Saturday, March 19, 2011

CONTEST 40S

Boat: CONTEST 40S

More: CONTEST 40S Specifications

News:

The Race - Club Med chases down Team Adventure


Author: Club Med Media

The race between Team Adventure and Club Med continues on the North Atlantic today with the pair sailing upwind in light airs. Both boats have tacked several times choosing to be alternatively on the offshore side and then on the Morroccan coast side of the pair. As a consequence it is relatively hard to be able to work out the leader.

In terms of distance to the finish line, Club Med seems to have reduced Team Adventure's lead. At 0900 this morning Club Med crossed just 12 miles behind the leaders. By midday this gap had again dropped to just six miles. The next position report at 1800 this evening should yield a more reliable idea of the gap between the two boats.

At this afternoon's radio chat show co-skipper Franck Proffit recounted the sailing conditions being experienced by the big blue catamaran, "The weather isn't simple. Tactical and strategic options are presenting themselves all the time and it is really important to be aware of the minutest puff of wind coming from a new direction. "

Boat handling and sail trimming is constant. Club Med is currently sailing with full main and the code zero genoa set.

Proffit also commented on the speed exhibited by Playstation before they had their gear failures.

"The boat (Playstation) is quick. Their boat handling is obviously harder and slower, but when they have the boat trimmed up and sorted out it is very quick."

The other co-skipper Grant Dalton, currently suffering from a bout of flu', is however more impressed with the speed of the American boat ahead.

The Club Med crew are enjoying the light winds after the heavy going of the first couple of days. The watch system is well established and the off watch crew are getting plenty of sleep.

On the weather front, the Meteo Consult forecasters are not expecting a stable wind regime until the weekend, when a North Westerly of up to force 4 or 5 will send the crews on their way South again at high speed. The Trade Winds will not be experienced before the boats are well past the Canary Islands.

More Information:

  • YachtsandYachting.com The Race Information Page

See also: CONTEST 40A-B for sale