
"I got to it at about mid-day the following day. I saw it glinting
on the horizon -- just gorgeous. It was moving with the current,
but the interesting thing was that it had rotated 180 degrees from
the time Richard saw, less than 24 hours earlier. Richard said
there was a cave on the south side, and by the time I got there, it
was on the north side.
"The sun was behind me and reflecting on the iceberg. It was just
sparkling, beautiful. I kept wanting to stop, go ashore and climb
all over it, but of course I couldn't," he smiled. "I sailed all
around it, taking pictures. It was amazing; it looked different
from each side. From the west side, I thought it looked like a big
Japanese fan that someone had taken a bite of right out of the
middle. The other side had a completely different look, form and
texture to it.
"It was about 300 feet high, and about 1/4 of a mile long; but I
was looking at only 1/8 of it; the rest was underwater! And I kept
hoping to see penguins sliding down the ice," he joked. "But then
suddenly I felt very much alone looking at it," he reflected. "It
had a very lonely feeling about it.
Schrader's rounding of Cape Horn, his second, was "picture
perfect," passing the rock at 8:00 a.m. in "beautiful sunshine, a
35-knot breeze, running...it was great." He avoided going through
the Le Maire Straits, "...a silly thing to do and not much faster,"
and made the decision to head East of the Falkland Islands, fearing
a strong northerly.
In adition, LONE STAR's engine had seized up the day before Cape
Horn, and Schrader considered putting into the Falklands to repair
it. "I decided to head East to give myself that option (of putting
in), but decided later not to. Pentti (Salmi/COLT BY RETTIG) was on
BOC Update Summary #28
Page ten
"By that night, the swell had risen to 30 feet, a steep,
short-period swell, and continued to build. As the sea continued
to build and I continued to reef my sails, we were averaging more
than nine knots most of the night. I had some of the wildest surfs
that I've ever had. I steered the whole time; there were times we
were zooming along in excess of 20 knots and just flying, totally
out of control.
I kept waiting for it all to subside, but it just didn't. We'd
take off like a rocket at 20-25 knots, then get into the trough and
stop dead. I'd just sit there waiting for the next vertical
towering wave to come crashing down. It was absolutely crazy; the
day before, flat calms, and then this. Pentti and I spoke twice
that night very briefly, and I said to him, 'This is not fun
anymore, this is scary.'"
Schrader and Salmi had a close finish, with just 26 minutes
separating them. "I was very worried that, after 52 days of
sailing, I'd get to the last mile, or 10 feet of the line, and the
wind would die. Pentti was just a few miles behind me, so I was
anxious. I got within one mile of the finish, and, sure enough the
wind died. After the night we'd been through, I thought, 'If he
comes up and passes me now, I can't handle this!' But the wind
picked right up again and I was fine."
Schrader must repair LONE STAR's engine while in Rio, which
ingested a good bit of water Schrader thinks might have been in the
fuel. In addition, he has some repairs to make to his sails and
the extrusions on his roller-furling system. "Otherwise, I'm in
good shape and ready for Leg IV," he said.
Leg IV for LONE STAR will, most likely, prove a bit frustrating,
according to Schrader: "...it will be mostly light air. We can do
fairly well, though, and there ought to be a couple thousand miles
on the wind; I could do pretty well there and then it's anybody's
game.
"It's all going to depend on the weather pattern and the first
week; that will tell the story. Wherever everybody is after the
fist seven or eight days is probably where they will finish.
But the danger here is looking at the last leg as 'a mere 5,400
miles' after coming 22,000, that it's nothing; 5,400 miles is a
long way to go, and we've got to take it seriously. I'm looking
forward to being back in Newport in four or five weeks; I'm going
to relax a bit longer here, and then get serious."
COLT BY RETTIG (Pentti Salmi/Finland) Class II
Finish Time: 10:28.46 Local (13:28.46 GMT)
Leg III Time: 52 D, 09 H, 28 M, 46 S
Total Time: 145 D, 22 H, 51 M, 40 S
The penultimate finisher on Leg III, Pentti Salmi, explained the
trip from Sydney to Rio as "...easy sailing; I had a good bit of
free time on my hands. I spoke with my friends and family on the
radio this time; I even called one of my children during his
birthday party! But, seriously, I was just surprised at how slow I
was on this leg. No matter what I did, I just could not get the
boat to go," he sighed.
"After rounding New Zealand, which was tough, everything was O.K.
I had very little problems, other than my windvane breaking. That
was a bother; the boat just kept veering off course, so I
constantly kept an eye on it."
"I was disappointed in my position," Salmi said. "I thought I
would do better. I didn't even take the ARGOS position reports
from the radio broadcast all the time; I was tired of looking at
how many thousands of miles I was behind everone else!"
Salmi put into the Falklands after rounding Cape Horn -- "a
wonderful day in my life" -- to repair the autopilot. "I only lost
13 hours, which wasn't bad, but I had been just 20 and 30 miles
behind Mark (Schrader) before going in. The next day, I was 135
miles astern. After that, coming up the coast until the night
before we arrived, I had good sailing, and it was getting warm
again which was great."
He described the last night of the trip, in the same hellish
conditions Schrader endured, as "just horrible. We made up some
miles, but what a way to do it!"
Salmi has only to tune his rig and do "maintenance" work on COLT BY
RETTIG before being ready for final stretch to Newport. Of the
last leg, Salmi says he is "hoping" for good, swift sailing. "I
would like to improve my standing a bit, so I am looking forward to
this last leg. It's my last chance, isn't it?! Although I think
whoever has a bit more luck will do better, so I'm hoping for some
luck, too!"
HUGHES REACHES CAPE HORN
With 15 of the solo sailors in Rio, only Canadian John Hughes
remains at sea, sailing under jury rig since his yacht JOSEPH YOUNG
lost her mast February 6. March 20, as this Update went to press,
will live long in Hughes' memory -- he passed Cape Horn at 07:15
GMT.
In 50 knots of wind, Hughes reported making 7-9 knots under jury
rig when he passed the Horn, and he celebrated by breaking out a
Christmas Pudding.
Hughes was dismasted February 6, 1,500 miles ESE of New Zealand.
When the mast fell, it tore off the yacht's bow pulpit and
starboard safety lines, and also poked a gaping 1' square hole in
the deck. Hughes was forced to cut away the remains of the mast
before it could hole his light-weight racer below the waterline.
Determined to finish the race, Hughes, 26, quickly fashioned a jury
rig from his spinnaker poles. In A-frame fashion, the top ends of
each pole were joined together in the air, with the bottom ends
imbedded in coffee cans full of rags on deck (so the bottoms would
not go through the deck). From the top of the A-frame, wires were
lead to the bow and stern of the disabled yacht, on which Hughes
was able to hoist his smallest jib.
Hughes' initial plan was to head for Talachuano, Chile, while his
friends and supporters in Halifax tried to raise the funds
necessary to purchase and ship a new mast to him so he could finish
the race. Talachuano was 3,500 miles away, and proved a difficult
port to reach, as JOSEPH YOUNG's tiny rig did not have enough sail
area to traverse areas of light wind between them.
Hughes then turned his yacht back to the south, heading again into
the "Roaring Forties" in search of greater winds, and changed his
intended port of call to Port Stanley, Falkland Islands. Despite
the risk of storms in the cold southern latitudes near Antarctica,
Hughes' strategy was a sensible one if he wanted to continue in the
race, as Winter is fast approaching Cape Horn and the entire coast
of Chile is a dangerous lee shore.
Cape Horn is 3,000 miles from the point JOSEPH YOUNG, named for
Hughes' grandfather, was dismasted, and Hughes has sailed 3,990
miles through the water to reach the Horn. He still has 450 more
miles to sail to reach Port Stanley.
Hughes determination has set off an avalanche of support from three
continents. Ham radio operators have maintained a safety watch
over him, with amateur radio operators in New Zealand, Chile, the
Falklands and the USA united to keep communications open. The
hams' efforts are coordinated by Fred Chew, of Fall River, MA.
Since it is a risky time of year to round Cape Horn, Bob Rice, of
Weather Services, Inc, volunteered his own time to provide Hughes
with custom forecasts to help ensure a safe passage around the
notorious landmark. Rice predicts that JOSEPH YOUNG should
continue to enjoy fair winds for the next several days as a
warm-weather high pressure area from the Pacific settles over Cape
Horn.
Schoolchildren in Halifax are selling T-shirts and momentoes to
raise the money needed to keep Hughes sailing through the
Educational Department of the Maritime Museum. The Isomat
mast-making company has manufactured a new, stro}inger mast in
Charlotte, NC, under the supervision of their Canadian
representative, Evert Bastett, of E. B. Spars in Montreal.
The mast departed Trenton, Ontario, March 19 aboard a RCAF cargo
plane bound for the RAF base in Lynham, England. A RAF Hercules
will depart Lynham Saturday, to arrive in Port Stanley Sunday,
March 22, after an 18-hour flight. The aircraft will also carry
replacement deck hardware from Sweden, provided by Comfort Yachts,
who built JOSEPH YOUNG, and a mainsail and jib, which were built by
Richard Storer of Sobstad Sails in Toronto, Ontario, to replace
those lost overboard when the yacht was dismasted.
Bastett and John Sanford, who has coordinated Hughes' shore support
throughout the race, will arrive in Port Stanley Monday to re-rig
the yacht as quickly as possible. British military authorities on
the Falklands have arranged dock space for the yacht, and have a
tow boat ready to take JOSEPH YOUNG to the dock.
Earlier concerns about Hughes water supply, which was down to only
10 litres when he was still 600 miles from the Horn, were relieved
when he was able to catch 10 additional litres in a hail storm
March 17. He should now have enough to reach Port Stanley.
If all goes well, we should be able to tell you about JOSEPH YOUNG
getting her new mast next week.
|
| 395.47 | PRESS RELEASE #29 | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Mon Apr 06 1987 16:03 | 187 |
|
THE BOC CHALLENGE 1986-87
RACE UPDATE # 29
JOSEPH YOUNG UNDER JURY RIG
REACHES HARBOR IN FALKLAND ISLANDS
Canadian John Hughes, 26, reached safe harbor at 11:45 a.m. local
time (9:15 a.m. EST; 14:15 GMT) March 23 when he steered his
damaged sailboat into East Cove, East Falkland Island. JOSEPH
YOUNG reached port 45 days and 4,400 miles after she was dismasted
in the Pacific Ocean.
Hughes' 42-foot yacht was dismasted February 6 while he was 1,500
miles ESE of New Zealand in the icy reaches below Latitude 50
South, heading for Cape Horn and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the next
stop-over in the race.
Hughes, from Halifax, Nova Scotia, told reporters via telephone
from the Falklands, "I was asleep in the quarter berth when the
mast broke off at the deck. I was frightened to see that the
bottom of the mast had jumped a foot to port and crashed through
the deck -- it was rocking around from side-to-side."
