PRB dismasts and Armor Lux’s lead cut

Monday, 07 June 2004

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

At the first morning schedule in the second week of the Transat the boats have been travelling at a hellish place and this morning there was more bad news in the 60’ fleet with the dismasting of PRB. Vincent Riou is safe and in touch with his shore team looking at options.

Meanwhile, after having been passed to the North by Armor Lux and PRB earlier in the weekend while they sat uncomfortably close to the centre of the last depression and thus in light winds Ecover and Pindar have picked up the pace. Ecover has cut the lead of Armor Lux by eight miles over night to 22 miles and although Pindar has dropped back on Ecover after holding the lead on Saturday, Mike Sanderson recorded an incredible 19.1 knots AVERAGE speed over 30 minutes – over two knots faster than the two other boats. I’ve been rifling through my race log sheets trying to find any previous numbers as big as this and can’t. The boats are obviously pushing hard.

There is still a large degree of north-south separation in the remaining fleet and a long way to go to the finish in Boston. Truly anything can happen and it’s way too soon to jump to any conclusions – even as to who the first three boats will be. At present two Owen Clarke 60's Ecover and Pindar are in contention at the front with Nick Moloney on Skandia giving chase in 7th place.

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