News Report:	299
Date:	18 JUL 1997
Time:	11:28 (GMT)
Race Leg:	6 - Boston to Southampton

A RETROSPECTIVE OF THE MID-FLEET BATTLE

Southampton (UK), Friday 18th July 1996

There had been a fight for position between the middle of the fleet throughout this final leg, with
positions constantly chopping and changing. As the yachts neared the finish line, the battle
intensified and all of the yachts finished within the space of just over an hour. Nuclear Electric
managed to fend off the chasing yachts as they reached the Solent, crossing the line at 18:11 hrs
GMT on Wednesday 16th.

When she started leg 6, Nuclear Electric’s overall placing was one and half days behind Global
Teamwork. Although she pushed hard to make up lost ground, she was unable to make up the
required time and finished in 7th place overall with a combined time of 171 days, 1 hour and 29
minutes.

Skipper Richard Tudor, veteran round-the-world yachtsman who was also a skipper in the 1992-3
Challenge, said “Our race position is disappointing but putting it in perspective, my crew has sailed
30,000 miles the ‘wrong way’ round the world. They started as amateurs and are now seasoned
sailors, showing endurance, perseverance, stamina and guts. They have achieved something that
very few people have ever done or will ever do. We have our memories of a great adventure, of the
best and worst journey in the world.”

Global Teamwork successfully completed the race, arriving in Southampton on Wednesday at
18:28 GMT, 18 minutes after Nuclear Electric.

The BT Global Challenge started badly for Global Teamwork as she crossed the start line in
Southampton prematurely, incurring a 720 degree turn and time penalty which left her fighting her
way back up the fleet. She had a terrific come-back, finishing leg 1 in 11th place. However she
managed an even better result into Wellington, arriving on New Year’s Eve in 5th place, just in time
to join in the celebrations. Leg 3 saw Global Teamwork complete a frantic week’s ailing from New
Zealand to Australia, taking 4th place, while she pulled off an 8th place into Cape Town in April. In
the race from South Africa to the US, Global Teamwork achieved 9th place, and her result on the
final leg of the race - 7th place - means that her overall placing is 6th, with a combined time of 169
days, 20 hours and 27 minutes.

Global Teamwork’s closest rival to the finish line was Ocean Rover, who finished 25 minutes behind
her at 18:54 hrs GMT, with all of her crew wearing Viking hats. Ocean Rover’s crew said that they
were delighted to back - although a little sad at the prospect of leaving their fellow team members.
Crew member Mo Simmons, from the Isle of White commented, “It has been a marvellous
adventure. You just don’t get those thrills and spills in everyday life.”

Heath Insured II crossed the line just twelve minutes after Ocean Rover in 8th place at 19:06 hrs
GMT on Wednesday. This gives her a combined time of 174 days, 10 hours and 3 minutes, and
puts her in 12th place overall.

This is the second Challenge race that skipper Adrian Donovan has completed, although he wasn’t
able to improve his position as much as he would have liked; Heath Insured had her share of
misfortunes during the race, including rigging problems that she experienced on the Southern
Ocean leg to Wellington, and then on the fifth leg she was forced to divert to the island of St. Helena
when crew member Andy Pilkington fell ill (fortunately Andy was also able to re-join Heath Insured
in Boston for the final leg).

Heath Insured had a fight all the way to the finish line with 3Com, and succeeded in beating her
across the line by just three minutes.

3Com therefore finished in 10th position at 19:09 hrs GMT. Her skipper and crew were
understandably disappointed with their position after leading the fleet for three days of the 17 day
leg, and maintaining a position at the top half of the fleet for most of the leg. 3Com slipped back to
10th position just two days before the finish when she got a rope attached around her rudder. She
had a nail-biting finish with Courtaulds International on one side and Pause to Remember on the
other as she tacked her way up the Southampton Water. She finally pipped Courtaulds
International to the post by just three seconds - an astounding result considering the two yachts had
raced some 3,000 miles.

Courtaulds International was encouraged all the way up Southampton Water by 200 friends and
families who had filled up a support ferry to see her cross the line at 19:09 hrs GMT. The crew
were delighted by the support. Said Suse Goulder, “It was an unbelievable experience. There we
were in a tight battle to the end, and we could see friendly faces and hear them cheering us in,
many of whom we hadn’t seen since September last year. There wasn’t a dry eye among us.”

The final boat of the mid-fleet battle to cross the line was Pause to Remember. She pushed hard all
the way to the finish line putting both Courtaulds International and 3Com under pressure. With a
combined time of 172 days, 19 hours and 26 minutes, Pause to Remember finished in an overall
position of 10th place.

Pause to Remember, skippered by Irishman Tom O’Connor, was another yacht that suffered trials
and tribulations during the race: her boom snapped during the second Southern Ocean leg from
Sydney to Cape Town. In a feat of ingenuity the skipper and crew repaired it as best they could
with the limited tools and she successfully completed the leg, albeit in 14th position.

After their fantastic adventure, the crews will finally leave their yachts on Saturday to return to their
jobs and some sort of normality. This project has taken up nearly four years of their lives and most
agree that it will be very strange readjusting to life on dry land after nearly ten months in a 67 foot
‘sardine can.’


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)

Race News - Want to ask a question ? Then please speak up.