Hughes was forced to cut away the spar before it holed the hull.
As it fell overboard into frigid, three-mile deep waters, the
wayward mast tore off the safety lines on the starboard side of the
boat as well as the bow pulpit.
With the mast and boom sunk, along with his mainsail and jib,
Hughes had little to work with as he attempted to build a temporary
jury rig. A Master Mariner in the merchant service, Hughes was
determined to rescue himself without calling upon outside assis-
tance.
First, he had to let the other racers and BOC race headquarters
know his situation. "I erected a spinnaker pole in the cockpit, to
set a steadying sail to prevent the boat's rolling, and to replace
my radio antenna, which had gone overboard with the mast. I was
able to contact Hal Roth and Mark Schrader (two of Hughes' fellow
racers) and pass the word along."
Hughes then erected a proper jury rig with two spinnaker poles
lashed together in mid-air. The poles' bottoms rested in coffee
cans filled with rags, so they would not damage the deck further.
With a wire to the bow and the stern of the boat from the top of
the rig, Hughes was able to hoist only his smallest #4 jib.
Initially, Hughes, from Halifax, Nova Scotia, tried to sail for
Talachuana, Chile, 3,500 miles away and 1,200 miles north of Cape
Horn. He headed north in an attempt to escape the dangerous gales
which prevail below Latitude 40 South. In Chile he hoped to
install a replacement mast which his supporters in Halifax were
trying to purchase. Fellow BOC competitors also offered to chip
in.
Hughes then found that he could not reach Chile. "After I headed
north, a big high pressure area came over me and I ran out of wind.
Then, I started running low on food and water, so I had to change
my strategy. I had very little sail, and my jury rig is very
strong, so I changed course and headed for Cape Horn and the
Falklands. There is more wind toward the Horn."
As he edged farther south, Hughes maintained contact with land
through a network of amateur radio operators in New Zealand, Chile
and the United States, coordinated by Fred Chew, of Fall River,
Massachusetts. Chew, through a team effort involving the ham
operators ashore and those sailing in the race, has had almost
daily contact with JOSEPH YOUNG. Bob Rice, of Weather Services,
Inc., of Bedford, MA, volunteered his time to provide Hughes
weather forecasts covering the dangerous Cape Horn area. That
information was relayed to Hughes through the ham network.
Hughes almost ran out of water before he reached Cape Horn, but 400
miles before the Horn, managed to catch some hail, barely enough to
take him to the Falklands. Fortunately, the winds increased on the
approach to the Horn, and also the yacht's speed. "I ran out of
water one day before reaching port. I've been drinking a lot since
I got here -- lots of water and lots of sleep."
When asked about his passage around Cape Horn March 20, Hughes
said, "For a while I didn't think I would make it. The winds were
blowing more than 50 knots, and the shallow water made each wave
break. Twice I was knocked down -- giving me a good scare.
Everything was a mess inside, broken glass bottles, chutney
everywhere, and lots of salt water in the boat. The waves were
40-footers, not so big, but every wave was breaking. They were
very steep. I was really relieved to get into deeper water."
While Hughes has been making history, sailing around Cape Horn
under jury rig, his story has inspired fellow Canadians to come to
his aid. A new mast has been purchased with donations made by
friends and strangers alike.
The mast was supposed to have arrived by March 22, but engine
problems forced the diversion to Lahrs, West Germany, of the
Canadian Air Force Hercules which was transporting the mast to
Lynham, England. It was to have met there a Royal Air Force cargo
plane servicing the Falklands. Since cargo aircraft service the
Falklands only once weekly, the new mast and sails are not expected
to arrive until March 29.
With the gales which had pushed him toward safety dying down to a
faint breeze, Hughes edged his yacht to the entrance to East Cove,
refusing a tow until he was well within the two-mile limit permit-
ted by race rules. He was escorted in by a British Naval Patrol
Vessel, the HMS Dumbarton Castle. At the quayside, he was greeted
by a full contingent of naval officers, headed by Commander of
British Naval Forces, Falkland Island Division, Rear Admiral Chris
Leyland, and his wife.
After a sip of champagne, and a steaming-hot shower, Hughes bedded
down for a well-earned nap aboard a navy tender. By early evening,
though, Hughes was tidying up his racer's cabin.
As soon as Hughes made port, the congratulations started to flow
in, including telex messages from his fellow competitors awaiting
his arrival in Rio. It read, in part:
Fantastic effort and well done. Rest of the fleet anxious
for you to rejoin us before restart in April. Everybody
looking forward to seeing you. Good winds and fast passage.
Mark S., Hal R., Jean Luc VDH, Mike P., Pentti S., John M.,
Bertie R., Philippe J., Titouan L., Jean Y. T., Guy B.,
Richard K., Harry H., Ian K., David W.
Two Canadian supporters of Hughes arrived March 24, to assist with
the installation of his new mast. The Royal Navy has also offered
to lend assistance. While all await the spar's arrival, the new
lifelines and bow pulpit are being installed, and the hole in the
deck repaired.
Hughes intends to provision his boat for the entire journey back to
Newport, Rhode Island, so that he has to spend the minimum time
necessary in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, before resuming the Race.
Hughes must stop in Rio to complete Leg III, and to undergo safety
inspections for Leg IV. The fourth leg of the 27,000-mile solo
race starts April 11. Hughes wanted to arrive in time for the
re-start, but the delayed arrival of his mast may prevent that.
Race rules permit him to stay in Rio up to seven days before his
time starts for Leg IV, but Hughes is almost certain to depart
before that deadline.
With the scheduled arrival of JOSEPH YOUNG's new mast at 10:00 a.m.
local time Sunday, March 29, the tentative departure date for Rio
is now Wednesday, April 1. The mast should be installed by late on
Monday, which allows Tuesday for tuning and any minor modifications
to the new sails. If that all goes well, Hughes should be underway
Wednesday morning, with 1,850 miles to sail before crossing the
finish line.
The fifteen racers in Rio are enjoying a pleasant respite before
the start of Leg IV. All have completed preparations on their
yachts, and many have even gone on sailing holidays, visiting the
Islands to the South which offer excellent cruising. Others are
taking advantage of the mountains inland, which offer a cooler
climate than that to be found on the coast. Others have flown home
to Europe, the States and Australia for working holidays.
LEG IV START
The Leg IV start is scheduled for April 11. The record for the leg
is 28 days, set by Philippe Jeantot four years ago. Since we have
seen Jeantot's records broken on every leg thus far, the first
yachts are expected to arrive back in Newport between May 3 and
May 5. Journalists are urged to start making preparations for the
finish as soon as possible.
As the yachts come closer to the conclusion of The BOC Challenge,
radio communications get much better. It is possible for
journalists to interview sailors while they are still at sea
virtually any time during Leg IV. The Rio and Newport Race Offices
would be pleased to assist with arrangements.
STUDENT OCEAN CHALLENGE COMPUTER CONFERENCE
On Monday, April 6, numerous schools around the United States will
participate in a computer conference with the BOC Challenge
skippers in Rio through the Sailing Forum on CompuServe, a
nation-wide computer network. Also, in May, 30 teachers from
around the USA will meet in Newport, Rhode Island, to evaluate
their use of The BOC Challenge in the classroom. For more details,
please contact the Newport Race Office.
|
| 395.48 | Jeantot rig problems | PULSAR::BERENS | Alan Berens | Mon Apr 20 1987 10:39 | 37 |
| Associated Press Sat 18-APR-1987 00:34 RI--BOCYacht Race
BOC's Lead Sailor Heads for Port to Repair Rigging
By STELLA DAWSON
Associated Press Writer
NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) - Repair teams for Frenchman Philippe Jeantot
were heading for an isolated, industrial port in Brazil to patch up
the rigging for the overall leader in the grueling BOC Challenge
Round-the-World Solo Yacht Race, a race spokeswoman said.
Jeantot was sailing to Recife, Brazil, Friday after shrouds that
brace the mast broke, said Kathy Giblin, BOC spokeswoman. The
rigging problem could cause the mast to snap, she said.
He expected to reach port by 2 a.m. Eastern time Saturday and
have the mast fixed within five hours, Ms. Giblin said.
But the delay might jeopardize Jeantot's three-day lead in the
race for the Class I section of 50-foot to 60-foot boats, she said.
Fellow Frenchman Titouan Lamazou has pulled 100 miles ahead in
the final leg as the sailors tack up the South American coast from
Rio de Janeiro to Newport, Ms. Giblin said.
``It's going to be close. Every minute counts at this point,''
she said.
The isolation of Recife and language barriers in the past have
hampered repairs there, she said. One sailor had to drop out at
Recife during the first leg of the round-the-world race, she said.
Jeantot, the BOC Class I defender, was in good spirits despite
the setback, Ms. Giblin said. His radios also will be repaired
while in port, she said.
The first sailors are expected back around May 3 in Newport, the
port they left August 30, 1986. Twenty-five sailors began the
27,000-mile race, conducted in four legs, and 16 now remain.
Jacques Deroux of France was lost at sea.
Jeantot, sailing in Credit Agricole, began the final 4,767-mile
stretch with a 3 1/8-day lead. He was running about 22 days ahead of
his 1982-83 win, which he made in 159 days and two hours.
|
| 395.49 | PRESS RELEASE #30 | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Thu Apr 23 1987 14:10 | 95 |
|
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, LEGEND SECURITIES,
LEAD BOC CHALLENGE FLEET OVER LINE TO START FINAL LEG
11 April, 1987, RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- The fourth and final
leg of this around-the-world sailing adventure got off to a smooth
start today, as 15 of the 16 remaining BOC sailors departed Rio de
Janeiro bound for Newport, Rhode Island, the site of the Race
finish.
Leading the fleet across the starting line off Copacabana
Beach in a light, 10-knot easterly breeze was Richard Konkolski,
sailing the 44.7-foot DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. He was closely
followed by fellow American David White, helming the 56-foot LEGEND
SECURITIES, and BELMONT FINLAND, sailed by Finn Harry Harkimo.
Harkimo, currently running third overall among Class II boats, was
battling a severe stomach inflammation he had contracted during the
previous night, and, determined to depart with his colleagues, left
port against doctor's orders.
A spectator fleet of nearly 100 boats saw the 15 intrepid
sailors off to Newport, some 5,300 miles away. Shortly after the
2:00 p.m. local (1:00 p.m. EDT) starting gun, the breeze picked up
to 15-18 knots, scattering the fleet into two distinct groups:
those who immediately tacked east to head offshore, and those who
stayed close to shore, cutting in between the mainland and the
Ponta Negra Maricas Islands, a small group of Islands approximately
a mile offshore. Leading those who headed offshore was TUNA
MARINE, sailed by South African John Martin, winner of Leg I, who
broke away from the fleet shortly after the start and was enjoying
good breeze thereafter.
