Gap closes on leader in Round Britain Challenge

GAP CLOSES ON LEADER AS WIND SHIFTS TO THE SOUTH IN THE ROUND BRITAIN CHALLENGE

With the winds shifting to the south the fleet in the Round Britain Challenge appears to be closing up once again posing a real threat to the front-runners, as they continue their decent down the east coast of Britain.

There are just 25 miles separating front yacht Spirit of Southampton and neck and neck LogicaCMG and BG Group, the old rivals who are battling it out once again, resolute to push their way past each other and to first place victory.

Fourth place The Daily Telegraph is only 14 miles behind the top three boats with Basilica another 20 miles behind in fifth place. Closing up the gap, four miles behind Basilica, is sixth place Spirit of Hong Kong, Vail Williams 15 miles further back and Team Spirit 27 miles from the rest of the fleet.

The last couple of days are going to be a hectic time for the fleet as the beacon of the finish flashes and the promise of home beckons.

The Crew Volunteers look like they are making the most of this final burst of the race, both in terms of pushing everything they can from their yachts, themselves and in reflecting what the event has meant for them. The Round Britain Challenge demonstrates that you do not need to be hundreds of miles away to experience the splendours that Great Britain and Ireland can boast, Spirit of Hong Kong reporting their daily log today: “It is an amazing experience to be surrounded by water miles from land and to see such brilliant sunrises and sunsets, schools of porpoises, fantastic starry nights, the beauty of creation never ceases to excite and we will all return home the richer for it.”

Team Spirit simply put it: “Joy at 23:14 the Northern lights.”

The fleet is currently tip toeing its way around the oilrigs and fishing boats of the North Sea, as Vail Williams explains: “Last night was spent wending our way through a myriad of oilfields. None of us realised how many there actually are out here. It feels like you are invading a small community as you sail through all of them, lit up like Christmas trees.”

If the Crew Volunteers think spotting all these oilrigs is an unusual sight it is just as extraordinary a sight for those on an oilrig to see eight yachts parade by! Team Spirit noted: “as we sailed down the eastern edge of the Moray Firth, passing our first oilrig…we spoke to them on the VHF, they were very surprised to see a yacht in April.”

Racing has been thrilling for all those who have been following, demonstrating what a fantastic spectator sport sailing is, particularly in a one design fleet of yachts. So when are the first yachts due in? And could they still beat the record held by ‘Sail That Dream’?

To beat the record the first yacht home will have to cross the Needles Fairway Buoy tomorrow morning. However, on current estimates, this is unlikely to happen, although it is quite clear that such a record is possible to achieve in a Challenge yacht.

Getting home as fast and as safely as possible is top of the agenda now for all the skippers, which will be excellent news for the stress levels hitting family, friends and supporters of the race, now reaching fever pitch as one of the hundreds of letters to Race HQ demonstrates:

From Mrs Crook, mother of Crew Volunteer Matthew: “Next to no work being done - of any sort! - spelling/sentence structure out of the window! (and computer when it won't behave!) fingers pressing all the wrong keys in haste and excitement!, meal times? Well....whenever!; tension/worry/excitement levels sky high! Why all this? Am I sick?

No... just the pure adrenaline-pumping, mind-willing, hearth-thumping excitement of watching the race, and LogicaCMG/ BG Group /Spirit of Southampton dicing for first place! As for my hero, my champ, my son Matt - my heart is full to bursting!”

Only a couple more days to go now!

Latest positions (16.00 bst):

More Information:

• www.roundbritainchallenge.com