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BT GLOBAL CHALLENGE - HEADING FOR THE HORN Southampton (UK), Sunday December 1st 1996 At 07.50 hrs GMT this morning, the reality of Cape Horn was looming ever closer for the fleet of the world's toughest yacht race, with Save the Children being closest at only 133 miles from the notorious landfall. Average speed for the fleet was 7.5 knots, meaning that they should be at the southernmost tip of South America within the next 24 hours. The top three positions remain unchanged (Global Teamwork, Save the Children and Group 4). It remains to be seen whether Global Teamwork and Save the Children can hang on to their respective 1st and 2nd places, as both yachts are now one crew member short further to the decisions taken earlier this week by Kurt Kinast (Save the Children) and Rhian Jenkins (Global Teamwork) to withdraw from the race for medical reasons. The fleet has cleared the Falklands, keeping the islands to port, and is moving south in a tight pack contained within a box measuring 73 miles east-west (Concert being the western marker, Save the Children the eastern) by 129 miles front to back (Ocean Rover being the back marker). It was Ocean Rover who logged the best 24 hour run figure for the day, managing to cover 222 miles. To have safely come past the Falklands will be a relief to Toshiba Wave Warrior's skipper Simon Walker; it was at this stage in the British Steel Challenge in 1992 that Simon's yacht Rhone Poulenc suffered a broach under spinnaker and had to put into Port Stanley for rig repairs, spending 48 hours there that effectively put Rhone Poulenc out of the leg, and the race itself. To avoid a repeat performance, Simon has been urging his crew to work hard at boat speed without pushing the equipment too hard, bearing in mind that there is still a long way to go (Toshiba Wave Warrior is approximately 5230 miles from Wellington), and plenty of rough weather and tough sailing ahead. The winds have been very irregular, and consequently crews have been kept busy with numerous sail changes. Global Teamwork reports a frustrating night of sail changes and spinnaker peels followed by dead calm, and the fleet as a whole has caught approximately 10 miles on her, as she fights to retain her lead. Pause to Remember reports "an exhausting day including countless headsail changes and number of reefs... some spinnaker damage and a successive change down from genoa, no. 1, no. 2 and no. 3 and two main reefs as the winds picked up to 40 knots." For most of the participants in the BT Global Challenge, rounding the Horn will be a first-time experience and a personal dream come true. Their achievement will be marked by automatic admission to a new group of "Cape Horners" - a breakaway group founded in October this year - although it remains to be seen whether they will be recognised by the International Association of Cape Horners (a body formed in 1936 for the thousands of sailors who served on the clippers which plied the old trade routes around the Horn). Captain Martin Lee, president of the British section of the IACH, formed his new group to welcome a younger generation of sailors voyaging on modern vessels. Referring to the crew members taking part in the BT Global Challenge, he was recently quoted as saying "If they pass the Horn they will be eligible to join the new group and they will be made very welcome there. They are brave people and they have every right to be called Cape Horners." Some of the skippers in the BT Global Challenge rounded the Horn when taking part in the British Steel Challenge four years ago. With their knowledge of Cape Horn and the Southern Ocean, their crew will be in safe and experienced hands; they include Commercial Union skipper Richard Merriweather, Heath Insured II skipper Adrian Donovan, Toshiba Wave Warrior skipper Simon Walker, Save the Children skipper Andy Hindley, Group 4 skipper Mike Golding, Motorola skipper Mark Lodge and Nuclear Electric skipper Richard Tudor. Others have rounded the Horn at different times. Concert skipper Chris Tibbs has already been round twice, albeit at night, and sailing the "right way" - in other words, going with the prevailing winds and currents. This time round Chris is hoping for a daytime passage, so he can actually see this world-famous landmark that has fascinated sailors for centuries. For Concert crew member and Cape Horn first-timer Naomi Kennert, rounding the Horn will be the fulfillment of a personal ambition - she describes it as "the Everest of yaching". 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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