Heading the pack who chose to hug the shoreline was Martin's
fellow countryman, Bertie Reed, sailing STABILO BOSS. Reed, the
second-place finisher in the inaugural BOC Challenge, had found
good wind close to shore and was moving along at about eight knots
two hours after the start. He was followed by Titouan Lamazou
(ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE), Philippe Jeantot (CREDIT AGRICOLE III) and
Harkimo.
The order of boats as they crossed the starting line was:
1. DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE (Richard Konkolski -
U.S.A./Class II)
2. LEGEND SECURITIES (David White - U.S.A./Class I)
3. BELMONT FINLAND (Harry Harkimo - Finland/Class II)
4. TUNA MARINE (John Martin - South Africa/Class I)
5. STABILO BOSS (Bertie Reed - South Africa/Class I)
6. LET'S GO (Jean-Luc Van Den Heede - France/Class II)
7. AMERICAN FLAG (Hal Roth - U.S.A./Class II)
8. CREDIT AGRICOLE III (Philippe Jeantot - France/Class I)
9. COLT BY RETTIG (Pentti Salmi - Finland/Class II)
10. SPIRIT OF SYDNEY (Ian Kiernan - Australia/Class I)
11. BISCUITS LU (Guy Bernardin - U.S.A./Class I)
12. ECUREUIL D'AQUITAAINE (Titouan Lamazou - France/Class I)
13. UAP - pour MSF (Jean-Yves Terlain - France/Class I)
14. LONE STAR (Mark Schrader - U.S.A./Class II)
15. AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR (Mike Plant - U.S.A./Class II)
While the start itself was unmarred by collisions and the
chaotic spectator fleets which have plagued previous Leg starts,
two "intents to protest" were filed by boats for purported starting
line infractions. The initial intent to protest was filed via
radio by ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE against CREDIT AGRICOLE, COLT BY
RETTIG, and SPIRIT OF SYDNEY for crowding the starting line.
Lamazou's intest to protest was followed by one from SPIRIT OF
SYDNEY, against CREDIT AGRICOLE and COLT, for the same reason.
Both boats must re-confirm their intent to protest when giving their
48-hour ETA into Newport, and must be flying their red protest
flags upon crossing the finish line. The protests will be heard in
Newport after the racers arrive.
The first several hundred miles up the coast of Brazil and
South America during the next several days will be crucial for the
BOC sailors in determining final positions into Newport. Those
final positions may very well reflect the relative success each BOC
skipper will have had in maneuvering his way north through the
light, variable wind patterns before reaching the more favorable
tradewinds.
The fastest time for this Rio-to-Newport Leg, achieved by
Philippe Jeantot during the 1982-83 BOC, is 28 days, 17 hours.
This year's lead BOC boats are expected to better that mark by as
much as seven days. First boats are due into Newport during the
first few days of May.
As his fellow competitors begin their voyage to Newport, John
Hughes, the lone sailor yet to complete Leg III of this sailing
marathon, is making good progress towards Rio and is expected to
arrive within the next ten days. As of this morning, Hughes had
1,150 miles to go to Rio.
|
| 395.50 | PRESS RELEASE #31 | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Thu Apr 23 1987 16:06 | 271 |
|
THE BOC CHALLENGE 1986-87
UPDATE SUMMARY #31
RACERS OFF TOWARD NEWPORT;
LAMAZOU TAKES LEAD WITH OFFSHORE ROUTE
Under sunny skies and in a pleasant ten knot breeze, fifteen of The
BOC Challenge solo racers left Rio de Janeiro Saturday, April 11,
bound for Newport, Rhode Island, and the finish of this 27,000-mile
adventure.
Leading the fleet across the starting line off Copacabana Beach
was Richard Konkolski, sailing the 44.7-foot DECLARATION OF
INDEPENDENCE. He was closely followed by fellow American David
White, helming the 56-foot LEGEND SECURITIES, and BELMONT FINLAND,
sailed by Finn Harry Harkimo. Harkimo, currently running third
overall among Class II boats, was battling a severe stomach
inflammation he had contracted during the previous night, and,
determined to depart with his colleagues, left port against
doctor's orders.
A spectator fleet of nearly 100 boats saw the 15 intrepid sailors
off to Newport, some 5,300 miles away. Shortly after the 2:00 p.m.
local (1:00 p.m. EDT) starting gun, the breeze picked up to 15-18
knots from the northeast, scattering the fleet into two distinct
groups: those who immediately tacked east to head offshore, and
those who stayed close to shore, cutting in between the mainland
and the Ponta Negra Maricas Islands, a small group of Islands
approximately a mile offshore. Leading those who headed offshore
was TUNA MARINE, sailed by South African John Martin, winner of Leg
I, who broke away from the fleet shortly after the start and was
enjoying good breeze thereafter.
Heading the pack who chose to hug the shoreline was Martin's fellow
countryman, Bertie Reed, sailing STABILO BOSS. Reed, the
second-place finisher in the inaugural BOC Challenge, had found
good wind close to shore and was moving along at about eight knots
two hours after the start. He was followed by Titouan Lamazou
(ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE), Philippe Jeantot (CREDIT AGRICOLE III) and
Harkimo.
The order of boats as they crossed the starting line was:
1. DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE (Richard Konkolski -
U.S.A./Class II)
2. LEGEND SECURITIES (David White - U.S.A./Class I)
3. BELMONT FINLAND (Harry Harkimo - Finland/Class II)
4. TUNA MARINE (John Martin - South Africa/Class I)
5. STABILO BOSS (Bertie Reed - South Africa/Class I)
6. LET'S GO (Jean-Luc Van Den Heede - France/Class II)
7. AMERICAN FLAG (Hal Roth - U.S.A./Class II)
8. CREDIT AGRICOLE III (Philippe Jeantot - France/Class I)
9. COLT BY RETTIG (Pentti Salmi - Finland/Class II)
10. SPIRIT OF SYDNEY (Ian Kiernan - Australia/Class I)
11. BISCUITS LU (Guy Bernardin - U.S.A./Class I)
12. ECUREUIL D'AQUITAAINE (Titouan Lamazou - France/Class I)
13. UAP - pour MSF (Jean-Yves Terlain - France/Class I)
14. LONE STAR (Mark Schrader - U.S.A./Class II)
15. AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR (Mike Plant - U.S.A./Class II)
While the start itself was unmarred by collisions and the chaotic
spectator fleets which have plagued previous Leg starts, two
"intents to protest" were filed by boats for purported starting
line infractions. The initial intent to protest was filed via
radio by ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE against CREDIT AGRICOLE, COLT BY
RETTIG, and SPIRIT OF SYDNEY for crowding the starting line.
Lamazou's intest to protest was followed by one from SPIRIT OF
SYDNEY, against CREDIT AGRICOLE and COLT, for the same reason.
Both boats must re-confirm their intent to protest when giving
their 48-hour ETA into Newport, and must be flying their red
protest flags upon crossing the finish line. The protests will be
heard in Newport after the racers arrive.
WEATHER AND STRATEGY
The racers must sail 800 miles north-northeast before they clear
the easternmost part of Brazil, Cabo de Sao Roque, which lies about
Latitude 5o South. Once past that "hump," the yachts can lay their
course directly for Newport. These first 800 miles along the
Brazilian coast could well spell the difference on Leg IV.
For that distance, the fleet will contend with lighter winds and a
contrary current that sweeps southward a few miles offshore. In
the 1982-83 BOC Challenge most of the fleet stayed close to shore,
between the current and the land. The sun heats the land,
producing thermal breezes from the South Atlantic during the day,
and from the land at night. Winds tend to get faint when switching
from sea breeze to land breeze. Also, the wind usually has a
northerly component, so the boats will have to tack back and forth
between the land and the current offshore. The south-setting
current often exceeds two knots, so the racers will avoid it.
Sailing inshore, the sailors will also have to contend with coastal
shipping and many fishing vessels. Fishermen from the coastal
villages sail hollow log canoes, often going out of sight of land.
These small boats are very hard to see, even in daylight. At night,
the BOC sailors must keep an especially close watch for them, as
most do not have lights.
An alternative course is to head well offshore, past the current
and calms, in search of the last tendrils of the Southeast
Tradewinds. Racers choosing that course will head almost straight
east from Rio until they come across the Trades, which are not very
strong off the Brazilian coast.
Once they find them, the sailors will turn his craft north,
reaching across the wind. At best, the winds will be 10-15 knots
from the east-southeast. If they find these conditions, the boats
offshore may find an advantage over those sailing inshore. The
western edge of the Southeast Trades is not firm, and the winds are
lighter than those closer to Africa, so this is a tenuous strategy.
The sailor taking his boat even farther east may find more
consistant, stronger winds. But, in so doing, he takes a more
risky course.
THE FIRST FIVE DAYS
As expected, the fleet quickly divided into two groups. Titouan
Lamazou aboard ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE (France) lead the group headed
offshore while fellow Frenchman Philippe Jeantot's CREDIT AGRICOLE
took a more intermediate course. BISCUITS LU (Guy Bernardin/USA)
lead those inshore.
At first those inshore showed up well on the ARGOS system placings,
as they were moving north while those headed offshore went east.
Some boats suffered from the "First Night Winds" syndrome, as the
headwinds increased to 35 knots the first night out of Rio,
bringing with them short, choppy seas. Some boats suffered damage
in this blow. LONE STAR (Mark Schrader/USA) reported via radio
that he had lost his #1 genoa. The remnants are at the masthead,
but he can still hoist his other sails.
Schrader also reported hearing that Mike Plant, who went into the
leg leading Class II, had gotten off to a poor start when his
roller-furling gear broke. Several sailors also reported that they
had on board a souvenir of port, "Rio's Revenge." This appears to
be a minor version of the malady that struck Harry Harkimo the day
before departure. Harkimo (BELMONT FINLAND/Finland) suffered from
a stomach inflamation so severe that the physician ordered him to
remain in Rio. He departed with the rest of the fleet, determined
not give up any time to the competition.
Harkimo quickly obtained a lead in Class II for the first four
days, despite his illness, sailing the inshore route. Just behind
him, also inshore, were American Mark Schrader (LONE STAR) and Finn
Pentti Salmi (COLT BY RETTIG). Richard Konkolski (DECLARATION OF
INDEPENDENCE/USA) stayed closest inshore, and was well up in the
placings for the first few days. Frenchman Jean-Luc Van Den Heede
(LET'S GO) led the Class II group headed offshore by making
slightly better progress to windward than archrival Mike Plant
(AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR/USA) and Hal Roth (AMERICAN FLAG/USA).
Class II placings changed rapidly April 15, as the offshore boats
picked up fresh breezes while those inshore suffered through light
winds. By mid-day, Plant, who was farther offshore than anyone
else, started to romp to the north, going from fifth in Class to
first in one day. Van Den Heede, 70 miles closer to shore, also
picked up wind, moving up to second in class. Roth, who had even
sailed a little south of east in order to get offshore, moved up
from last in Class to fourth once he started to head north.
