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BT GLOBAL CHALLENGE - HEATH INSURED II ARRIVES IN WELLINGTON SAFE AND SOUND Wellington (New Zealand), Saturday January 4th 1997 The entire fleet of the BT Global Challenge is now in Wellington, after the arrival earlier today of the 14th yacht, Heath Insured II. After a 6,600 mile journey from Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) to Wellington and a series of problems, she sailed across the finish line at 05.29.06 hrs local time today (16.29.06 hrs GMT on Friday January 3rd). She was 4 days behind the leg winner Group 4, but members of Mike Golding's crew came down to the arrivals pontoon to welcome their fellow Challenge colleagues, along with supporters from Paul Bennett's Ocean Rover and James Hatfield's Time and Tide. Heath Insured II had a bet with rival Ocean Rover on who would arrive first in Wellington, a bet which Ocean Rover won (Ocean Rover arrived in 9th place) and for which Heath Insured II now owes her six cases of beer. Skipper Adrian Donovan and his crew looked tired but happy as they came alongside the arrivals pontoon to the sound of their chosen theme tune, Thin Lizzy's "The Boys are Back in Town". Crew member Jason Orrock took a swig from a bottle of champagne and said : "we've had our fair share of excitement, but I wouldn't have missed it for the world." Beer and champagne flowed as the crew told their stories - and they have quite a few to tell. Beset by problems with the rigging, losing strands from the forestay and then discovering that the mast was alledgedly 2 feet out of true, Heath Insured II had her fair share of troubles. Nurse Sally Steward had to contend with a rigger (Andy Pilkington) who injured his ribs, and another crew member, Howard Thomas, who injured his leg on the forestay; she for one will be glad of a good rest in Wellington, and she celebrated her arrival with champagne, fresh strawberries and cream. At one stage, when Adrian Donovan realised that Heath Insured II would arrive in New Zealand several days later than originally expected, he and his crew took the decision to ration important items such as food - and toilet roll. Three sheets per person per visit was the order of the day, and woe betide anyone who used more than their allowance... Once Heath Insured II was close enough to her next port of call, her crew held a ritual that they called "chucking the chunky chicken" - in other words, throwing the rather unpopular freeze-dried packet food over the side of the boat. High points of the leg were reported to be eating Christmas pudding washed down with tots of rum on Christmas Eve, and opening presents and making calls home to speak to family and friends on December 25th. After fantasising for several days about cooked breakfasts, Heath Insured II's crew finally sat down this morning to a very large and tasty breakfast complete with egg, bacon, sausage, tomato and hash browns, washed down with cans of beer. Heath Insured II's arrival time on this leg gives her a combined time for legs 1 and 2 of 71 days, 16 hours and 1 minute, putting her in an uncomfirmed 12th place overall. A table of combined times follows; it should be noted that these times are subject to ratification by the Race Committee. COMBINED TIMES - LEGS 1 AND 2 1. Group 4 65/11/03/45 2. Toshiba Wave Warrior 66/03/23/34 3. Save the Children 66/08/13/52 4. Motorola 67/20/37/03 5. Commercial Union 67/22/14/21 6. Nuclear Electric 69/00/20/52 7. Global Teamwork 69/10/48/47 8. Ocean Rover 69/17/35/00 9. 3Com 69/22/21/21 10. Concert 70/02/36/40 11. Pause to Remember 70/06/59/40 12. Heath Insured II 71/16/01/09 13. Courtaulds International 72/11/04/54 14. Time and Tide 72/12/56/51 The next leg of the BT Global Challenge starts on February 9th. The leg is a relatively short one of 1,250 miles from Wellington to Sydney (Australia), where the fleet is expected to arrive on or around February 15th. The next Race News bulletin giving updated information on the yachts and their crews will be posted on the Internet site next Thursday January 9th. For updated information on the BT Global Challenge : Internet site : http://www.btchallenge.com Fax database : 0990 321123 (+44 321123 from outside UK) Recorded telephone information line : 0891 505550 (UK only) Public enquiry bureau : 01703 212123 (+1703 212124 from outside UK) Ceefax page 388 (UK only) |
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