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20 February 2003
Jules Verne Challenge Update: Day 21
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Ellen and Crew in Kingfisher 2
www.ellenmacarthur.com
www.teamkingfisher.com
Day 21 from start
Wednesday, 19 February 2003
SUMMARY: 0700
GMT 19.2.03
Position: 44 38'S 27 28'E
Ahead/Behind the record:
0 hours 30 minutes behind Orange (using WP6)
Ahead/Behind Geronimo: 50 hours
25 minutes behind Geronimo (using WP6)
DAY 20 24 hour run (point to point):
Kingfisher2 463 nm, Orange 500 nm, Geronimo 415 nm
End DAY 20 distance to go (on theoretical
course): KF2 17107 nm, Orange 17099 nm, Geronimo 16301 nm
Boat speed:
20.1 knots
Course: 097
Distance to WP6 46 00'S / 70 00'E 200
miles north of Kerguelen Islands: 1776 nm (theorectical shortest
distance)
IN BRIEF:
KINGFISHER2 HITS SUBMERGED OBJECT AT HIGH SPEED...Ellen..."during
the night suddenly there was a load bang, and the boat shuddered...we
had hit something with the starboard rudder. We slowed the boat
down to check, and we've a little repair to do on the fixings but
it appears not to be a major problem, thankfully...we don't know
what it was but hitting any object at speed is always a concern"...
NO MAJOR DAMAGE BUT HEART-STOPPING MOMENT...Neal
McDonald on deck at the time added: "First thoughts are, you
could be sinking here...a major concern but we ascertained that
we weren't and then checked the whole boat for damage...in retrospect
we were very lucky..."
KINGFISHER2 NECK AND NECK WITH ORANGE pace only
30 minutes behind which equates to just 8 miles and pulling back
to nearly 2 days behind Geronimo...
KINGFISHER2 CROSSED THE LONGITUDE OF CAPE OF GOOD
HOPE yesterday morning at 0918 GMT taking 19 days 2 hours from the
start to the point of longitude below South Africa... The notorious
Cape Horn is 10,000 miles to the east - further than KINGFISHER2
has sailed to date - with Cape Leeuwin (SW tip of Australia) in
between...
AFTER FIVE FULL ON DAYS of crazy Southern Ocean
surfing, conditions onboard KINGFISHER2 are decidedly calmer this
morning...but it was expected, and therefore little stress aboard.
Speed this morning has remained close to record pace...
WEATHER TRANSITION : ELLEN and Meeno studying
hard as ever...."We have a northerly breeze of about 20 knots,
and we're hoping to hold this for next 12 hours as we traverse the
convergence zone between the high pressure and low pressure system...the
other side of this we're expecting very strong north westerlies..."
TIME SHIFTS ON BOARD FOR THE CREW as GMT becomes
meaningless as KINGFISHER2 starts to cross the longitudes from west
to east at speed... "We will shift the time zone we operate
on the boat for the first of several times. If we didn't shift our
time, eventually we would be eating breakfast as it gets dark and
dinner as it gets light..." Andrew Preece (read full crew news
at http://www.teamkingfisher.com on the home page or click on the
crew portrait icon to read today's news plus news since the start)
GERONIMO FORCED TO SAIL FURTHER distance due to
staying in the north after concerns about icebergs remain in the
minds of the crew... http://www.grandsrecords.com
SUMMARY: 1500
GMT 19.2.03 (position taken at 15:54GMT)
Position: 45 25'S 30 32'E (approx
820 nm SE of coast of South Africa / 316 nm from Prince Edward Islands)
Boat speed: 17.1 knots
Distance to WP6 46 00'S / 70 00'E 200
miles north of Kerguelen Islands: 1650 nm (theorectical shortest
distance)
LIGHTER AIRS TONIGHT...
KINGFISHER2's speed has slowed as a corridor of
lighter airs sits in front of them forcing Ellen and the crew to
take a southerly route until tomorrow when the breeze provided by
a new low will fill in from the west. Going south is not a bad option
as they try to sail the shortest distance possible but gaining ground
east tonight will be harder. Once KINGFISHER2 passes through the
convergence zone, "The high pressure zone system builds up
a pefect gradient with a north-westerly airflow," said Meeno
Schrader. "The high stationed mid Indian Ocean is very well
established but this will force the lows from the west to move into
the south-east."
KINGFISHER2 continues to maintain a much more
southerly route than that of Orange on day 21 and it is looking
more likely that KINGFISHER2 will pass to the south of the Prince
Edwards Islands approximately 316 miles to the east. Beyond these
islands are the Kerguelan Islands - a well-known landmark to all
round-the-world sailors.
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