AMERICAN FLAG, a lighter boat, is expected to do better in the
reaching conditions to be found to the east.
The Class I placings went through the same shifts as did Class II,
with the exception of Titouan Lamazou's ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE.
Lamazou took the Leg IV lead the first night and has never
relinquished it. He headed offshore, but made enough progress to
windward to capture the lead from Leg I winner John Martin (TUNA
MARINE/South Africa). Inshore a heated battle developed between
Bertie Reed on STABILO BOSS (South Africa), Guy Bernardin on
BISCUITS LU (USA) and Ian Kiernan (TRIPLE M/SPIRIT OF SYDNEY).
Three days into the Leg the three boats were within sight of each
other in light airs. But once the breeze freshened, Reed pulled
ahead of Kiernan, and Bernardin left them both behind, his new
mainsail pulling smartly. BISCUITS LU received a new mainsail in
Rio, so large that the sail must be reefed whenever Bernardin tacks
his boat. It appears that the increased sail area may help her
performance.
Philippe Jeantot (CREDIT AGRICOLE), race leader after three Legs,
is taking a moderate course, not as far offshore as Lamazou, nor as
close inshore as other boats. Jeantot has always kept Lamazou
within range while sailing his own course. The "Yellow Boat,"
UAP-pour MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES, sailed by Frenchman Jean-Yves
Terlain, has also headed offshore with Lamazou, and by the end of
the first five days had pulled ahead of TUNA MARINE to take second
place behind ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE. David White on LEGEND
SECURITIES (USA) got off to a slow start as he drove to the east,
but once he turned north he started to pick up places quickly. At
the end of five days, White had pulled into seventh place overall,
ahead of all of the inshore boats except BISCUITS LU.
Race originator White is now off to his best performance thus far
in the 1986-87 BOC Challenge. He is finding the conditions
offshore to be more to his advantage. If the winds continue as
they have the past two days, providing speeds of up to nine knots
for the leaders, the offshore route will have proven itself.
The next point of consideration for the sailors will be how close
to pass to Cabo de Sao Roque. That decision will be tempered by
their evaluation of conditions in the Doldrums. Each sailor is
undoubtedly consulting his weather maps and shore support services,
if he has them, seeking the narrowest belt of light winds to pass
through. The first man to emerge into the Northeast Tradewinds
will have a decided advantage.
By early next week the first racers will hit the flukey conditions
in the Doldrums. That will be a dramatic time.
JOSEPH YOUNG
John Hughes continued to make excellent progress toward Rio de
Janeiro aboard JOSEPH YOUNG (Canada), with his new mast working
well. Hughes plans to turn around quickly in Rio, so that he may
rejoin the rest of the fleet in Newport in time for the Prizegiving
on May 30. On April 15, Hughes was 385 miles from Rio, beating
into 40-knot headwinds. He told his friends in Halifax that the
temperatures were 80o F, and that the warm weather was a real
pleasure compared to the cold winds around Cape Horn and the
Falkland Islands. Hughes is expected to arrive in Rio about
April 19 or 20.
BOC CHALLENGE 1986 - 1987
RIO DE JANEIRO - NEWPORT
No 36
GENERAL PLACING
INTERPOLATED AT 4 22 20 H 30 M GMT
-C-N-E-S- SERVICE ARGOS 04-23-1987 AT 00:26 GMT
***********************************************************************
No BOAT SKIPPER SAIL NUMBER CLASS
NATIONALITY DIST TO GO LAT * LONG. DATES
***********************************************************************
1 ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE T.LAMAZOU 11 1
FRANCE 2511 9 15 N * 41 25 W 112/2159
2 CREDIT AGRICOLE III PH.JEANTOT 85 1
FRANCE 2598 7 26 N * 41 35 W 112/2159
3 BISCUIT LU G.BERNARDIN 86 1
USA 2603 7 9 N * 41 48 W 112/2158
4 UAP-MED. SANS FRONTIERES J.Y.TERLAIN 47072929 1
FRANCE 2615 8 3 N * 40 8 W 112/2159
5 TRIPLE M/SPIRIT OF SYDNEY I.KIERNAN 105 1
AUSTRALIA 2753 4 43 N * 40 52 W 112/2158
6 STABILO BOSS B.REED 100 1
SO.AFRICA 2799 3 55 N * 40 45 W 112/2157
7 LEGEND SECURITIES D.WHITE 10 1
U.S.A. 2854 3 42 N * 39 19 W 112/2157
8 AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR 2 M.PLANT 5 2
U.S.A. 2894 4 1 N * 36 43 W 112/1742
9 LET'S GO 2 J.L.VAN DEN HEE F8 2
FRANCE 2937 3 1 N * 37 51 W 112/2157
10 BELMONT FINLAND 2 H.HARKIMO 25 2
FINLAND 2939 2 53 N * 36 58 W 112/1742
11 AMERICAN FLAG 2 H.ROTH 7 2
U.S.A. 2967 2 29 N * 36 46 W 112/1743
12 COLT BY RETTIG 2 P.SALMI 140 2
FINLAND 2968 1 46 N * 38 51 W 112/2156
13 LONE STAR 2 M.SCHRADER 47 2
U.S.A. 3085 2 22 N * 34 11 W 112/2156
14 DECLARATION OF INDEP. 2 R.KONKOLSKI 17 2
U.S.A. 3144 1 43 S * 38 57 W 112/2156
15 JOSEPH YOUNG 2 J.HUGHES 9 2
CANADA 4600 23 41 S * 40 37 W 112/2150
|
| 395.51 | PRESS RELEASE #32 | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Fri May 01 1987 10:17 | 192 |
|
THE BOC CHALLENGE 1986-87
RACE UPDATE #32
BUSY WEEK SEES JEANTOT STOP IN RECIFE, HUGHES ARRIVE IN RIO;
FLEET RACES ALONG, DOLDRUMS NON-EXISTENT
An unexpected stop along the Brazilian coast, the arrival of
the final BOC competitor into Rio de Janeiro, impressive boat
speeds and the conspicuous absence of the doldrums were all
highlights during the past several days of The BOC Challenge. The
16-strong fleet, now more than halfway to Newport, Rhode Island on
the fourth and final leg of this 27,000-mile around-the-world
sailing adventure, has enjoyed very good weather conditions which
have pushed the solo sailors at a blistering pace up the Brazilian
coast, across the Equator, and into the North Atlantic. At the
beginning of the week, fleet leaders had just under 4,000 miles to
sail to Newport; by week's end, they had only 2,400 miles to go.
Still leading the pack is Titouan Lamazou on board ECUREUIL
D'AQUITAINE who has, to date, managed to hold onto a slim lead over
Philippe Jeantot, sailing CREDIT AGRICOLE. Jeantot has whittled
down Lamazou's lead to just 47 miles, gaining a few miles on
Lamazou each day. If Jeantot, the 1982-83 BOC winner, can continue
to pare down Lamazou's lead, the two men could find themselves in a
true "photo-finish" on the line in Newport. Both boats have
reported very little evidence of the characteristic "doldrums," or
areas of little or no wind, which are normally found in the area
north of the Equator. As a result, Lamazou, Jeantot, and several
other BOC boats have posted unusually high, consistent speeds of
more than 10 knots through the area this past week.
Jeantot's blazing pace, and position in the fleet, is more
impressive in light of the fact that he was forced to divert course
on April 17 and put into Recife, Brazil, with rigging problems.
The damage on the 60-foot CREDIT AGRICOLE was to the boat's
intermediate shrouds, which act as bracing for the yacht's 81-foot
mast. Without the stabilizing force of the wire shrouds, the mast
would be in danger of falling down.
Jeantot arrived in Recife at 12:00 a.m. on April 18 and,
after reinforcing the shrouds -- he was unable to replace them due
to time constraints -- and replacing two radios which had malfunc-
tioned the day of the start in Rio, he departed at 5:30 a.m. that
morning. The unplanned stopover for the 34-year-old Frenchman
came at a critical time in the Race, since he holds only a
three-day lead in total elapsed time over Lamazou. Any
unanticipated delays in Recife could have seriously jeopardized
Jeantot's overall standing in the Race, which he has a good chance
of winning for the second time.
Shortly after Jeantot sailed his 60-footer out of Recife to
re-join the fleet, a fellow competitor was edging his 42-footer
over the finish line in Rio de Janeiro to complete Leg III of the
Race. Canadian John Hughes, sailing JOSEPH YOUNG, arrived in Rio
at 12:28 p.m. local time on April 20 after an historic voyage
during which his boat was dismasted in the Pacific Ocean. JOSEPH
YOUNG lost its rig on February 6, and Hughes, determined to finish
the Race, fashioned a jury-rig and sailed more than 4,400 miles,
around Cape Horn, to the Falkland Islands, where he arrived 45
days later. After replacing the mast and sails he had lost,
Hughes sailed to Rio.
Anxious to get underway with Leg IV and join the 15 other
competitors, Hughes paused in Rio only long enough to take on
bottled water, a few provisions and a new spinnaker provided by
supporters in Canada before setting sail towards Newport. Rather
than go ashore, the 26-year-old waived his right to the allowed
seven-day layover and opted to have his provisions brought out to
him at sea. Hughes left Rio only three hours after arriving,
beginning Leg IV at 3:30 p.m. local time. JOSEPH YOUNG's elapsed
time for Leg III was 92 days, 11 hours, 27 minutes and 38 seconds.
Her total for three legs is 187 D, 11 H, 41 M, 10 S. Hughes'
elapsed time for Leg IV commenced with his departure from Rio.
Hughes is still some 1,600 miles behind his closest
competitor, Richard Konkolski (DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE), and
2,500 miles astern of current Leg IV leader Lamazou, and has been
battling light headwinds since departing Rio. However, he will
"'round the corner" of Brazil shortly, and should pick up more
favorable conditions. Ever the optimist, Hughes passed a message
along to his fellow competitors: "Save me a seat at the
Prizegiving (May 30); I'll be there. My goal is Newport, and I'm
going to make it."
While Hughes urges JOSEPH YOUNG up the South American coast
towards the rest of the BOC fleet, Class II forerunner Mike Plant
continues to lead his Class while battling forestay problems.
Plant, skipper of the 50-foot AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR, contacted Race
Headquarters during the week and told of his difficulties, which
had started the first night out of Rio. "The half-inch wire at
the bottom of my stay just parted. I had to cut everything down;
the jib and the roller-furling...it all came down onto the deck in
a crash, and then fell overboard. It was an absolute mess!"
Plant spent half of the next day trying to "...straighten
things out." He re-used his Norseman fitting, securing the stay
to the deck with anchor chain, and attached the 40 hanks he had on
board -- about half the number of hanks Plant actually needed --
to his jibs in order to hoist them. The repair has worked so far,
although Plant admitted that most of the sailing he had done since
the repair had been off the wind, so the forestay hadn't really
been tested. He said he intended to reinforce the repair once the
weather abated somewhat, after he left the Northeast Tradewinds.
