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BT GLOBAL CHALLENGE - FIRST ICEBERGS SIGHTED, COURSE ECHO CONFIRMED Southampton (UK), Monday December 9th 1996 There was great excitement yesterday on board two of the yachts sailing in the BT Global Challenge, as crews got their first sight of icebergs in the Southern Ocean. All the crews had been briefed before setting sail from Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) on what to expect during this second leg, and icebergs were identified as one of the potential hazards - and highlights - of their voyage to Wellington (New Zealand). The first sighting was reported yesterday by Group 4 (1st place), at 22.10 hrs GMT : "Sighted first iceberg at 20.25 hrs GMT - position 59 13 S, 96 30 W. Passed within one mile of it. A big thing! Approximate size 500 x 500 x 100 m. Looked like Sydney Opera House from a distance and closer up, a giant igloo! Awesome! Everyone very excited. Lots of pics and video. Some little floaty bits also sighted." The second sighting was reported by Time and Tide (14th place) at 01.17 hrs GMT this morning, and her crew claimed their iceberg was "bigger and colder" than that seen by Group 4. While some were busy spotting icebergs, others spent their Sunday enjoying some unexpectedly good weather. Heath Insured II (12th place) reported "an unbelievable day yesterday, wonderful sailing with clear blue skies and sun, crew actually sitting on deck to talk instead of huddled in their inflated dry-suits trying to keep warm." Nuclear Electric (7th place) reported air temperatures of 4 degrees Celsius with a modest breeze, and her crew took pictures of themselves gathered round the helm as a reminder of the friendly face of the Furious Fifties. However, not everyone was feeling quite so happy. The crew of Ocean Rover (11th place) declared themselves to be "irritated - but certainly not downhearted in any way" with the way the second leg of the race was going for them. Having been last, Ocean Rover had clawed her way up to 8th place, was 7th to go round Cape Horn and poised to move up another place when she found herself stuck in a hole with little or no wind, where she had to endure the frustration of watching four other yachts only 40 miles away sail past her, leaving her standing. The fleet has now been informed by the BT Global Challenge Race Committee that they are to take "Course Echo" to Wellington - in other words, they are to sail round waypoint Echo (50 S, 170 E), leaving it to starboard. This decision was taken in view of the fleet's fast sailing time to date, and was communicated to all the yachts yesterday by Race HQ via satellite. Some welcomed the news, while others were less enthusiastic. Toshiba Wave Warrior (6th place) sent a message saying that confirmation of the course had been received with good humour, and that some of her leggers even felt they were "getting extra value for money" (all participants in the BT Global Challenge have to pay the cost of their berth), while Group 4 pointed out that, based on her VMG (Velocity Made Good) figures since rounding Cape Horn, her estimated arrival time in Wellington would be January 4th 1997, and suggested that the confirmation of the course was somewhat premature. However, the decision to confirm the course yesterday was taken because it is important that all fourteen yachts are successfully contacted before they reach the Concert gate. Waypoint Echo was introduced in the second leg of the BT Global Challenge during the fleet's stopover in Brazil, before they set sail on November 20th; yesterday's announcement to the fleet is a confirmation of the published course issued to all skippers in Rio de Janeiro. For updated information on the BT Global Challenge : Internet site : http://www.btchallenge.com Fax database : 0990 321123 (+44 990 321123 from outside UK) Recorded telephone information line : 0891 505550 Public enquiry line : 01703 212124 (+44 1703 212124 from outside UK) Ceefax page 388 |
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