King Fisher 15 miles behind leader in Vendee Globe

by King Fisher Media on 6 Feb 2001 * Whilst PRB still holds a 56 mile lead to the north, Ellen's easterly
position [48 miles to the east] still looks like it could gain her some
miles on the leader. At 0600 this morning KINGFISHER was only 15 miles
further from the finish than PRB - the question will be whether Mich's
northerly position gets him to the new westerly winds first. Suspense
totale!

* Just before sunset last night, Ellen reported that she had completed the
complicated and difficult task of switching her one remaining dagger-board
from port side back to its original starboard side - ready for the wind to
switch in to the north west, when she would need it on the other side to
maintain KINGFISHER's performance. Throughout the day she planned and
prepared how she could do this in the minimum time, and as the wind went
light and the seas calm, just before sunset she went for it. In light airs,
the extra drag of these boards means that they are not effective, so this
was the perfect time to make the switch - so she's now at 100% with an A1
daggerboard and the other perfect rudder in the water. All she has to do now
is plug the gap on the port side for when they go downwind (when both sides
will be touching the water)

* Naturally, as the leaders slow down, the chasing boats will catch up on
distance to go - SILL now at 260 and ACTIVEWEAR back at just over 400. The
high pressure is evolving all the time, and they might not have to cross a
calm patch in the same way, and that is of course what they are hoping...
http://www.kingfisher-challenges.com/position/2.shtml

* Drama yesterday for British competitor, Mike Golding, when his yacht Team
Group 4 narrowly escaped dismasting for the second time in this event. Mike
discovered that part of his PBO [a lightweight, high strength fibre] rigging
had chafed through on the mainsail and it was literally hanging on by a
thread. If it broke, the mast would tumble pretty quickly. Mike spent some
tough hours up the rig setting up a makeshift repair that he hopes will
still allow him to race hard to the finish...another bruised solo skipper..

* We know a lot of you are planning to be in Les Sables...ESTIMATED (very)
DAY OF ARRIVAL OF FIRST BOAT : Saturday/Sunday - but we take no
responsibility for any plans made based on this information!