Plant also said that he had blown two of his three
spinnakers, including one given him by Buddy Melges which was used
on "Heart of America" during the recent America's Cup Trials in
Australia. He is now left with one, heavier, chute, which he said
should be adequate to get him home to Newport. Like several of
his fellow competitors, Plant reported "...no sign of doldrums;
the wind never went away."
Plant admitted that he was keeping a close eye on Class II
second-place entrant, Jean-Luc Van Den Heede, who, starting the
week out, was only 40 miles astern of Plant. Even though Plant
holds a comfortable four-and-one-half day lead over Van Den Heede,
AIRCO's fragile rig could spell trouble for Plant coming up the
East Coast of the United States, where the boats may encounter
headwinds. Van Den Heede reported from the 45-foot LET'S GO that
the Tradewinds were too strong, "...the weather is a bit too heavy
for my little boat!"
The weather claimed to be too heavy for Van Den Heede was
described as "just perfect" by Finn Harry Harkimo, sailing the
50-foot BELMONT FINLAND, who has been trading places for second
and third place with Van Den Heede during the past several days.
BELMONT FINLAND, at 34,000 pounds one of the heaviest boats in the
fleet, has "really enjoyed" the 20-plus-knot winds, according to
Harkimo, who seems to have recovered from the serious stomach
inflammation he developed in Rio which nearly grounded him there.
Harkimo, who had been advised by doctors not to leave Rio in
his condition, was unable to take liquids for the first three days
out of port, and had his first solid meal six days after the April
11 re-start. In spite of his illness, he was sailing well and was
hoping to maintain his third-place overall standing in Class II.
Other BOC skippers who reported in during the week echoed
Harkimo's comments about good sailing conditions. Guy Bernardin,
sailing the Class I BISCUITS LU, was running third behind Jeantot
and said that everything was "...just fine. We continue to have
wind, although it has been very shifty. A lot of sail changes...a
lot of work!" BISCUITS LU was one of the boats which was posting
consistently high speeds during the week. Jean-Yves Terlain,
calling in via his satellite telephone, said he was having some
trouble with the main engine on UAP - POUR MSF, but otherwise
"...all is well...except that we are not going quite fast enough!"
Also reporting in were Mark Schrader on LONE STAR, John
Martin on TUNA MARINE, and Pentti Salmi on COLT BY RETTIG.
Schrader said he was "...enjoying good winds and reading a few
good books, but am still trying to go a little faster." Schrader,
at week's end, was running sixth in Class behind AIRCO, LET'S GO,
BELMONT FINLAND, COLT BY RETTIG and AMERICAN FLAG (Hal Roth).
Martin, who is currently holding down sixth place in Class I
behind Lamazou, Jeantot, Bernardin, Terlain and Ian Kiernan
(SPIRIT OF SYDNEY), had lost some mileage earlier in the week by
heading further east than the others. He has, however, regained
some of that, passing fellow countryman Bertie Reed on STABILO
BOSS during the week and extending that lead to 30 miles. Martin
had reported autopilot problems earlier on, but appeared to have
fixed them and said that "...everything is going well, although I
want to be further up in the pack!"
Salmi, who has moved up from sixth to fourth place among
Calss II boats during the past several days, reported that he had
cut his thumb while working on the bilge several days ago and that
his hand had become severely infected after coming in contact with
diesel fuel. Salmi's hand and fingers were extremely swollen, and
he was taking antibiotics to combat the infection. Through the
ham radio network and radio relay by fellow competitors, Salmi was
receiving medical advice for on-board treatment at week's end.
Based on the fleet's current rate of progress towards
Newport, the first BOC Class I boats are expected to cross the
finish line around May 4 or 5. Class II boats should begin
arriving three days later.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
-
Note: Due to scheduling conflicts, the BOC Blue Riband
Transatlantic Race, originally scheduled to begin
immediately after the May 30 BOC Challenge prizegiving,
has been cancelled. We regret any inconvenience that
this may cause.
|
| 395.52 | Jeantot Finishes BOC | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Wed May 13 1987 11:34 | 13 |
| Official word is coming slow so...
Even though he made an unexpected stopover to repair shrouds,
Jeantot finished first about 1700, Thursday, May 7th. Has anyone
been to Newport to see any of the finishers come in? I drove right
by Newport on the 7th. Really ticked me when I read in the paper
the next morning that Jeantot came in about the time I would have
been there if only I had stopped.
I'll post official word as soon as it comes in.
Frank
|
| 395.53 | | GRAMPS::WCLARK | Walt Clark | Wed May 13 1987 14:01 | 6 |
| I sailed thru Goat Island Marina, very briefly Sunday morning.
8 boats were in at that time.
Walt
|
| 395.54 | ALL IN NEWPORT EXCEPT HUGHES | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Mon May 18 1987 14:50 | 20 |
|
Still no official press release from the BOC Office, though all
of the entrants are now in Newport except for John Hughes. His
latest position report is:
BOC CHALLENGE 1986 - 1987
RIO DE JANEIRO - NEWPORT
No 109
GENERAL PLACING
INTERPOLATED AT 5 16 07 H 15 M GMT
-C-N-E-S- SERVICE ARGOS 05-16-1987 AT 09:57 GMT
***********************************************************************
No BOATS SKIPPER SAIL NUMBER CLASS
NATIONALITY MILES TO GO LAT * LONG. DATE
***********************************************************************
16 JOSEPH YOUNG 2 J.HUGHES 9 2
CANADA 1634 19 58 N * 51 36 W 136/0716
|
| 395.55 | PRESS RELEASE #33 (finally) | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Tue May 26 1987 12:56 | 396 |
| BOC SAILORS, LED BY MARTIN, FINISH FAST AND FURIOUS;
JEANTOT AND PLANT OVERALL WINNERS
The BOC Challenge 1986-87 culminated in spectacular fashion,
with the first six boats crossing the finish line in Newport, Rhode
Island, less than six hours apart. The solo sailors, who have now
completed a grueling single-handed circumnavigation of more than
27,000 nautical miles, were led over the finish line by John Martin,
sailing the 60-foot TUNA MARINE. Martin, the 32-year-old South
African seaman who captured the first Leg of this Race, from Newport
to Cape Town, sailed between the Brenton Reef Tower and the R-2 buoy
in Narragansett Harbor at 1:50.20 p.m. EDT on Thursday, May 7, to
end his eight-month-long sojourn. Amidst a flotilla of spectator
craft and under sunny, blue skies, Martin smiled broadly and raised
his arms victoriously as a freshening southwesterly breeze carried
him, and his craft, over the line.
Martin made the 5,300-mile voyage from Rio de Janeiro to
Newport, the fourth and final leg of the 'round-the-world event, in
26 Days, 00 Hours, 50 Minutes, 20 Seconds. His time eclipsed the
record for Leg IV, held by 1982-83 BOC winner Philippe Jeantot, by
two days, 17 hours. In spite of winning two of the four Legs in
this Race among Class I boats, Martin placed fifth on Total Elapsed
Time in Class I, a result of a luckless second leg from Cape Town to
Sydney. His overall elapsed time, 147 D, 08 H, 14 M, 00 S, still
betters Jeantot's '82-83 winning record by almost 12 days.
"I'm quite happy with the end results, in general," said a
tired but happy Martin at a packed press conference in Newport. "I
entered (this Race) to win...I thought I had a good chance. The
second Leg (during which he suffered multiple equipment failures)
killed me, though; I lost eight days there, and that's too much time
to make up. It's a great Race, and I've got a great boat, but I had
to get to Newport first...it was as though my life depended on it."
- more -
BOC Wrap-Up
Page two
Martin had little time to savor his hard-fought victory, for
barely four hours later, he was joined over the finish line by four
of his fellow competitors. Leading the group hard on Martin's heels
was Frenchman Titouan Lamazou, who sailed his 60-foot ECUREUIL
D'AQUITAINE over the line at 6:02.37 p.m. EDT. Lamazou, who earned
first place in Class I on Leg II, from Cape Town to Sydney, had an
elapsed time for Leg IV of 26 D, 05 H, 02 M, 37 S. His Total
Elapsed Time for the Race, 137 D, 17 H, 36 M, 06 S, put the
31-year-old author/artist in second place overall. Lamazou
accomplished the voyage more than 21 days faster than the 159 it had
taken Jeantot in 1982-83.
Lamazou, like Martin, credited one poor Leg performance, and
failed autopilots, with preventing him from capturing first place
honors overall. "The first Leg was very damaging for my overall
finishing position," he explained. "When my autopilots failed and
my boom broke twice, and I had to steer by hand for five
weeks...well, I just could never quite recover the time I lost there
to Philippe." The time Lamazou lost on that Leg, some
three-and-one-half days, is almost exactly the amount of time by
which he ultimately lost first place to Jeantot.
Lamazou's dockside celebration Thursday evening had not even
started when fellow Frenchman Philippe Jeantot crossed the finish
line aboard CREDIT AGRICOLE III to win his second BOC Challenge in
as many runnings. The "Flying Frenchman," so aptly named, charged
across the line at 6:46.45 p.m. EDT, just 44 minutes after Lamazou.
The large fleet of press and spectator craft, content to remain on
the finish line to witness the amazing parade of finishers, erupted
into cheers as the man who would turn 35-years-old in just a few
hours raised his arms in a triumphant gesture and openly laughed.
Jeantot's Leg IV time, 26 D, 05 H, 46 M, 45 S, was only good
enough to earn him third place in Class I this time -- even though
he bested his record of four years ago by two-and-one-half days --
but it was more than ample to keep his lock on first place, which he
had garnered at the half-way point in the Race. Jeantot's winning
time, an incredible 25 days swifter than his 1982-83 feat, was 134
D, 05 H, 23 M, 56 S. His clear-cut dominance of this marathon event
for the second time erased whatever doubts there may have been as to
who is currently the undisputed king of long-distance, singlehanded
sailing.
An ecstatic Jeantot sprayed hundreds of dockside press and
well-wishers with Veuve Clicquot champagne, then turned the bottle
onto himself for a celebratory showering. His victory was perhaps
all the sweeter, knowing that his dreams of a second victory could
have easily been shattered when CREDIT AGRICOLE's shrouds began
breaking one week into Leg IV.
- more -
BOC Wrap-Up
Page three
"I knew that if I had even one problem between Rio and
Newport, I could lose the whole Race," said a relieved-looking
Jeantot later. "So when I saw the wires on the shrouds going, I
said, 'I must put in somewhere; I can't push on like this.'"
Due to speedy teamwork ashore, Jeantot managed to keep his
stay in the Brazilian coastal town of Recife to only
five-and-one-half hours, and continued the race full-force. He then
closed the 135-mile gap between himself and Lamazou steadily over
the next two weeks, working his way back up through the fleet.
