Vic - Maui Yacht Race - More arrivals soon
by Alan Hannam 9 Jul 2000 08:22 BST
LAHAINA ABOUT TO WELCOME MORE ARRIVALS
With 15 boats expected to finish soon, the welcoming parties in Lahaina will be pretty continuous for the next three days. A special experience awaits the boats arriving here after 2300 miles of ocean sailing. The hospitality marking each sailor's return to the ordinary world is a legendary part of the Vic-Maui. MIDNIGHT SPECIAL is due in early tomorrow around 0500HST, followed later in the day by SHOW ME, FARR-ARI and PURSUIT. SHOW ME should finish third in Class A on corrected time, while FARR-ARI and PURSUIT look like being one-two in Class B.
It's actually blowing quite hard at the finish line (about 25 knots). Out on the course however the winds are a comfortable 16-18 knots, with only three boats reporting winds over 20 knots.
With another 190 miles under her belt today, ORIOLE continues to eat up the course. The 1921 naval training vessel successfully rode out a squall yesterday, then was becalmed for two hours. During the squall she blew out two spinnaker head blocks, which have since been repaired and re-rigged. Her present ETA is 0622 July 10, and if she maintains her pace, she is highly likely to be the race's overall winner on corrected time. GRAND ILLUSION (finishing July 6 in record time) is presently second on corrected time, and GREY HOUND (Class C) is third.
And what about PRAIRIE VOYAGER? Well she managed a solid 109 miles today, which is pretty good considering she is steering with an emergency rudder. The big question at the moment is whether she will make the party, for she still has 780 miles to go. She is making good progress, so keep your fingers crossed.
Our Website address is www.vicmaui.org. Daily Race Reports can be found in its News Center/Daily Reports Section, and there is a Discussion Group in the News Centre/Discussion Group. Local television coverage will be on CHEKtv in Victoria and VTV in Vancouver during their evening news programs.