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24 February 2003

Jules Verne Challenge Update: Day 25

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Ellen and Crew in Kingfisher 2

www.ellenmacarthur.com
www.teamkingfisher.com

Day 25 from start: SURFERS' DREAM
Sunday, 23 February 2003

Its Sunday, DIY day! http://www.diy.com

SUMMARY: 0700 GMT 23.2.03
(position taken at 06:48 GMT)
Position: 50 49'S 64 53'E (approx. location 185 miles SE of Kerguelen Islands)

Ahead/Behind the record: 17 hour 19 minutes Ahead of Orange (next waypoint on longitude of Cape Leeuwin 52 00'S 115 07'E)
Ahead/Behind Geronimo: 59 hours behind Geronimo
DAY 24: 24 hour run (point to point): Kingfisher 488 nm, Orange 418 nm, Geronimo 423 nm
End DAY 24 distance to go (on theoretical course): KF2 15392 nm, 15669 Orange nm, Geronimo 14448 nm

Boat speed: 23 knots
Course: 125
Wind 40 to 45 knots with more in the gusts,check out the surfline weather chart (courtesy of www.surfline.com)

IN BRIEF:

* ABOUT 10,000 MILES SAILED AND LESS THAN 2000 TO CAPE LEEUWIN

* A BEAUTIFUL SOUTHERN OCEAN DAY...40 to 45 knots of wind, cold and crisp blue sky, white water everywhere, and big long waves..."we're surfing down these long waves...in the troughs you can see nothing, its like a valley, on the peaks you feel like you can see for miles." commented Ellen.

* TODAY'S PAYMENT TO THE SOUTHERN OCEAN GODS...a couple of hours at slightly slower speed after a small amount of mainsail damage as the crew dropped the storm spinnaker in 50 knots of wind...the halyard caused a small rip in the main. Hendo and Ronny sent up to make the repair in situ, knife, glue, sticky sail cloth...2 hours later back at 100%...another DIY day in the Southern Ocean!

* HEADING FOR SHALLOWER WATER...as KINGFISHER2 passes across the plateau (300 metres deep...expect more violent seas) between Kerguelen and Heard Islands...check out the Kerguelen Archipelago...
Kerguelen Islands

* IN THE BIG WINDS OF THE SOUTH...here is Meeno's forecast for today and tomorrow as the fast moving low pressure system passes (hopefully) under KINGFISHER2...[TWD=True Wind Direction]
23/02
00-06UT: TWD 290 40 kts, gusts 50-60 kts SEA: 5m DIR W
06-12UT: TWD 290 40-42 kts, gusts 55-60 kts risk of even 65kts SEA: 6->7m DIR W
12-18UT: TWD 290 42-45 kts, gusts 60-65 kts SEA: 7m from the W
18-00UT: TWD 280->270 45-40 kts, gusts 60-65 kts , very gusty! SEA: 7m
along 51/52S: 8m
24/02 : 00-12UT: TWD 270-260 40->35 kts, gusts 55 kts ,very gusty! SEA:
7-6m DIR W

* GERONIMO SLIDES SLOWLY PAST THE FALKLANDS just over a day ahead of Orange's record, desperately looking for a way through the South Atlantic....