The Race Team Legato and Warta Polpharma take different courses.

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The Race Team Legato and Warta Polpharma take different courses.

by Barry Pickthall on 1 Mar 2001

The change of course called for by TEAM LEGATO's weather routers on Sunday, has been vindicated this morning as Tony Bullimore and his crew begin to cream along at 18-20 knots, enjoying favourable winds once more. Had they continued on their previous South Easterly route, they would now being receiving a battering almost rough as the one their Polish rivals on Warta Polpharma are enduring much closer to Cape Horn.

As the latest weather map shows (see below), the Low pressure system centred at 50S, 150W, the winds, rotating clockwise, are giving TEAM LEGATO reaching winds to the North. Had Bullimore and his crew persevered to the south east, then they would now be facing 40+ knot head winds which would not only have slowed their progress considerably, but risked rig and sails. Instead, they are now in a position to pick up some great winds over the next 24 hours which should help them to close on Warta Polpharma considerably.

The Poles on the other hand are locked into the 'Mother of all storms' less than 1,000 miles from Cape Horn, battling against 60 knots winds and 40ft seas. Over the past 24 hours, part of which TEAM LEGATO was becalmed, they ran 328 miles - just 1 more than Bullimore and his Boys. 'We heard about their problems and our heart goes out to them' Said Tony over the NERA satellite phone this morning. 'It is no fun sailing in those conditions. Everything onboard will be wet through - including the crew. They will be cold and getting very little sleep. This is why we have to follow the advice of our weather routers whose job is to keep us out of such situations and sailing in favourable winds.' The TEAM LEGATO skipper added.

Team Legato / The Race Latest News - 28/02/01
by Barry Pickthall on 28 February 2001 08:16:00 GMT

03:00 GMT TEAM LEGATO / WARTA POLPHARMA
Position: 46 35'S; 150. 23'W / 53 35'S; 91 30'W
Speed at time of satellite poll: 18.0knots / 13.1knots
Average speed for last 4 hours: 13.6 knots / 13.7 knots
Course: 56 Degrees / 109 Degrees
Distance covered over 24 hours: 327 miles / 328 miles
Distance between the two: +2,127 miles

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