The Race ...Caught between a rock and a hard place.

by Barry Picthall on 27 Feb 2001 At today's 07:00 satellite poll, TEAM LEGATO's speed was precisely 0.0
knots. By 11:00 it had risen, but only to 5.4 knots as Tony Bullimore and
his crew struggled to break through a 100 mile wide ridge of High pressure
in a calculated gamble to skirt round a week Low and hitch a ride on the
favourable side of a large High pressure system that should carry them all
the way to Cape Horn.

Richard Price, a member of St James's Yachting, TEAM LEGATO's weather
routing team explains the tactical decisions that have taken place.
'Originally, we were sending them on a South Easterly course, but the High
pressure system they have been riding on for the past 24 hours is collapsing
and gradually being replaced by a Low pressure system that would give the
crew 40 knot winds on the nose in a couple of days if they continued on
their earlier course. So the decision was taken yesterday to change course
to the North East. We knew that there would be little or no wind for a
while, but once they are out the other side of this ridge, there is a good
chance that they will enjoy favourable reaching winds for several days.'

The good news for Bullimore and his boys, is that their Polish rivals on
Warta Polpharma have also been slowed - by too much wind! They are currently
battling against 40-50 knot winds some 1,800 miles ahead, and have gained
only 101 miles on TEAM LEGATO over the last 28 hours.

'The worst scenario is that Tony and his crew will face light winds for 12
hours, and then they should start catching up again.' Said Price this
morning.

Leading positions at 11:00 GMT today
1. Club Med 2,271 miles to finish - Rounded Cape Horn 11.02.01
2. Innovation Explorer +645 miles - Cape Horn 12.02.01
3. Team Adventure 5,886 miles - Left Wellington 19. 02. 01
4. Warta Polpharma 6,142 miles - Left Wellington 17. 02. 01
5. Team Legato 8,030 miles - Left Wellington 21. 02. 01
6. PlayStation - RETIRED 14.01.01