When asked which victory he appreciated more, his runaway win
during 1982-83, or this more competitive first-place finish, Jeantot
immediately said, "This one...because there was far more competition
this time. But I enjoyed the first Race more," he emphasized.
"There was more time to enjoy what I was doing, more time to
experience the human adventure. This Race, there was no time for
that; someone was always right behind you, and we all wanted to
win."
Right behind Jeantot by a mere 13 minutes was Guy Bernardin,
sailing BISCUITS LU, who shot over the line at 6:59.39 p.m. EDT to
capture fourth place in Class I on the final leg. The
newly-naturalized American citizen, who had been edged out of the
top three spots during the final approach to Newport, had an elapsed
time for Leg IV of 26 D, 05 H, 59 M, 37 S. His Total Elapsed Time
for the Race was 146 D, 12 H, 51 M, 34 S, placing him fourth overall
in Class I, only two hours after Jean-Yves Terlain on UAP - pour
MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES. The third-place spot, so hotly contested
between the two, was not to be decided until Terlain crossed the
finish line the following day, on May 8, within hours of his
"deadline."
Bernardin, whose sponsor manufactures Lu cookies, was greeted
at the dock by, among others, a cow -- in honor of the sailor's
overriding preference for milk as his beverage of choice. "What a
welcome!" Bernardin chuckled as he drank the milk instead of the
French champagne. Happy, but weary, Bernardin said the final leg
was "...taxing, because there were so many sail changes and trimming
of sails. This was a very close Leg; if you wanted to maintain an
edge, you had to be working the sails, and the boat, all the time."
"Spiriting" across the line, just 17 minutes after Bernardin,
was Australian Ian Kiernan on board TRIPLE M/SPIRIT OF SYDNEY. The
gregarious Aussie took his 60-footer over the line at 7:17.51 p.m.
EDT, finishing Leg IV with an elapsed time of 26 D, 06 H, 17 M,
51 S. Kiernan, who placed sixth in Class I with an overall time of
156 D, 16 H, 03 M, 38 S, credited lightening the boat in Rio with
his improved performance on this Leg. "We took out as much as we
could there (Rio), and I think it paid off a bit...we were certainly
faster this last Leg." Kiernan, like Bernardin, had held a top spot
in the fleet just days before Newport, only to be edged out by the
others on the homestretch. "I look at it this way," he explained
with a grin. "I lost first place by little over five hours, and
second place by just over one hour. Not bad after 6,000 miles --
but those blokes just snuck past me during the last couple of days."
- more -
BOC Wrap-Up
Page four
Four-and-one-half hours after Kiernan arrived at Goat Island
Marina, BOC veteran Bertie Reed pulled his 60-footer, STABILO BOSS,
up to the dock. Reed crossed the finish line at 11:42.54 p.m. EDT,
giving him a passage of 26 D, 10 H, 42 M, 56 S for Leg IV, a full
three days faster than the time it took him during the 1982-83 BOC,
in which he finished second behind Jeantot. The South African's
Total Elapsed Time for this Race was 163 D, 21 H, 42 M, 56 S, one
week quicker than his 1982-83 total, placing him seventh in Class I.
"She's a great boat, my STABILO BOSS," Reed said over a beer
shortly after tying up at the dock, "but those new French boats are
tough to match. We had a good Race...not quite as swift as I would
have liked, and I had my share of bad luck," he admitted, "but I am
very happy to have done this again."
Arriving seventh in Class I, hardly 24 hours after Thursday's
barrage of finishers, was Frenchman Jean-Yves Terlain, who sailed
his bright-yellow 60-footer across the line at 4:23.37 p.m. on
Friday, May 8. Nursing a broken boom, which had snapped just a few
days from Newport, Terlain guided UAP - pour MEDECINS SANS
FRONTIERES over the line in time to wrest third place overall from
Guy Bernardin. His Leg IV time was 27 D, 03 H, 23 M, 37 S, and his
Total Elapsed Time for the Race was 146 D, 10 H, 58 M, 10 S.
"The boat was going very well this leg," said the sailor who
has dedicated much of his sailing to a charity which sends medical
assistance to needy third-world countries. Terlain had actually
held second place in the fleet at one point during the last several
hundred miles, only to fall back into seventh place after his
problems began.
"UAP is still in the preparation stages," Terlain joked,
referring to his tendency to be the last boat to arrive at the
starting line area in each of the stopovers. "There will always be
work to be done on her...but she is a good boat. I've enjoyed
sailing monohulls again," said Terlain, who, in recent years, has
made his mark sailing multihulls.
The final Class I boat to complete the circumnavigation was
LEGEND SECURITIES, sailed by BOC Race Founder David White, who
crossed the finish line at 7:25.17 p.m. on May 8. The extroverted
Floridian, who had started the first BOC but was forced to retire
with structural problems, was met with a sentimental welcome from
the many people who had hoped that his second BOC effort would be
successful.
Stating that he was "...happy, relieved and now satisfied,"
White simply explained, "I wanted to do the first BOC. I had to do
this one." He achieved his goal sailing the 56-footer, the smallest
boat in Class I and now-improved, that had failed him four years
ago. White's Leg IV time of 27 D, 06 H, 25 M, 17 S was
one-and-one-half days faster than Jeantot's winning Leg IV time in
1983. His Total Elapsed Time for the Race was 164 D, 23 H, 05 M,
22 S.
- more -
BOC Wrap-Up
Page five
Winning Class II on Leg IV was Frenchman Jean-Luc Van Den
Heede, sailing the 45-foot marvel LET'S GO. Van Den Heede crossed
the Brenton Reef finish line at 5:40.20 p.m. on Friday, May 8, ahead
of ultimate overall Class II winner Mike Plant, of Jamestown, R.I.,
who charged across the line in front of hundreds of hometown
well-wishers at 2:10.22 p.m. on May 9. Plant, whose overall winning
time of 157 D, 11 H, 44 M, 44 S earns him a $15,000 check, bettered
Jeantot's winning '82-83 record by almost two full days -- a
significant accomplishment, given that Plant's AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR is
six feet shorter than the winning 1982-83 CREDIT AGRICOLE.
Van Den Heede's Leg IV time was 26 D, 21 H, 10 M, 20 S,
earning him first place among Class II boats for the second time
this Race. The amiable Frenchman also won Leg III, from Sydney to
Rio de Janeiro, in his Class. His Total Elapsed Time for the Race,
giving him a firm hold on second place in Class, was 161 D, 00 H,
07 M, 16 S.
"I could not be happier with my finish and my placing,"
grinned an exhuberant Van Den Heede during his arrival celebration.
"We tried hard, my little boat and I, and we did far better than I
thought we would at the beginning of the Race...I suppose I had a
little luck, too!" Van Den Heede's remarkable achievement with his
narrow, 45-foot sloop is, quite obviously, attributable to his
skills as a sailor, contrary to the opinion of the humble
mathematics teacher.
Plant's Leg IV time, some 20 hours more than Van Den Heede's,
clocked in at 28 D, 01 H, 10 M, 22 S. His well-padded four-and-one-
half-day lead over Van Den Heede going in to Leg IV was cut down
somewhat, but the 36-year-old Plant held onto his first-place
position, and arrived in Newport to an overflowing, and triumphant,
hometown crowd.
"This is really a dream-come-true," an ebulliant Plant crowed
to the crowd of enthusiastic onlookers. "Three long years of
effort, of persevering...and it's paid off today!" Sporting a
flower lei and sharing his enormous bottle of French champagne with
family and friends, Plant quickly admitted dockside that he'd do it
all over again. "But next time," he mused, "it will have to be in a
60-footer and with lots more money!"
- more -
BOC Wrap-Up
Page six
Following Plant across the line by only 18 minutes, to take
third place on Leg IV and overall, was 32-year-old Finn Harry
Harkimo. Harkimo, who became the first man from Scandanavia to solo
circumnavigate, crossed the line at 2:28.13 p.m. May 9. His Leg IV
time was 28 D, 01 H, 28 M, 13 S, and his overall time was 168 D, 09
H, 21 M, 13 S.
"I just wanted to finish in the top three in my Class and be
the first Finn to sail around the world, and I have done both,"
exclaimed Harkimo, who, upon crossing the line, did a dance in his
cockpit and uncorked the first of many champagne bottles. "I have
realized my dream." When asked if another BOC was in the cards, the
pragmatic young man thoughtfully said, "I don't think so...I did it
once, I managed to get around and do well. Why push my luck?"
The fourth American to complete this 27,000-mile marathon, Hal
Roth, did so in the early hours of Monday, May 11. Roth, skipper of
AMERICAN FLAG, guided his sleek vessel over the line at 2:21.39 a.m.
before a small crowd of late-night supporters. His fourth-place
performance on this final leg, with a time of 29 D, 13 H, 21 M,
39 S, was speedy enough to secure an overall fourth-place finish
among Class II boats. Roth's Total Elapsed Time of 171 D, 19 H, 58
M, 18 S, was a slim 11 hours ahead of fellow Class II rival Richard
Konkolski.
Clutching a bouquet of flowers given to him by a well-wisher,
and his unopened bottle of champagne, Roth spoke dockside of how
proud he was to have sailed among "...such a tremendous group of men
with a real sense of comaraderie. It has been quite an interesting
trip, but I am happy to be here."
Perhaps the happiest man to arrive on firm ground was Pentti
Salmi, the Finnish sailor who had endured serious blood poisoning
and the threat of gangrene en route from Rio. Salmi edged his
46-foot COLT BY RETTIG over the line in Newport, just six hours
after Roth, at 8:10.59 a.m. on Monday, May 11. In spite of his
infection, which had begun in his thumb less than two weeks after
the April 11 start from Rio and had become progressively worse,
Salmi had been determined, if at all possible, to continue towards
Newport without stopping to receive medical attention. He was only
able to do this after a mid-sea rendezvous with Jean-Luc Van Den
Heede, who diverted course to give Pentti live-saving injectable
antibiotics.
Salmi, still sporting a large bandage on the much-improved
hand, had a warm reunion with his wife, friends and sponsor, all of
whom had kept an intense vigil with BOC Race Headquarters during the
two-week ordeal. His time, 29 D, 19 H, 10 M, 59 S, landed him in
fifth place among Class II boats for Leg IV -- ironically, his best
showing in Class for the entire Race, given his inability to use his
left hand and arm for much of the 5,300-mile trip.
- more -
BOC Wrap-Up
Page seven
"I am fine, just fine," the towheaded sailor offered.
"Compared to what I have been through, this is nothing! We will go
to the doctor, as I have been ordered, but I am O.K. now. I never
would have made it, though, without the help of this man," he said,
gesturing to Van Den Heede, who was close by, "or my fellow sailors.
I am eternally grateful to them all."
