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BT GLOBAL CHALLENGE - 3COM LEADS BECALMED FLEET Southampton (UK), Wednesday 2nd July 1997 "The excitement is killing us", writes Save the Children "as we are sitting here desperate to find out which one of the five boats around us is in the lead." The last 12 hours have been extremely frustrating for the crews as the wind has rarely increased beyond 5 knots and consequently the average boat speed has been no more than 2 knots. In such conditions, this is proving to be very tight match racing, with boats in sight all the time. Heath Insured reported that "last night saw the incredible sight of six boats all gybing in succession, including ourselves, as we all try to maintain our positions. Sadly (not!) we watched 3Com and Motorola shred their spinnakers during all this manoeuvring." 3Com, however, still managed to retain her lead overnight and was five miles ahead of Concert (2nd) at 07:50 hrs GMT today. 3Com's dramatic change of course to the south of the fleet has paid off as she jumped from 7th to first place in the last 24 hours. We will now see if this course will hold her in good stead for the remaining 2,572 miles to Southampton as although it appears that she has picked up a slightly stronger part of the Gulf Stream, her current course is relatively far south of the Great Circle Route. With each of the yachts attempting to improve their overall position on this final leg home, Nuclear Electric is particularly frustrated at 3Com's performance. 3Com is her closest rival lying just over eight hours behind her in 8th place. "Keep it going", though, says Time and Tide skipper James Hatfield "because I'm normally right behind you at the finish and the agony of being last is less seeing you in first place." This final leg of the 30,000 mile race had been dubbed as the `sprint home', which the fleet is currently having difficulties coming to terms with. "More like a cruel joke", says Jo Dawson on Toshiba Wave Warrior "to those of us out here wallowing around to the sound of empty sails. Whilst Sir Chay Blyth's row across the Atlantic still seems more foolhardy than anything that we have taken on, what we would give for a pair of oars now!" This is not the first time though that the fleet has been becalmed, and it may well not be the last; "nonetheless it is as painful as ever", explains Nuclear Electric crew member Simon Montague. "The boom creaks endlessly, the lightweight spinnaker billows and rustles against the shrouds....Tonight we sit, thoughtful, on the leeward rail. `Fourteen days? Fourteen months, mate' says Mark Johnstone. Although the fleet is expected to arrive on or around the 15th July, with the current state of being becalmed, the crews are concerned that they will not arrive in time for the BT Global Party on Friday July 18th. "All we need is for someone to put 10p into the wind machine, as currently the GPS is giving us an ETA for Southampton on the 17th August, which means that we will be 5 weeks late for the party at Ocean Village!" writes Pause to Remember. Meanwhile back on shore the International Jury for the BT Global Challenge is in the motion of making a decision on two protests that have been put forward by Nuclear Electric on Group 4 and by Pause to Remember on Global Teamwork. Both protests were raised for the infringement of class rules and IYRU rules 16.2 and 23 respectively - i.e. for extra sails stored above deck. 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 (UK only) Public enquiry bureau : 01703 212124 (+44 1703 212124 from outside UK) Ceefax page 388 (UK only) |
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