2:43 AM Tue 3 Nov 2009 GMT
Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht race.
'In a 3,300-mile race how can you get excited about two miles?' questions Uniquely Singapore's skipper, Jim Dobie. 'Well that's the distance we made on Hull & Humber in the last six hours as we race for the gate. Every mile counts now and is earned by the crew's hard work and concentration.'
Having reaped the rewards of their tactical decision to head south from the outset, Hull & Humber is now fighting to hold on to their narrow lead as the fleet approaches the Race 3 scoring gate. Skipper, Piers Dudin, is determined to get the first three points of the race to Cape Town, especially having lost out to Spirit of Australia at the scoring gate in Race 2.
'We're holding off some pretty fresh advances from the Singaporean, Finnish and Irish camps, which is all we need to do for the moment,' he says. 'Thirty-six hours to go and we'll hopefully make it through the scoring gate before the next weather system moves over us and stuffs up a perfect South Atlantic breeze.'
Enjoying Hull & Humber's position at the front of the pack just a couple of days ago, albeit for a short time, the team on board Jamaica Lightning Bolt now find themselves back in fifth. 'This is because we have taken a more direct northerly route and are suffering from lighter winds,' explains skipper Pete Stirling. 'However, as long as we can stay in the leading group, we are perfectly confident we can regain the lost places before the end of the race.
'The next challenge is to try and get to the scoring gate ahead of the other yachts which is just under 300 miles away to the east,' he says. 'The forecast is for the wind direction to do a full 360 degrees in the hours leading up to our ETA there. Good tactics therefore will play an important role in seeing the first three yachts through the gate. watch this space!'
Keeping their nose just ahead of the Jamaican entry and hopeful of getting their first scoring gate points of Clipper 09-10 are skipper Eero Lehtinen and his crew on board Team Finland.
'Slowly but surely the scoring gate has taken over the focus as we move with pleasant speeds due east,' says the Finnish skipper. 'We managed to find a nice lane between the new leaders furthest south and the earlier front runners further north. In the race to east it looks like we still stand a chance to squeeze into the top three, but it will be close.
'Also, the weather ahead of us, according to our latest GRIB file, looks anything but steady and stable. Secretly I am hoping that the computer models have lost the plot and we get to the gate keeping up this heavenly speed.'
Edinburgh Inspiring Capital is praying for similar conditions as the team continues to struggle with light winds.
'We have been there before,' says skipper Matt Pike. 'Stuck in a wind hole and watching the rest of the fleet sail past. So it was a more philosophical crew that read the race positions, plotted the fix and tried steering the boat south down into the wind zone. With such little wind turning south gave such a low apparent wind we really didn't move, heading east kept us in the light winds! But eventually, in a series of arcs, we wriggled our way down, changing from the lightweight to middle weight kite and once again hearing the sound of water passing the hull. The spirit is there, the will to race as keen as ever and the GRIBS show such a variation of conditions it's still a long way to Cape Town!'
Spirit of Australia has also managed to crawl out of the wind hole that trapped them yesterday.
'The frustration of light airs sailing came to an end with the onset of a building south westerly wind,' explains skipper Brendan Hall. 'This has grown overnight and now Spirit of Australia is power reaching at speeds of over 10 knots, aiming exactly at Cape Town. Expect to see us moving up the position table very soon,' he added.
Enjoying a slow but steady climb up the position table is the team on board Qingdao. Skipper Chris Stanmore-Major believes their tactics are sound as they keep a mid fleet position.
'Our rise has not been as meteoric as Hull & Humber's, but this has been planned as we have chosen to cover the northern half of the fleet,' he explains. 'This will allow us to retain the chance to shoot north away from trouble should the southerly route not work out long term.
'It's going to be an interesting Monday for those aboard the Dragon Wagon, but all's well and we're ready to get stuck in!'
by Clipper Ventures
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6000, WA
Kitesurfing - Kites
Foiling - Prone/Surf Foilboards