Estrella Damm Getting To The Low (Photo © Estrella Damm / FNOB)
The weather forecasts confirm that not only is deliverance from the 35-40 knot gusts and big seas due by Friday early afternoon, but then strategic decisions need to be taken over the following 24 hours which could have a lasting effect on positions up the Mediterranean.
Perennial leader Estrella Damm has a lead of just over 30 miles, and they still have no options but to press on flat out. Both teams well know that the miles up the Mediterranean are likely to be in light to moderate, variable headwinds and that in those conditions, the tables could be turned and W Hotels is acknowledged by most as having the potential speed edge.
As Estrella Damm’s vastly experience Project Manager Jan Santana (ESP) noted after this afternoon’s live audio and video conference with the boats, Pepe Ribes, Alex Pella and Stan Schreyer recognize that over three or four days from Gibraltar even a small speed deficit can quickly consume their 30 miles lead. Add to that the fact that some compression is inevitable, where the chasing boat stays with the better breeze when the lead boat has emerged into lighter going, and all predictions are for this remaining a close challenge.
On board both boats spirits are reported to be high, in spite of the challenging conditions. W Hotels could not be contacted, but Estrella Damm’s Alex Pella remarked that the thought of being so close to what will feel like the homeward stretch feels especially good.
Pella, Ribes and Schreyer are not having any significant problems except for routine small things that are an occupational hazard in the robust conditions, which they have been dealing with. On W Hotels the situation is similar although they had their hands slightly full when the videoconference was taking place this afternoon, as they were undertaking a repair to the compression bar and the part of the blade control mechanism of the windward rudder after it was damaged by a wave.
The W Hotels trio has had to throttle back to make the repairs, but the three co-skippers were confident in their ability to make good a relatively routine, but nonetheless annoying repair. The repair time was estimated to be around three or four hours which should allow W Hotels to return to optimum speed in five or six hours.
Boat speeds through last night and today have been impressive, averaging just under 20 knots and swallowing miles to the south of the Azores, rapidly approaching the improving conditions.
And then, probably on Saturday morning, comes the decision when to gybe, probably between 0800hrs and midday. Certainly for the Spanish crews that will feel like the turn for home.
Pachi Rivero At The Nav Station On W Hotels (Photo courtesy of W Hotels)
Quotes
Pachi Rivero (ESP), Co-skipper W Hotels (ESP): “Approximately 1 hour ago we got a damage in the windward rudder of the boat. I was on deck and a wave shook the boat completely and covered it in water. Once out of the wave I noticed a noise at the stern and it was the rudder hanging. Anyway after evaluating the damage (we have dismounted the rudder) we are already fixing it. We are still in the Record” in an e-mail to Record Control HQ.
Alex Pella (ESP) Co-skipper Estrella Damm (ESP): “We are going very well, with 20-30-32 knots of wind and so the work is still hard, we are happy, but it is reefs in and out because the wind is up and down and quite shifty. We are very concentrated and looking forward to when to gybe. The mood is up and we have no large jobs for the shore team when we get back, just small things and we have generally dealt with them as they happen.”
Jan Santana, Project Manager, Estrella Damm (ESP): “They (Estrella Damm) are pushing as hard as they can because they want to gain as much as possible now, because they know that when they pass Gibraltar the winds will be lighter.”
“You know that you have to prepare for different conditions and our boat is very good like that and upwind and for strong winds. If we are now at 30 miles in front of them, we know only too well that in 24 hours we can lose 20 miles. Now the forecast says that in three or four days the wind will be from the NE, very variable and light, between eight and 12 knots.”
“Both crews are working very hard, the skippers are very high level and the boats are pretty similar and so I expected it to be so close. The options are all pretty similar, and we have run the routings maybe ten times, sometimes with different programmes, and most of them have given exactly the same course that they have done. They don’t want to gybe too early because they go back into the low, and too late and the wind will be too close wind in 12 hours time. When they pass to the east of the centre of the low pressure the wind will change quickly.”
