|
|
| Search Ads |
|
|
|
|
|
| Waiting for Wind -- Leg Three, Day Five -- Velux 5 Oceans |
VELUX 5 OCEANS – Leg Three, Day Five
WAITING FOR WIND
• BERNARD STAMM (SUI) wallows in light airs
• KOJIRO SHIRAISHI (JPN) about to be becalmed
• SIR ROBIN KNOX-JOHNSTON (GBR) bailing buckets
• UNAI BASURKO’s (ESP) gamble south may not pay off
After four or five days of sailing in head-banging conditions as hard into the wind as possible,
Leg 3 is entering a new tactical phase. The two leaders, Bernard Stamm and Kojiro Shiraishi,
have been sailing the shortest course possible up to now, holding as north as possible without
tacking. Progress has been hard in the strong adverse winds and washing-machine seas kicked
up by the Gulf Stream.
However, they have now moved into a ridge of high pressure, which for the time being has
knocked the wind out of their sails and a frustrated Stamm will be trapped in the light airs he
foresaw prior to leaving Norfolk. Forty miles astern of CHEMINÉES-POUJOULAT, Shiraishi has
yet to let Stamm break away or to experience drifting conditions, although the Japanese
skipper can already detect a significant change in the weather
Sir Robin Knox-Johnston is also experiencing calmer conditions and has managed to bail 41
buckets of water from his bow. He will be reassured to know that Stamm and Shiraishi share
his thinking over getting as north as possible in this first week of Leg 3. While the late morning
position report revealed that SAGA INSURANCE had yielded further miles to third-placed PAKEA
- now almost 200 miles ahead - RKJ is sticking to his guns in the belief that his more northerly
route will come good when the new westerly winds arrive.
Sir Robin needs to make up a deficit of 2 days and 9 hours on Unai Basurko from their
combined times in Legs 1 & 2 – so he is gambling that this will pay off for him in the long run.
Basurko has provided RKJ the opportunity to make some gains against the Basque skipper if
the new wind from further south arrives with SAGA INSURANCE before it reaches PAKEA as the
weather models are suggesting.
Bernard Stamm, CHEMINEES POUJOULAT:
“At the moment we are in very unstable conditions, very changeable winds, both in direction
and force. Now I'm making the transition between the north-easterly winds we had before and
the new pressure. I've been trying all night to find wind. Progress is very slow at the moment,
it's very shifty.”
Kojiro Shiraish, SPIRIT OF YUKOH:
“The sea surface has finally calmed down. The forecast is of a northerly wind of 10 knots but
the reality is a 20-knot north-easterly. I need to get more north but we are pointed as high as I
can get. We have been on the same one tack, closed hauled, since the start. The barometer
shows the pressure is gradually rising and we will soon be overtaken by a high pressure
system. Once through that we will have some good following winds. However the differences
between the forecasts and reality have been big lately, so we will have to see.”
Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, SAGA INSURANCE:
“Sitting becalmed at the moment between two systems, hopefully awaiting a south westerly
wind later. Things quietened down yesterday afternoon so I was able to do some serious baling
from the fore part, 41 buckets in total, some 800 pounds of water, which have raised the bow a
touch.”
Boat Positions as at 10:20 UTC April 23, 2007
Yacht Skipper Latitude Longitude
Course
(°)
Speed
(knot)
DTL
(nautical
miles)
DTF
(nautical
miles)
Dist -
last Pos
(nautical
miles)
Dist -
24h
(nautical
miles)
Average
speed -
24h
(knots)
VMG -
24h
(knots)
1 Cheminees
Poujoulat
Bernard
Stamm
41°
03.56 N
051°
01.64 W 60 5.3 2109 8.3 39.8 234.8 9.78
2 Spirit of
Yukoh
Kojiro
Shiraishi
39°
46.52 N
051°
16.28 W 34 8 38 2147 8.15 39.1 236 9.83
3
PAKEA
Unai
Basurko
34°
06.01 N
053°
04.01 W 120 11 265 2375 11.91 79.6 250.1 10.42
4
SAGA
Insurance
Sir
Robin
Knox-
Johnston
39°
29.08 N
060°
46.28 W 21 5.3 449 2558 3.4 16.3 88.3 3.68
5 A
Southern
Man-AGD
Graham
Dalton
333 to
leg start
- END -
For more information on VELUX 5 OCEANS please visit www.velux5oceans.com, or contact:
RACE PRESS OFFICE: + 44 20 7494 1616
Tim Kelly: + 44 (0)7773 325 533
Justine Ozoux: + 44 (0)7824 310 035
E: tim.kelly@pitchpr.com / justine@pitchpr.com
Notes to Editors
About the VELUX 5 OCEANS – The Ultimate Solo Challenge
The VELUX 5 OCEANS is the oldest and most established, single-handed round the world yacht race. With a rich
sporting heritage, the race has been contested every four years since 1982, previously under the titles of ‘BOC
Challenge’ and more recently ‘Around Alone.’ The ultimate in human endeavour, more people have climbed Mount
Everest and travelled to the moon, than have completed a solo circumnavigation.