Salmi finished the Race in seventh place overall among
Class II boats, with a time of 175 D, 18 H, 02 M, 39 S. His Total
Elapsed Time was just four hours behind American Mark Schrader, who
sailed into Newport under a full moon and crystal-clear sky at
10:39.38 p.m. on May 11. Sailing his 47-foot Valiant, LONE STAR,
Schrader hammed for the people who had gone out in the night to
greet him. "Does anyone want to buy a boat?" the 39-year-old joker
asked as LONE STAR made its way towards the Goat Island docks.
Schrader's time for the fourth Leg was 30 D, 20 H, 58 M, 50 S,
placing him seventh in Class on Leg IV and sixth in Class overall.
His Total Elapsed Time was 175 D, 14 H, 23 M, 52 S. While he had
hoped to be a bit more competitive in Class II, Schrader said that
his boat had "...performed as well as we hoped it would. And
besides, the most important thing for me in this Race was the people
I met and the friends I made, not winning first place."
The penultimate BOC solo sailor to arrive back into Newport
was hometown skipper Richard Konkolski, sailing DECLARATION OF
INDEPENDENCE. The Newport resident -- when not voyaging around the
globe -- passed Brenton Reef Tower at 9:58.50 a.m. on Tuesday, May
12, to become the 15th of 16 expected finishers of the 25 men who
began this Race from Newport last August 30.
Konkolski's time for Leg IV was 30 D, 20 H, 58 M, 50 S,
placing him seventh in Class II for this final leg. His stronger
performances on the first three legs of the Race, however, kept
Konkolski's overall Class placing to fifth, with a Total Elapsed
Time of 172 D, 06 H, 41 M, 03 S.
As he signed countless autographs for the many schoolchildren
gathered at the dock who had followed his progress this past year,
Konkolski told of the problem with his autopilot compass which had
sent him far too close to the Brazilian shore. The error cost him
many miles, and a few days of frustrating calms. "I made up some
miles after finally getting out of there," he said, "but it was too
late to make up the difference. How frustrating!" Nonetheless,
Konkolski, a true seaman, said he would attempt his fourth
circumnavigation four years from now on the next BOC Challenge
"...if I had another boat and a major sponsorship. Otherwise, it
would not be fair to my family."
Still to finish is Canadian sailor John Hughes, who has
captured the attention, and hearts, of many around the world with
his courageous voyage under jury-rig around Cape Horn. Hughes, at
26 the youngest skipper in the fleet, and his 41.7-foot JOSEPH
YOUNG, were just over 1,000 miles from Newport on May 20. At his
current rate of progress, which is approximately six knots, it is
hoped that the diligent young man will arrive in Newport for the May
30 Awards Ceremony, the culmination of this extraordinary adventure.
# # #
BOC Wrap-Up
Page seven
The next two updates will contain detailed accounts of interviews with
each skipper. In addition, we will continue to report on the
progress of John Hughes, the one remaining BOC sailor at sea, who,
as of early May 19, had 1175 miles to go to Newport. At his current
rate of progress, approximately six knots, it is hoped that Hughes
and his 41.7-foot JOSEPH YOUNG, dismasted in the Southern Ocean on
February 6, will arrive in time for the final Awards Ceremony on
May 30.
|
| 395.56 | AWARDS PRESENTATION | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Wed Jun 17 1987 15:19 | 346 |
| THE BOC CHALLENGE 1986-87
RACE WRAP-UP
SIXTEEN SOLO YACHTSMEN FETED AT FINAL AWARDS CEREMONY;
BOC ANNOUNCES SPONSORSHIP OF NEXT RACE
The final chapter of The BOC Challenge 1986-87 was written in
memorable fashion on the night of Saturday, May 30, when more than
800 people gathered in Newport, Rhode Island, to pay special tribute
to the 16 intrepid finishers in the solo around-the-world yacht
Race.
Highlighting the gala evening, during which guests were
treated to a New England-style clambake, dancing and a spectacular
fireworks display, was the awarding of trophies and cash prizes to
the 16 men who completed the grueling circumnavigation, as well as
the announcement by The BOC Group Chairman, Richard Giordano, that
BOC would sponsor a third BOC Challenge.
Collecting first-place trophies, as well as $15,000 winners'
checks, were American Mike Plant, who sailed his 50-foot AIRCO
DISTRIBUTOR to a sound Class II victory, and Frenchman Philippe
Jeantot, who skippered the 60-foot CREDIT AGRICOLE III to his second
consecutive Class I BOC victory.
Both men thanked The BOC Group for its support of and
dedication to the event, and encouraged BOC to continue its
participation in future 'round-the-world yacht races. Plant, saying
that The BOC Challenge "...represented the greatest dreams and
desires of the sailors here tonight, as well as many others,"
called the event "...the ultimate test of man and machine. The BOC
Challenge has come to stand for the best of challenges, and the best
of world-class sailing events."
- more -
BOC Wrap-up
Page two
The two Class winners also paid tribute to their fellow
competitors for their high levels of dedication, seamanship and
camaraderie, and each announced their intention to be a competitor
in the next BOC Challenge. Citing the special spirit found among
the BOC sailors, Jeantot said: "The spirit those of us who race in
the BOC share is ultimately what distinguishes this event from all
others. The competition is the best, too, but the special bond we
all share is what makes us return. I hope this unique communion is
still here for the next BOC -- I will be back."
Each of the 16 finishers, from the original 25 men who started
the Race on August 30, 1987, was presented with hand-crafted globes,
on a marble base, into which the Race route was etched. Plant and
Jeantot received gold-plated versions of the trophy, and their
fellow competitors received silver versions.
In addition, Jean-Luc Van Den Heede was awarded a $10,000
check for being the first unsponsored boat in Class II to finish,
with the shortest overall elapsed time. Van Den Heede, who
masterfully sailed his 45-foot LET'S GO, ahead of several larger
boats, into a second place finish in Class II, also received the
Race Handicap Award for the best boat performance based on the
waterline length of the boat.
Because there was no unsponsored boat in Class I, and,
therefore, no candidate for the $10,000 "unsponsored entry" check in
that Class, the competitors had earlier elected to give the money to
the Class I second-place finisher. Titouan Lamazou, the young
Frenchman who sailed ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE and gave Jeantot a run for
his money during the entire 27,000-mile Race, was the deserving
recipient.
Special recognition was also given to American Hal Roth,
skipper of AMERICAN FLAG, for "Best Log." Roth, author of several
published sailing books, was given an English-made Cooke sextant for
his navigational record and personal-experience descriptions of the
Race. The "Spirit of The BOC Challenge" award, given to the
competitor who, in the opinion of the Race Committee and
competitors, best exemplified the qualities of seamanship, stamina
and sportsmanship during the Race, was awarded to John Hughes, the
26-year-old Canadian captain of JOSEPH YOUNG.
- more -
BOC Wrap-up
Page three
Hughes, the youngest competitor in the fleet and sailing the
smallest boat, managed to arrive in Newport just three days before
the Awards Ceremony. The now-well-known saga of his dismasting in
the Southern Pacific Ocean on Leg III of the Race, and his
perseverence in continuing, under jury-rig, around Cape Horn, to the
Falkland Islands and finishing the Race, made Hughes an overwhelming
choice for the Award. He received a one-person "Millimeter" yacht,
a miniature replica of a 12-meter.
Receiving a "runner-up" award for the "Spirit of The BOC
Challenge" Award was Jean-Luc Van Den Heede, who diverted course
during the final leg of the Race, from Rio de Janeiro to Newport, to
provide life-saving antibiotics to Finnish competitor Pentti Salmi,
who was stricken with blood poisoning.
A complete list of Awards, and their respective recipients,
follows, as well as a list of Final Standings in each Class.
Richard Giordano, in announcing that The BOC Group would
sponsor the next BOC Challenge, pointed to the Company's continued
commitment to "...recognize the outstanding achievements of
individuals such as these men, who have shown us the meaning of the
words 'diligence,' 'courage,' 'determination' -- and
[B'self-sufficiency.' We applaud this year's finishers tonight, offer
them our most heartfelt congratulations, and look forward to having
them, and other intrepid sailors like them, with us again in the
future."
Giordano said that the dates, Race route and related details
for the next BOC Challenge would be announced shortly. He also
expressed hope that the City of Newport would continue to offer its
full support and assistance with the next Race. That commitment was
acknowledged and pledged by Newport Mayor Patrick Kirby, who offered
thanks and congratulations to the BOC finishers on behalf of the
people of Newport.
Barely more than 24 hours after the Awards Ceremony, many of
the competitors had departed Newport, some to begin work on other,
upcoming, sailing projects, some returning home to their countries,
families and every-day jobs -- and not just a few making plans for
the next BOC Challenge around-the-world adventure.
Updates on the next BOC Challenge will be issued quarterly,
beginning with Fall 1987. For information concerning the Race
itself, the upcoming BOC Challenge movie, BOC Challenge merchandise,
and related events, please contact:
Kathy Giblin
28 Pelham Street, #206
Newport, RI 02840
401/841-5110
# # #
The BOC Challenge 1986-87
Awards Ceremony
May 30, 1987
Order of Presentation
I. Leg IV Handicap Trophies
(Based on a formula calculating each boat's
performance based on its length at the waterline.)
Presented by Newport Mayor Patrick Kirby
Class II Jean-Luc Van Den Heede
France
"LET'S GO"
Class I Bertie Reed
South Africa
"STABILO BOSS"
II. Leg IV Line Trophies
Given by Airco Gases, a division of The BOC Group, and
presented by Robert Lienhardt, executive vice president, North
American Gases
Class II Third Place Harry Harkimo
Finland
"BELMONT FINLAND"
Second Place Mike Plant
U.S.A.
"AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR"
First Place Jean-Luc Van Den Heede
France
"LET'S GO"
Class I Third Place Philippe Jeantot
France
"CREDIT AGRICOLE III"
Second Place Titouan Lamazou
France
"ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE"
First Place John Martin
South Africa
"TUNA MARINE"
- more -
III. Special Race Awards
Presented by Desmond O'Connell,
Group Managing Director of The BOC Group
Best Log Award (A sextant)
Hal Roth
U.S.A.
"AMERICAN FLAG"
Spirit of BOC Challenge Award (A "Millimeter," miniature 12-meter
boat)
"Awarded to the BOC competitor who, in the opinion of the Race
committee and his fellow competitors, best exemplifies the qualities
of seamanship, stamina, camaraderie and, above all, sportsmanship, a
mix which makes this event unique."
