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BT GLOBAL CHALLENGE - ADVERSE CURRENT TESTS CREWS' PATIENCE Southampton (UK), Tuesday 8 July 1997 After 24 hours of sailing in dense fog, the sunshine has finally broken through, and the BT Global Challenge yachts are happily trucking along under spinnaker at a steady 8 knots. "This has improved the spirit of everyone on the yacht," writes Motorola today. At 07:50 hrs GMT today, Group 4 was still leading the fleet, closely followed by Toshiba Wave Warrior and Concert who have both been steadily making mileage on Group 4 in the last 24 hours, and who now lie just two and nine miles behind her respectively. An adverse current has been affecting the speed of the fleet, although Toshiba Wave Warrior reported that at last she has benefited from her northerly route, reducing its affect on her. However, lying a few degrees to the south of Toshiba, Commercial Union has not been so lucky, and her crews' patience was put to the test as they watched themselves losing out to the boats around them yesterday. Despite this, the crew continued to sail Commercial Union well throughout the adverse conditions, and she climbed from 10th to 6th place overnight. She now lies just two miles behind Save the Children, who has headed off on a more northerly course in an attempt to gain ground on the leaders. Global Teamwork, one of the most southerly boats along with Pause to Remember, has also suffered from the adverse current. "Last night we discovered that we had a three, yes THREE knot current against us in an area that normally has a 0.5 east going drift. The counter current slowing progress to the UK is an 18 Celsius warm water eddy (big swirl of water) running off the dying embers of the gulf stream. Unfortunately the US Navy gulf stream analysis stops at 45 West and we were unable to avoid the clutches of this beast." writes Global Teamwork skipper Merfyn Owen. "The annoying thing is that if we were a little further north, we might just have got the current with us!!" Consequently Global Teamwork has fallen to 13th position overnight and now lies 28 miles ahead of back marker Time and Tide. Time & Tide has not had her share of luck on this leg; both her medium weather spinnakers have been out of use this leg - one was ripped right at the start when she left Boston, and the other went a few days later. "We look at our position as leading the back of the fleet," explains skipper James Hatfield. "We have been stitching the pair of spinnakers for the last few days but it is a long job. The sides of the kite are each sixty plus feet long and they need to be glued and hand stitched. Last time we had to repair the small kite, it took 327 man hours. However the first kite should be serviceable tomorrow, then hopefully we can start sailing faster - but whatever happens, we have had a great race and I am very proud of my crew and their courage and stamina." In the last eight days with minimal winds, the yachts have only covered some 1300 miles. However steadily building winds are currently helping the yachts on their way towards Southampton, and both organisers and crews are hoping that the wind strength will last long enough to bring them into Southampton in time for the BT Global Party on Friday 18th July. The predicted forecast for the next three days could however cause a delay to both the yachts arrival time and celebration plans. "There is a potential fly in the ointment from a weather perspective; a developing secondary low pressure which could see the fleet once again wallowing in light sloppy winds," reports Jo Dawson on Toshiba Wave Warrior. "We very much hope that BT are making contingency plans to delay the celebrations, if necessary, until ALL the yachts are in. It's our party, and we all want to be there," writes crew member Simon Montague on Nuclear Electric. 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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