In 2006, the race celebrates its 25th Jubilee year and, with new title sponsors, VELUX, is set to be greater than
ever before. The 30,000 mile three-leg race is scheduled to begin in Bilbao on 22nd October and will stop in
Australia and the USA before returning to Bilbao approximately 6 months later. The introduction of fewer stopovers
and shorter preparation times between legs has been specifically introduced to provide a more cost effective global
marketing opportunity for entrants and their sponsors.
Over the years, the race has consistently attracted a wide spread of entries from around the globe, making heroes
of many celebrated yachtsmen and women, including Mike Golding, Philippe Jeantot, Giovanni Soldini, Jean-Luc
van den Heede, Isabelle Autissier, Bernard Stamm and Emma Richards.
www.velux5oceans.com
About The VELUX Group
VELUX creates better homes by letting daylight and fresh air through the roof. The duct range contains a wide
range of roof windows and skylights in many sizes, types and variants as well as a whole family of decoration and
sunscreening products, roller shutters, installation products, remote control units and solar panels for installation in
the sloping roof. VELUX Technology also supplies original VELUX components to their partners working in the field
of roof window sunscreening.
VELUX is one the strongest brands in the global building materials sector and is sold around the world. The VELUX
Group has production companies in 10 countries and sales companies in nearly 40 countries. The VELUX Group is
owned by VKR Holding A/S. VKR Holding A/S is a limited company wholly owned by foundations and family. The
VELUX Group’s financial results are incorporated into VKR Holding’s consolidated accounts. In 2006, VKR Holding’s
turnover amounted to Euro 2.2 billion and profit after tax came to Euro 249 million.
In the VELUX Group, results are achieved through united effort. Our core values are commitment, mutual respect,
improvements, local initiatives and thoroughness. At the beginning of 2005, some 8,500 people were employed in
the VELUX Group.
www.VELUX.com
About Clipper Ventures Plc
This year marks the 37th anniversary of Sir Robin Knox-Johnston's historic solo and non-stop circumnavigation in
1970. Now, as Chairman of Clipper Ventures PLC, he is at the forefront of promoting round the world yacht racing.
Clipper Ventures, the marine sports company founded in 1995 and listed on AIM stock market in London in 1999,
is focussed on developing and promoting major events capable of attracting significant participation, income,
media coverage and associated sponsorship revenue. The company owns the rights to the Clipper Round the
World Yacht Race, the VELUX 5 OCEANS, and Zapcat Racing, the world's largest one-design powerboat series.
www.clipper-ventures.com
About Bilbao (Basque Country)
Set in the province of Bizkaia, the City of Bilbao, in a joint initiative with the Diputacion Foral de Bizkaia and the
Basque Government, has committed to be the official host port for both the start and finish of the 2006/7 VELUX 5
OCEANS. Bilbao is the economic capital of the Basque country in the north of the Iberian Peninsula and has
historically strong ties to the oceans. Renowned for its spectacular Guggenheim Museum and having recently
undergone significant urban regeneration and development, the city will provide an outstanding backdrop for the
race. The race will be based in a new marina and waterfront development at the Port of Getxo, which is linked
directly to the city by a new metro system designed by Norman Foster.
www.bilbao.net / www.bizkaia.net
About Norfolk, Virginia (USA)
Norfolk, which is home to Naval Station Norfolk, the largest military station in the world, can host hundreds of
vessels at one time including cruise ships, destroyers and submarines and once made history when it berthed five
nuclear aircraft carriers at the same time. The port will provide the skippers and ground crews of the VELUX 5
OCEANS with world class facilities.
The City is bordered by the Chesapeake Bay and the Hampton Roads Harbour, one of the most famous sailing
areas in the USA which attracts hundreds of thousands of yachts and sailing fanatics to the area every year and
has played host to some of the world’s major sailing events including the Volvo Ocean Race and the Mount Gay
Rum Sailing Week. The situation of the City also makes it an idea venue for the VELUX 5 OCEANS providing unique
opportunities to watch the fleet arrive from vantage points on the coast and on the water.
www.norfolk.gov |
|
|