Stu McLachlan boat captain W Hotels (ESP): “I have been really impressed with how close it has been, clearly both teams are working very hard, Pachi, Toño and Peter have being going really well. Both Pachi and Toño have sailed together a lot in the past but they clearly have good chemistry and they have been able to make the boat go fast. Our job is to build in reliability and we have made good progress since last year with the boat. That reliability needs to be completely across the board and in all weathers, it is possible to have gear failures in light winds as well as big winds.”
Standings at 1300hrs GMT Thursday.
1. Estrella Damm (ESP), Ribes, Pella, Schreyer: 1272 miles to finish
2. W Hotels (ESP), Rivero, Piris, Becker: 1303.2 miles to finish (+ 31.2miles)
Estrella Damm (Photo © Estrella Damm / FNOB)
The two IMOCA Open 60’s pass into their second week of the New York to Barcelona Transoceanic Record Sailing Challenge battling with the toughest conditions of the passage so far.
Estrella Damm In Front Of The Statue Of Liberty (Photo by Nico Martínez)
Adios New York!The crews of the Open 60’s Estrella Damm and W-Hotels could not have wished for better weather as they departed New York’s North Cove Marina heading ultimately for home, 3750 miles across the Atlantic through the Straits of Gibraltar and up the Mediterranean to Barcelona.08/04/2010 06:07
Adios New York!The crews of the Open 60’s Estrella Damm and W-Hotels could not have wished for better weather as they departed New York’s North Cove Marina heading ultimately for home, 3750 miles across the Atlantic through the Straits of Gibraltar and up the Mediterranean to Barcelona.08/04/2010 06:07 Indeed were it not for the imposing, iconic Manhattan skyline as a constant reminder this is New York, you could have been forgiven for thinking the warm spring, shirtsleeves weather was much more reminiscent of the Catalan capital, Barcelona.
The mood was quietly relaxed and without major fanfare. The farewell was warm and passionate from families, friends, supporters and organisers in the pleasant spring sunshine.
Around the compact yacht harbour on the edge of New York’s financial district, the beating heart of the city which never sleeps, and one which has witnessed very many historic sailing departures over the year, there was scarcely a breeze but the crews of both boats know that brisk winds were awaiting them as soon as they traverse the lower Bay. The scene, one of quiet anticipation as the six co-skippers said their farewells and headed out for the Atlantic.
“It has all been going very well and now we are just ready to get on with it. The weather is looking very good for us, just what we wanted. We are leaving with a good frontal system which will give us some fast sailing. We are very happy with it, perfect conditions really.” Smiled Pepe Ribes (ESP) co-skipper of Estrella Damm. “We are looking forward to sailing with Stan. We have made a watch system where he will play an equal part for the first few days, we will be looking at how he goes, so we will see how we get on with that.”
The two American co-skippers, one on board either boat, could not wait to get going. Their respective experiences are very different. Estrella Damm’s Stan Schreyer (USA) is much more of a inshore racing sailor, with a two Tornado catamaran Olympic campaigns under his belt, but this adventure will be new to him, W-Hotels Peter Becker is a dyed in the wool ocean racer including experience of many of the world’s blue water classic offshores
“We are ready. I feel really good, I slept really well and today, yes, there are a couple of butterflies there in my stomach, but I know I am in very good hands. The forecast for the first four days look quick and I am just fine with that. I had a nice meal last night, took in a little baseball. I am kind of going into this a little dumb, not really knowing what it’ll be like, but I am cool with that.” “The freeze dried food is really not too bad, but Alex was taking some off the boat yesterday and we only have food for 18 days and so we had better get there quick!”
Peter Becker (USA), despite his many ocean racing miles, sounded just as excited with the prospects of what lies ahead on W-Hotels: “The mood is really just fantastic. It is always a bit nerve wracking in any ocean race until you are off the dock and the sails are up, and from there it all falls into place. We will be pushing really hard..” “These are two boats which are owned by the same ‘family’ if you like, but it’s a competitive family, which is really great. So we will be pushing each other really hard, but it is always good to know there is another boat out there with you.” “Stan and I are from very different backgrounds and there is a friendly rivalry between us. But, we have been sharing what we can with each other. If there is anything that I feel he might want to know, or would be useful to him that he knows, then I have shared what I can with him” “But,” Becker closes ominously, “this is a horse race and we are out to win.”
