Sailing Magazine
By Matthew Thomas
This is what the short message from Phillippa was this morning: “Fun sailing, doing between 14 and 16 knots with a true wind angle of 110°, definitely the way to end your time at sea.”
The water is warm, they have under 900nm to go and they’re averaging 240nm a day, so, just less than 4 days left!
The ‘Two Pips’ are still in 7th place and holding their own against the boats behind them. Ahead, the Brazilians on ‘Zetra’ have increased their lead to 75nm and for all intents and purposes are clear ahead, but this is ocean racing and still anything can happen!
Current weather forecasts are suggesting that the stronger wind (13/14 knots) lies offshore and they have gybed onto port and are heading out. The stronger wind is in a 60nm band and they will have to make sure they stay inside it or they will find the girls hot on their heels later today.
Big news today is that Yannick and Pierre on “Le Conservateur’ are still ahead of ‘V and B’ by 9nm, a lead that is being eaten away every hour. With 186nm to go, the finish is going to be very close. The wind is out of the north east and ‘V and B’ is about 40nm to the north of ‘Le Consevateur’ which will give them a slightly tighter reaching angle as they close the finish.
Will this be a case of failing to keep yourself between the finish and your rival? We’ll know later today…
