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BT GLOBAL CHALLENGE - COUNTING DOWN THE HOURS TO THE START OF LEG TWO Southampton (UK), Tuesday November 19th. After enjoying a well-earned rest in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), the crews and skippers of the BT Global Challenge - the world's toughest yacht race - are gearing up and getting ready for the start of the second leg of the race on Wednesday November 20th. When the start gun fires at 15.00 hrs local time (17.00 hrs GMT), the fleet will set off on a 7,200 mile journey from Rio to Wellington (New Zealand), undertaking what many believe to be the hardest leg of the whole trip. The route will take the fleet down the Eastern seaboard of South America, around Cape Horn and through the Roaring Forties, where they will encounter the sobering realities of the Southern Ocean. Crew volunteers will probably be experiencing a mixture of emotions as they make their final preparations for the next leg of their epic voyage. Some will be only too keen to get back to sea and the daily routine of life on board, while others may not be relishing the prospect of a return to freeze-dried food and toilets (known as "heads") that have to be pumped twenty times before and after use! Those crews who made good time on the first leg will be raring to go, hoping to increase their lead, but others who have more to prove will be equally fired up and determined to close the gap. With one leg down and another five to go, everyone knows that anything can happen on this second leg, and positions - and fortunes - can be reversed dramatically. It was on the second leg of the last Challenge that a succession of yachts experienced problems with their forestays, and British Steel II lost her mast mid-ocean, lying 2,000 miles from the nearest land, resulting in a 3,500 mile journey under motor to the next port of call. Those taking part in the next leg of the BT Global Challenge must be wondering what kind of damage their yachts are likely to endure this time round, although of course the entire fleet has undergone rigorous safety and mechanical checks in Rio, in preparation for the arduous journey ahead. Sadly, a couple of crew members had to withdraw from the race due to chronic seasickness, but the vacant berths have now been filled, and all the yachts will be setting sail on November 20th with a full complement of crew on board. Since their arrival in Rio at the end of October, the crews and skippers of the fourteen yachts have been spending their time in a number of different ways. The first few days of the stopover were spent unwinding and relaxing, and everyone enjoyed the novelty of fresh food, cold beers and warm sunshine. The Iate Clube do Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro Yacht Club) provided a safe and pleasant setting for crew members to catch up with each other, and for the first week the bar was full of excited crew swapping stories from the first leg. By the second week, crews had became more adventurous, hitting the town and taking in the sights and hot spots. All had been awed by their first sight of Sugar Loaf Mountain as they sailed along Copacabana Beach towards the Rio de Janeiro Yacht Club, and some went up to its summit in a cable car, while others made the journey to Corcovado (the "hunchback" mountain topped with a statue of Christ) outside the city and admired the view from there. UK actor and TV star Sean Blowers (a crew member of Commercial Union) even chose to renew his marriage vows with his wife Shirley on this spot during the stopover. Others enjoyed experiences with a local flavour. Simon Chalk (crew volunteer, Save the Children) went to a fiercely contested local football match wearing his crew strip, only to discover he was in fact wearing the colours of the opposition (and sitting amongst home supporters), while Tom O'Connor (skipper of Pause to Remember) took a nightime stroll along Copacabana beach and met a group of transvestites, who promptly relieved him of his wallet. Many crew members sampled the delights of the Scotch Bar (a notorious Rio nightspot), and some even left Rio for a few days, going further afield to explore other parts of Brazil. However, all skippers, crew and ground support staff are now back at the Rio de Janeiro Yacht Club, working hard and concentrating on the challenge that lies ahead of them. 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 information line : 0891 505550 (UK only) Public enquiry bureau : 01703 212124 (+44 1703 212124 from outside UK) Ceefax page 359 (UK only) |
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