First week update for Ecover & Team Cowes |
| Friday, 07 November 2003 |
| Both yachts have had a few minor problems so far, but these new boats appear to have pace and in Ecover’s case height as well over the older generation designs in the upwind conditions that have prevailed for the first five days of the race. Unlike Virbac, which was launched earlier and has sailed back from New Zealand. Ecover with fewer than 2000 miles sailing prior to starting this race is as yet untested and many of her systems are as yet unproven and de-bugged. It will be an interesting closing 3000 miles.
The race has started a second phase now that conditions have turned downwind and in less stable gradients the positions of the yachts will change as the wind varies across the East-West divide that separates Virbac, Ecover and Sill. The next gate that one might be truly able to draw some conclusions regarding the downwind speed of the new generation against the old will come in around four days time after the Cape Verde’s when the boats begin to position themselves for the ITCZ, the doldrums. At this point if the lead yachts are still close together then the exit from this area of fickle wind could spell a restart and a sprint to the finish in Salvador.
After the sad retirement of Pindar, only Ecover and Team Cowes (ex Kingfisher) remain from the Owen Clarke book. Nick Moloney and Sam Davies are having their own battle with the French yacht VMI and are consistently in 5th or 6th place having completed the upwind slog without sustaining any damage. At 150 miles behind the leader and only 70 miles behind third place Sill a podium finish or better is still attainable with some 3000 miles of racing, uncertain conditions and wear and tear to go.
For more information go to:
www.jacques-vabre.com
www.mgyr.com
www.teamcowes.com
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