Breezy first morning dawns for Transat fleet.

Tuesday, 01 June 2004

Ecover in `delivery mode` on the way to the start of the Transat 2004

Nick Moloney`s Skandia, always pushing, pushing, pushing !

After a windy 20-25 knot start in this year’s Transat Race from Plymouth to Boston the competitors are now beating to windward in 20 knot NNW winds in the Irish Sea, south of Cork. The boats will have been fully powered up overnight and with no reported problems the skippers will be settled into their routine. Typically they’ll be pushing harder than usual for the first 48 hours to make the break on their competitors, get to the first shift as well as keeping an eye out for coastal traffic and fishing boats. Mike Golding on Ecover earnt himself a brand new Omega watch yesterday afternoon an hour after the start when he pipped Mike Sanderson on Pindar to the post to be the first Monohull to round the Eddystone light. As dawn broke on the first morning of the race the posse of Owen Clarke designed yachts hold 1st (Ecover), 3rd (Pindar) and 10th (Skandia) place in the Open 60 Division. An impressive performance by newcomer Kip Stone on his 50’ steed Artforms saw him make a ten mile gain overnight, taking a seven mile lead in the 50’ class, barely two miles behind Nick Moloney sailing his sixty footer Skandia, the old Kingfisher. At present the lead boats in the fleet are all sailing north of the Great Circle balancing the need to get west fast as well as gaining height to the North. A high pressure ridge is forming to their south and west and their will be more wind in the North away from the high and at the same time further west a frontal system awaits. The first boat to get their nose into this breeze will make an incremental gain on the route to Boston. The interesting tactical dilemma of trading westing for northing will no doubt produce position shifting throughout this exciting race as the skippers dial into their MaxSea weather software, roll the dice and make the choice. For more detail, check out: www.thetransat.com www.mikegolding.com www.pindaroceanracing.com www.nickmoloney.com www.ksopen50.com

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