Photos: L ABN AMRO ONE R ABN AMRO ONE
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Mon, 28 Nov 2005 12:20:00 UTC
Fastest monohull on the planet is ABN AMRO ONE – still to be ratified by the World Speed Sailing Record Council – but Mike Sanderson’s boys clocked up an amazing 546 nautical miles to 2200GMT last night.
All day yesterday the boats in the Volvo Ocean Race leading group were posting amazing speeds and amazing 24 hour runs. In the fastest period even the slowest, Ericsson - suffering badly from the first night loss of just the right sail for these conditions, a fractional asymmetric spinnaker - managed 450 miles in the 24 hours. Brasil 1 knocked on the door of 500 miles averaging 19.9 knots, but it was the two leading boats, revelling in the conditions that posted the big runs.
ABN AMRO TWO topped their previous best of 533 miles with a run of 537 – itself besting the official world record, then ABN AMRO ONE stepped up with a huge 546 miles, an average speed of 22.7 knots. They take the Gant Time 24 Hours Run Record for the Volvo Ocean Race, winning every crew member a special edition Volvo Ocean Race watch which retails at €1,000. Bearing in mind this new record has been set in winds that probably haven’t topped 30 knots and the Southern Ocean is still to come, it looks as though Gant might be shelling out for a lot more watches before the race is over.
At the 1000GMT poll the situation is as follows: bringing up the rear is Sunergy and Friends – who have announced a new sponsorship package that guarantees their being able to continue the race at least to Melbourne. Their new name for the next leg will be ING Real Estate / Brunel – who are still sailing in the sun at a comfortable 15.9 knots a full 1465 miles behind the leader.
Next up is Ericsson at 228 miles, just about to slip out of the current weather system and get caught in the next, not so favourable one. They are 228 miles behind the leader and their spot speed at the poll had dropped to 15.9 knots, well behind their overnight speeds, but speeds are dropping across the leading group.
Brasil 1 is doing the best of the Farr designs, at 190 miles back and currently sailing at 14.6 knots, though their last six hour average speed was a healthy 17.7 knots.
ABN AMRO TWO lost another ten miles to the leader between 0400GMT and 1000GMT, and are now 87 miles back; while their spot speed has dropped to 16.9 knots, their average is still a healthy 20.3.
But it is when you get to ABN AMRO ONE you see that the hard facts do all the talking: a spot speed of 19.3 knots, a six hour average of 21.6 knots, that record, and at current speeds, an ETA of 30 November. It has to be said the ETA might be a little optimistic as there is a patch of lighter winds to negotiate first before taking the stronger winds to the finish, but they should be home by the end of the week.
MESSAGES FROM THE SOUTH ATLANTIC
Ericsson is missing the spinnaker that went under the boat on the first night and was destroyed; Neal McDonald’s comment on the situation? “Brutal."
“A couple of days in heavy reaching conditions without our fractional reaching kite has cost us dearly. Not only have we completely lost touch with the two ABN boats, who have both been flying off at world record pace, but also we have seen Brasil 1's lead over us increase to nearly 40 miles. What's worse is not having had this fractional spinnaker has forced us to sail high and, tonight we’re getting caught up in the beginnings of the next frontal system - less wind for us and consequentially less speed. Hopefully the boats in front will run into the same system and allow us to catch up later - we can only keep our fingers crossed and try as hard as we can to sail with what we have got.
“The next few days could be tricky weather-wise so we'll have to keep on our toes and look for any opportunities to claw back every mile we can. Despite the obvious disappointment, the boys have taken the situation well and are working hard to get back into the frame.
“Gone are the shorts – now it's thermals and full foul weather gear. If the wind turns south it will be colder still - good preparation for the body for the next Southern Ocean leg!”
But when you are leading and have just set a new record, you feel very happy. Mike Sanderson wrote last night, “How cool is that! 541 nautical miles (since Mike wrote this they clocked up the latest record, 546 nautical miles - Ed.) in 24 hours, and there is still a chance that it could sneak up even a bit higher.
“It has been all go here on the mighty ABN AMRO ONE. As I said to you yesterday it took us a little while to get the boat set up exactly right, in fact from the outside it must have looked more like sail changing practise rather than racing, as in a period of about four hours we had all four downwind sails up. But then once both us and the breeze settled it has just been all go ever since.
“We are nicely settled on our fractional gennaker and are just adjusting, with reefs going in and out of the mainsail and the staysail going up and down. To be honest, we hadn't even been thinking about the 24 hour record until about six hours before it happened. We then realised that maybe it was on as the breeze was due to stay in.
“Anyway, all in all, an amazing feeling, we have had some tough times on board in the last few weeks, breaking the boat on the first night, a fire on day two and then having to watch a more than 150 mile lead disappear, but this for sure is an amazing highlight.
“I can't say enough good things about the guys and the boat, very cool. Anyway, let's see where it ends up, it is a nice little bonus , but the main objective is still 1,623 miles away and that is Cape Town South Africa, we need to look after the gear, look after the guys, and try and get this thing there first.
"Have to stop writing, it's getting too bouncy. Until tomorrow, cheers."
Mike (Mike Sanderson - Skipper) Stan Brad, Mark, Rob, Tony, Sidney, Justin, Jan and Dave.
A few hours later Mike appended this – not for the squeamish! “Hi, just had the exciting experience of hitting a shark doing 25 knots!"
“Heard the thud on the keel, didn't really slow the boat down, but you could feel it shaking the boat, had to get the sails down and back down off it, unfortunately for mini Jaws ( about 8 to 10 feet, 3m, long), the shark didn't make it, But BB (Black Betty) seems fine and is back up to full pace.
“What a little adventure we are having out here. . .”
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