John Hughes
Canada
"JOSEPH YOUNG"
Special Mention:
Jean-Luc Van Den Heede
France
"LET'S GO"
IV. Race Handicap Trophies
Overall Jean-Luc Van Den Heede
France
"LET'S GO"
Class I Philippe Jeantot
France
"CREDIT AGRICOLE III"
V. Finishers' Trophies
Presented by Richard Giordano, Chairman of The BOC Group
John Hughes
Canada, Class II
"JOSEPH YOUNG"
David White
U.S.A., Class I
"LEGEND SECURITIES"
Pentti Salmi
Finland, Class I
"COLT BY RETTIG"
- more -
Bertie Reed
South Africa, Class I
"STABILO BOSS"
Mark Schrader
U.S.A., Class II
"LONE STAR"
Ian Kiernan
Australia, Class I
"TRIPLE M/
SPIRIT OF SYDNEY"
Richard Konkolski
U.S.A., Class II
"DECLARATION OF
INDEPENDENCE"
John Martin
South Africa, Class I
"TUNA MARINE"
Hal Roth
U.S.A., Class II
"AMERICAN FLAG"
Guy Bernardin
U.S.A., Class I
"BISCUITS LU"
Class II Third Place Harry Harkimo
Finland
"BELMONT FINLAND"
168 D, 9 H, 21 M, 13 S
Second Place Jean-Luc Van Den Heede
France
"LET'S GO"
161 D, 0 H, 7 M, 16 S
- $10,000 check for first
unsponsored boat
Class I Third Place Jean-Yves Terlain
France
"UAP - pour MEDECINS
SANS FRONTIERES"
146 D, 10 H, 58 M, 10 S
- more -
Class I Second Place Titouan Lamazou
France
"ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE"
137 D, 17 H, 36 M, 6 S
- $10,000 check for second
place finisher in Class
Class II First Place Mike Plant
U.S.A.
"AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR"
157 D, 11 H, 44 M, 44 S
- $15,000 check - 1st in Class
Class I First Place Philippe Jeantot
France
"CREDIT AGRICOLE III"
134 D, 5 H, 23 M, 56 S
- $15,000 check - 1st in Class
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| 395.57 | SET 132 COLUMN FOR RESULTS | USSCSL::PASCUCCI | | Wed Jun 17 1987 15:44 | 51 |
|
BOC CHALLENGE 1986-87
1 June 1987
LEG TIMES AND RUNNING ELAPSED TIMES BY CLASS
(All times in Days, Hours, Minutes, Seconds: Placement in Class)
CLASS I
Yacht Leg I Time (Place) Leg II Time (Place) Leg III Time(Place) Leg IV Time(Place)
Skipper Total I & II Total I-III Final Total
CREDIT AGRICOLE III 42 16 57 35 (2) 28 12 52 43 (2) 36 17 46 53 (1) 26 05 46 45 (3)
Philippe Jeantot (France) 71 05 50 18 (1) 107 23 37 11 (1) 134 05 23 56 (1)
ECUREUIL D'AQUITAINE 46 08 04 22 (5) 28 07 13 22 (1) 36 21 15 45 (2) 26 05 02 37 (2)
Titouan Lamazou (France) 74 15 17 44 (2) 111 12 33 29 (2) 137 17 36 06 (2)
UAP pour MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES 47 16 44 50 (6) 31 04 55 25 (3) 40 09 54 18 (3) 27 03 23 37 (7)
Jean-Yves Terlain (France) 78 21 40 15 (5) 119 07 34 33 (3) 146 10 58 10 (3)
BISCUITS LU 43 05 58 43 (3) 33 01 01 14 (5) 43 23 52 00 (4) 26 05 59 37 (4)
Guy Bernardin (USA) 76 06 59 57 (3) 120 06 51 57 (4) 146 12 51 34 (4)
TUNA MARINE 42 01 10 36 (1) 35 04 16 20 (8) 44 01 56 44 (5) 26 00 50 20 (1)
John Martin (South Africa) 77 05 26 56 (4) 121 07 23 40 (5) 147 08 14 00 (5)
TRIPLE M/SPIRIT OF SYDNEY 51 03 20 30 (8) 32 11 41 54 (4) 46 18 43 23 (7) 26 06 17 51 (5)
Ian Kiernan (Australia) 83 15 02 24 (7) 130 09 45 47 (6) 156 16 03 38 (6)
STABILO BOSS 50 17 39 48 (7) 40 18 09 43 (9) 45 23 10 31 (6) 26 10 42 54 (6)
Bertie Reed (South Africa) 91 11 49 31 (9) 137 11 00 02 (7) 163 21 42 56 (7)
LEGEND SECURITIES 51 17 20 20 (9) 34 14 23 25 (6) 51 08 56 20 (8) 27 06 25 17 (8)
David White (USA) 86 07 43 45 (8) 137 16 40 05 (8) 164 23 05 22 (8)
CLASS II
AIRCO DISTRIBUTOR 47 15 30 30 (2) 34 16 03 52 (1) 47 03 00 00 (2) 28 01 10 22 (2)
Mike Plant (USA) 82 07 34 22 (1) 129 10 34 22 (1) 157 11 44 44 (1)
LET'S GO 51 11 16 55 (3) 36 17 43 52 (3) 45 21 56 09 (1) 26 21 10 20 (1)
Jean-Luc Van Den Heede (France) 88 05 00 47 (2) 134 02 56 56 (2) 161 00 07 16 (2)
BELMONT FINLAND 52 11 36 29 (5) 36 09 34 11 (2) 51 10 42 20 (4) 28 01 28 13 (3)
Harry Harkimo (Finland) 88 21 10 40 (3) 140 07 53 00 (3) 168 09 21 13 (3)
AMERICAN FLAG 52 12 13 17 (6) 38 09 43 25 (5) 51 08 39 57 (3) 29 13 21 39 (4)
Hal Roth (USA) 90 21 56 42 (5) 142 06 36 39 (4) 171 19 58 18 (4)
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE 51 11 34 15 (4) 38 10 42 00 (6) 51 11 25 58 (5) 30 20 58 50 (7)
Richard Konkolski (USA) 89 22 16 15 (4) 141 09 42 13 (4) 172 06 41 03 (5)
LONE STAR 54 10 59 30 (8) 38 09 02 20 (4) 52 08 42 24 (6) 30 09 39 38 (6)
Mark Schrader (USA) 92 20 01 50 (6) 145 04 44 14 (6) 175 14 23 52 (6)
COLT BY RETTIG 53 18 55 22 (7) 39 18 27 32 (7) 52 09 28 46 (7) 29 19 10 59 (5)
Pentti Salmi (Finland) 93 13 22 54 (7) 145 22 51 40 (7) 175 18 02 39 (7)
JOSEPH YOUNG 55 00 23 52 (9) 39 23 49 40 (8) 92 11 27 38 (8) 37 02 14 14 (8)
John Hughes (Canada) 95 00 13 32 (8) 187 11 41 10 (8) 224 13 55 24 (8)
Times above include all penalties and adjustments.
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| 395.58 | attaboyfrank | GRAMPS::WCLARK | Walt Clark | Wed Jun 17 1987 17:01 | 6 |
| And a hearty well done to you Frank.
Thanks for all the work reporting this event.
Walt
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| 395.59 | | MFGMEM::KEENAN | PAUL KEENAN DTN 297-7332 | Mon Jul 16 1990 14:26 | 12 |
| I stopped by Ben's Boat Basin in Portsmouth RI this weekend. They have
two BOC boats out of the water. Both are radical designs.
"Hunter's Child" looks like a skyscraper drawing 14'. It's bow has
wings at deck level to slide the headstay athwartship - looks like
a hammerhead shark.
"Allied Bank" draws slightly less, but is very beamy and has huge
twin rudders.
They both look more like spaceships than boats.
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| 395.60 | Hunters hammers. | CHEST::BARKER | Clouseau fans against the Beumb | Tue Jul 17 1990 05:05 | 13 |
| > "Hunter's Child" looks like a skyscraper drawing 14'. It's bow has
> wings at deck level to slide the headstay athwartship - looks like
> a hammerhead shark.
A slight correction, the 'wings' are to pull the tack of the
asymmetric spinnakers to windward, like small spinnaker poles.
The thinking is that even this small amount will mean that the boat can
sail lower than the other BOC boats, whose kites tack to the
centreline. There was a full design review of this boat in
'Seahorse' a few issues back.
Chris
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| 395.61 | Point higher & faster | AKOV12::DJOHNSTON | | Tue Jul 17 1990 09:55 | 20 |
| Re: -.1
Also will be used to move the tack of the headsail to leeward, allowing
the boat to point higher upwind. The point was made that this is not
legal in most racing, but that the BOC is developmental and open to
such ideas. The concept isn't new. A-scows used to do this (using
their wide bows) until it was disallowed.
Finally got around to reading my July Sailing World last night. The
BOC type boats are obviously the way of the future. It's a shame the
Whitbread committee won't consider an 80 foot open class for the next
race. These wouldn't be singlehanded, but short handed (two to four
crew) but of the same concept as the 60 footers currently being
singlehanded. They'd kick the crap out of the IOR types!
In the same issue Garry Hoyt extolled the virtues of knowing how to
windsurf. His point is that you don't really know how to sail if you
can't windsurf. Interesting concept that I couldn't disagree with.
Good reading.
Dave
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| 395.62 | BOC-90 start--Can somebody give me a ride? | CANDID::steph | Stephen Bailey | Mon Sep 10 1990 11:59 | 10 |
| The BOC Challenge 1990 starts this Saturday (15-Sep-1990) in Newport, RI.
Can anybody tell me exactly when and where the start will be?
I'd really like to catch the start from the water. Is there anyone out
there who is planning to be in the spectator fleet who could use two
extra crew, or who could stand two guests?
Thanks,
Steph (CANDID::STEPH, DTN 493-6438)
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| 395.63 | BOC 1990-1991 STARTING INFORMATION | A1VAX::RUDY | | Thu Sep 13 1990 13:57 | 18 |
| I just checked on the start of the BOC.
The race starts this Saturday September 15 at 12:00 noon.
The start will be just off Fort Adams and "the recommended viewing
area will be from land"
If you do want to see the start from your boat, be cautioned that
there will be a fairly significant safety zone. For the last 20
minutes before the start you will not be able to get through the East
passage at all according to the BOC Race headquarters.
I am planning to go out to Bretton Reef area before that
and just view the race after the start. That would seem alot safer
and easier to me.
|
| 395.64 | A little more information. | CANDID::steph | Stephen Bailey | Thu Sep 13 1990 17:24 | 25 |
| Thanks for the info.
I called the tourist information number in Newport and got essentially the same
info plus the following:
1) You can hobnob with the skippers and check out the yachts on Goat
Island before the race. The tourist info people didn't know until when.
2) There're going to be fireworks Friday evening at 2130 to celebrate
the opening of the single-handed museum (hall of fame?).
3) The lady I talked to seem to think that if you arrived at Fort Adams
at 1200, all you'd see is transoms. She recommended getting there
at 1100.
I wish the oranizers had put the yachts somewhere where a land locked
type could see them. I also wish they had set the start a couple hours
later so you could easily come in from somewhere (New York or Boston),
check out the hardware and then see the start. Grumble.
Anyhow, my friend and I are still interested cruise afterwards,if
anyone wants extra crew. Let me know by mail (candid::steph) before noon tomorrow.
Steph
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