HSH Nordbank Blue Race - Day 3

Outsider first yacht to round Point Alpha

In the early hours of Thursday, the Outsider crew were the first to discover what the imaginary way mark Point Alpha really looks like. They were soon followed by the Irish Chieftain. Both yachts passed the virtual mark at a speed of more than 20 knots, extending their lead to the rest of the HSH Nordbank blue race fleet. This Saturday, the second start will send the maxi yachts off to catch up with the first group.

Newport/Hamburg, 21 June 2007 – The Outsider seems to be rushing home. The crew of nine are pushing their boat to the limit, and the effort pays off. Skipper Tilmar Hansen (57, from Kiel, Germany) left the competitor from Ireland behind and rounded Point Alpha first. The Chieftain of skipper Ger O´Rourke (44, from Limerick, Ireland) had been leading the fleet of 21 yachts sailing the HSH Nordbank blue race for some time, but now the Elliott 52 Outsider took over the top position again.

"Since this morning, the clocks show UTC time. The Atlantic is still battling with its usual force. High waves, wind between 20 and 30 knots accelerate the boat up to a speed of 20 knots. But we have to pay for this. Being on deck is like taking part in a fire-fighting practice. Water all over. Condensation is dripping from the ceiling", reports Ole Sartori (42, Kiel) from the Outsider. The Bank von Bremen is leading a group of pursuers, and together with American Snow Lion she is approaching from behind. Heavy weather has been taking its toll on man and material with all crews having to bear the physical strain, constant rolling of the sea, waves crashing onto the deck, and little sleep.

Weather expert Meeno Schrader forecasts a gradual weather change. “The low has fully developed, so from now, things will get ‚better’ again, which means calmer. The stormy gusts will keep up until just about Point Alpha, with thunder gusts possibly reaching nine to ten Beaufort. During the course of Friday, the wind will go down to about force five. Then the speed of the hard gusts will come down from eight to seven and less", said the meteorologist from the Kiel-based company Wetterwelt. But it will also turn colder. “Point Alpha will mark the time to say good-bye to America and balmy water temperatures with the Gulf Stream influence becoming weaker from there. Now and again there will be currents, but less often with water and air temperatures falling to 17 to 18 degrees Celsius", explains Schrader.

While the first group has been battling their way across the North Atlantic through strong wind and high waves for some 1,000 nautical miles, three crews are still waiting for the start signal to send them off racing. The 54-metre luxury yacht Parsifal III, the BonBon, an 80-foot racer sailed by a German-American crew, and Ken Read from Newport/Rhode Island with the top favourite Rambler (90 feet) will be setting out to the 3,600 nautical mile regatta on Saturday, 23 June. Peter Doriean from Australia is part of the Rambler crew of owner George David. The 36-year old Doriean already sailed as trimmer on board the Moviestar in the Ocean Race 2005/06. “We are keeping a close eye on the first group. They’re damn fast, and I’m afraid the wind will not be in our favour, “says Doriean. “But we’re expecting 2 knots of wind on Saturday, so we’ll be flying off at a speed of 30 knots, and that’ll be nice,“ says his crew mate David Byrne, 39, from Newport.

Race director Alan Green (68) from London is looking forward to a duel of the two maxi racers. “Rambler and BonBon are similarly built racing yachts, and on Saturday, the two will fight hard for the best starting position,“ expects Green.

The HSH Nordbank blue race from Newport/Rhode Island, to Hamburg is due to set off on the 16th June 2007. The race is organised by the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein (NRV), with the support of the New York Yacht Club (NYYC). Covering about 3600 nautical miles across the Atlantic, the route passes the United Kingdom to the north and then heads to Hamburg. The race is open to all monohull offshore yachts at least 40 feet in length.

For more information please visit www.hsh-nordbank-blue-race.com