| ||||||||||||
|
BT GLOBAL CHALLENGE - SAILORS SEND FLOWERS FROM THE SOUTHERN OCEAN Southampton, Monday March 10th 1997 Several BT Global Challenge sailors battling with the elements in the middle of the Southern Ocean took time out last week to remember Mother's Day. The crew of Concert decided that come hell or high water, they would make sure their mums got flowers on Mothering Sunday, and so using the yacht's satellite communications system, the crew tapped out a special request to the race press officers, including the names and addresses of the lucky mums in question. Interflora were duly contacted, and a selection of beautiful bouquets were delivered over the weekend to the mothers of the amateur yachtsmen and women of Concert. An Interflora spokesperson said : "This is one of the most unusual requests we've had for Mothers Day flowers this year, and it's probably the only order we've ever handled that comes from the middle of the ocean, on the other side of the planet." At 07.50 hrs GMT today, the fourth leg of the race was still being lead by Global Teamwork, with overall race leader Group 4 and leg 3 winner Save the Children in hot pursuit. The first reports received from the yachts this morning indicate winds are very variable. For some, the wind has died and boredom is setting in. Although the top half of the fleet is now sailing in what is known as the Furious Fifties, in some areas there is a distinct lack of wind, and as a result, yachts are making little headway. At the back of the fleet, the crew of Heath Insured II are seething : "frustration and anger, no wind, and we're drifting down the fleet, at this rate we'll be in Cape Town by September! All we can do is try and keep the boat moving and hope in the next 5,000 miles our luck changes." Pause to Remember is apparently one of the few yachts with some wind - in six hours she managed to cover 39 miles, which might seem extremely slow, although compared to others who are becalmed, it is quite a feat; her decision to go so far south (54 degrees) seems to be paying dividends, as Pause to Remember managed to move up one position to 4th place. Ocean Rover reports "another balmy, crazy day in the Southern Ocean, becalmed this morning and now we have 25 knots of breeze rising", while Group 4 has experienced a dramatic change : "six hours ago the wind was 16 knots coming from 256 degrees. Within seven hours it's gone forward 80 degrees - just amazing!" Finding himself in very light winds, crew volunteer Paul Sherwood of Save the Children had so much time on his hands that he wrote a poem describing the situation. Nine days into the fourth leg and now for wind we're beginning to beg Mother Nature has refused to blow and we sit in the depths of a Southern Ocean low. Morale is now getting decidedly low as the wind, still, refuses to blow the transom slops in the passing swell whether we're moving or not is hard to tell But as through the sea we gently creep the crew have a chance for much needed sleep because usually through the sea we're bashing and off the tops of waves we're crashing as a norm we don't get much rest if we're lucky two hours at best... In 13th place, the crew of 3Com are suffering for a different reason; not only are they becalmed, but they are have also run out of sugar, which will make for some long faces at the breakfast table as sugarless tea, coffee and porridge are served for the next five weeks. Time and Tide skipper James Hatfield has more reason to be cheerful. On Saturday Time and Tide was in 14th place, but at 07.50 hrs GMT today she was lying in 7th place after pulling off the day's best 24 hour run of 186 miles. The most northerly sailing yacht in the fleet, she was only eleven miles behind her nearest competitor, Commercial Union, and back in the thick of the race. Hopefully this will put a smile back on James' face as he and his crew get back into the swing of another week at sea. As those on dry land return to their desks after the weekend, the crews at sea notice the change in the flow of communications they receive. James Hatfield remarks on this phenomena : "It appears even out here in the vast expanse of the Southern Ocean that weekends happen, too. Out here we have a busy week, a constant stream of faxes requesting a whole range of information. But come Saturday morning the fax dies and the reality of the isolation strikes home and the boredom numbs. A reflective mood seems to set in and crews seem to become quieter and need more coaxing to do sail changes and trim the yacht. There are more requests for phone calls home, and less chance of getting them because of the volume of radio traffic. It would be interesting to look up at the end of the race how yachts' overall performances varied at weekends compared with week days. Have a good week from Time and Tide." 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) |
 bt.com |
 |
Copyright British Telecommunications plc 1996.
Notices| (i) | Copyright British Telecommunications plc 1996. |
| (ii) | Access to this information/data or any part of this page via the World Wide Web must only be by linking to the relevant page on the BT Global Challenge Web Site. (http://www.btchallenge.com/results/latest/latest.htm) |
| (iii) | This information/data was originally produced by "BT's Race Information System". BT shall not be liable for use of any part of it. Subject to (ii), you may use the information/data alone provided this notice is included. |
| (iv) | You may copy and use any part of this page, other than on the World Wide Web, provided you include all of these notices. You must not charge for public use and before such use you must inform BT by facsimile to 0171 777 7444 or email to h.brierley@btinternet.com stating the intended use. |
| (v) | Inform BT (as in notice (iv)) if your platform is not world wide web. |
| (vi) | Map data was produced using MundoCart/CD (a digital product of Petroconsultants Group). BT shall not be liable for use of any part of it. |