Photos: L © Oskar Kihlborg R © Justin Clougher

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Wed, 11 Jan 2006 17:27:09 UTC

Volvo Race Headquarters Duty Officer Lisa Marie Wood has been jumping off her chair every hour and rushing into the office with the news that ABN AMRO TWO have added another mile to their 24 hour runs. First they shattered the record by blasting a monohull through the 550 mile barrier, then they broke 560 miles, finally in time for the 1600GMT position release, they topped out with an amazing 563 miles.

So ABN AMRO TWO currently hold the Gant Time 24 hour run record and if they can hang on to that time – or beat it themselves – then each crew member will be the proud owner of a new Gant Volvo Ocean Race watch by the end of the leg. As you might expect, TWO’s navigator Si Fi had a few words to say on the subject, “It has been a very special day for us so far as we have broken new ground and taken a monohull past the 550 mile mark in 24 hours. Better still, just minutes ago, I received a message from Race Headquarters saying we had raised the bar to 563!

“What can I say, the boys are ecstatic! However we are holding the celebrations for a while as the wind continues to blow hard and the fleet around us continues charging hard. ABN AMRO ONE, who has sent us some awesome messages in support, are no doubt picking up the big breeze now and will be keen to take their record back!”

Up at the front Mike Sanderson is keeping ABN AMRO ONE on the boil with 22.5 knot speeds and a 24 hour run of 517 miles, but has dropped five miles to ABN AMRO TWO. Mike had this to say about the kids’ attitude, “Of course they want to beat us ... at anything they can, at anytime, whether it be running, biking, eating, hoisting sails, sail testing, racing, you name it. We have now been racing these guys pretty much every hour of the day, well on shore maybe not every hour of the day, lets just say that they have a good time when they are on shore.

“So fellas, awesome effort, no matter which way it goes. You have had, and are having a blinder.

“We are now just starting to get into the breeze which has let those guys do the big runs behind, but unfortunately it doesn't look like a leader’s scenario as we work our way to Eclipse. At this stage it looks like they will be coming in pretty close, but that's the weather and there is nothing we can do about it. We were a bit lucky with the cold front a few days ago, so I am sure we will pay for that.

“For now though we are just trying to keep the boat in a 90 percent mode. If we can keep this baby in one piece and have it fully 100 percent still at Eclipse, I think that will give us more chance of winning the leg. That's my theory at the moment anyway. That might all go out the window (if we had any) now the Kids have gone further then any other sailing monohull in 24 hrs.”

Pirates are keeping up the pressure with a 24 hour run of 536 miles and have pulled back a mile on the leader, though they have reported a small breakage – see below – and have lost five miles to second place, but have gained four on movistar.

Paul Cayard was feeling guilty that he hadn’t sent an email yesterday so made up with it with a huge one today. Read the full text by using the Latest Multimedia button on the left of each page. This is just a short extract, “Sorry for not writing a report yesterday. It was a long hard day pushing to get every ounce of speed out of the boat heading for the scoring gate.

“I started to write my report last night and then there was a very loud bang. I jumped up out of the nav station fearing the worst. The keel!

“But word came back from on deck that it was the boom vang. Its attachment at the mast had ripped off. The boom vang is used to apply down pressure on the boom when reaching. So we have jury rigged up something which is ok, but not a hundred percent. The guys are working on a plan to make a better solution when the wind drops a bit.

“We have been flat out flying since the black hole ate us up a few nights ago and ABN AMRO TWO sailed right around us, literally in sight of us, while we slatted with no wind. Up until that point, the race was going well and we were enjoying it. Then all of a sudden all our hard work over the previous four days, and the associated gains, were thrown out the window. A little frustrating to say the least. Then the wind filled from behind which almost let movistar pass us at the scoring waypoint. We had a sweet little sail for the last 150 miles into the scoring gate and that popped us out in front for a third at that point.

“We had the longest run just before the scoring gate, 140 miles for six hours, that is 560 miles a day pace. The boat is slamming downwind very violently. No one can sleep when it is this rough. As you go from 25 to 30 knots of boat speed, the keel hums to a higher and higher pitch. Then you feel the boat un-weight it self, you go a bit weightless like in an airplane sometimes and you just cringe in your bunk as you know the bottom of the waves is coming.

“Sometimes it is just a big snowplow and rapid deceleration which makes you hold onto your bunk so you don't slide forward on top of the guy in front of you. Those are the ones which create two feet of white water rolling down the decks. Other times we find the bottom by doing a violent belly flop which shudder and sends vibrations throughout the boat. I am sure the others are doing the same because they are going as fast as we are.

“It is not hard to spend time wondering how long these boats can take this type of punishment.”

ING Real Estate Brunel is suffering with their mast track problems, only managing 14 knots or so while the others are up in the high twenties.

Brasil 1 are doing well, 2,462 miles from the leader, but trucking along at a healthy 14.8 knots. Knut Frostad had this to say, “Great to be back, although not really in the race, at least in the leg. Had a wet start yesterday with 20 knots reaching conditions. Helmets on, ski-goggles and everything soaked. A hell of a lot better than waiting on the dock in Port Elisabeth.

“Now the breeze has dropped as we are piggy-backing on the high pressure east of us. Sun is out and it doesn't really look like Southern Ocean...yet.

“It's a strange feeling out here. Every single person on this boat is highly competitive. What normally makes a day good or bad is the result we achieve on the race course, and here we are about 2,000 miles behind the leader trying very hard to find something to fight for. Although it is highly unrealistic now, one thing I have learned in this race is to never ever give up. The picture in the end will most likely be different than we thought or planned, and then we have to be there, ready to grab any opportunity.

“So, in case anyone was wondering, Brasil 1 is sailing at full speed. We have taken a few precautions, as we are alone, but already we have had plenty of sail changes to make sure we have the fastest combination up. Right now we just dropped the ‘Funto’. This means ‘dead body’ in Portuguese, and is the biggest and heaviest sail onboard. A real fight to pack into a sock and then you have to kill it again to get it into it's bag.”

Even the President of Brazil is behind the team and cheering them on, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said this today when he sent a personal message to the crew of Brasil 1, “I want to congratulate skipper Torben Grael and his entire Brasil 1 team for returning to the Volvo Ocean Race regatta. The persistence that the Brazilians have shown, even after a series of problems, proves that we are a nation that never gives up. I wish good luck to all this sailors that are travelling around the world representing the name of our country in this important competition.”

Read the emails from the boats by using the Latest Multimedia button on the left side of every page.

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