BT Global Challenge Leg Two Start - LG Flatron News
by Emily Caroe 16 Oct 2000 09:16 BST
Boston, Massachusetts
Conrad Humphreys and his crew aboard LG FLATRON were third across the restart line as they departed Boston for Buenos Aires today. The restart conditions were similar to that experienced in Southampton with light winds and calm seas as the twelve yachts in the BT Global Challenge moved over the start line.
After twenty minutes of the start, LG FLATRON changed to their lighter spinnaker in a desperate attempt to pick up speed as they left Boston Harbour for Puerto Madero.
An hour later LG FLATRON was sailing at just 2.1knots an hour and was involved in a port starboard incident with Olympic Group and immediately performed a 720o turn. Although this moved them to the back of the fleet, within ten minutes they returned to the middle of the 12 boat pack.
Speaking before the restart, Humphreys was confident about the forthcoming leg. "It will be a tough one as the weather will be so variable and the crew will have to get used to the change in conditions from strong trade winds to the flat Doldrums. However we have been training hard for this leg and a lot of the systems we had in place for the first leg have been improved or amended which will result in a smoother racing team."
The crew of seventeen has welcomed on board four new members for this 35 day second leg. Dr Bob Schmidt, the yacht’s medic, was unable to continue with the Race for medical reasons and has been replaced by Ginger Mackenzie from Nova Scotia. Bob’s son, Jared, a nurse, will be taking his father’s place for the remainder of the Race from Buenos Aires. Local girl Katherine O’Connell from Charlestown has also joined with John Campbell from Australia and Peder Nielson from the Isle of Man.
LG FLATRON is one of twelve yachts taking part in the BT Global Challenge, the round the World yacht race organised by Sir Chay Blyth. The race set off from the UK on 12 September and LG FLATRON arrived in third place eighteen days later. After Buenos Aires the yachts will sail through the Southern Ocean to Wellington then to Sydney, Cape Town, La Rochelle before arriving back in Southampton in June 2001.
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