Sailing Magazine
by Matthew Thomas
Last night at the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s annual prize giving in London, Phillippa Hutton-Squire was honoured after her second place overall in the Class 40 division sailing ‘Concise 2′ (HedKandi) with an all-girl crew. She was presented her prize, live by Satellite phone during the prize giving!
Well done girl – you show ‘em!
It’s down to the final 200nm and the ‘Two Pips’ are line abreast with ‘Groupe Setin’ and ‘SNBSM Espoir Compétition’ who have both managed to slip by, but the girls are working hard to claw back the miles.
Paul Peggs, their Team Manager reported yesterday:
“I heard from Phillippa this morning, all is well onboard, but the ‘girls’ are a little frustrated by the weather not matching the weather GRIB’s, they have just gone through a 30 knot squall that was unexpected. They are very close to SNBSM, which is in sight, just ahead of them. It’s looking like light airs all the way to the finish with everything still to play for.
“They’re suffering a little from this long difficult race both with sore hands and bums, as well as Pip with her black eye. Phillippa and Pip are both tired after a long night pushing the boat hard.
“Currently, the routing is saying that they still have another 2 days of sailing before they cross the finish line off Italjaï.
“Phillippa said she will try and write another blog soon but at the moment it’s full on concentration, especially as they are in sight of SNBSM!!!”
Now just 220nm offshore, the ‘trio’ will all be experiencing rain squalls during the night and it will be up to them all to play these well. Play them well and they will be able to leapfrog pass the others, make a mistake and they will suddenly find themselves becalmed behind the squall, watching the others slip away.
With very light winds to the finish, ‘Zetra’ who is a scant 30nm ahead of ‘Groupe Setin’ and currently in line to cross in 6th is battling in the light breeze and is under threat from the ‘trio’ behind her.
As they so often say: “It’s not over till the fat lady sings” and there is still a whole day of racing before we’ll have the final results.
