NEWPORT, R.I. - Eyes are glued to the tracker and bets have been laid for when the first two arrivals in the Transatlantic Race 2019 will reach Cowes.
At midday UTC, Lee Seng Huang's 100-foot maxi, SHK Scallywag had just passed Portland Bill and was using her length and towering rig to defy both the current and apparent lack of breeze in the forecast. The Andy Dovell design was making 12 knots directly at Hurst Narrows and the western entrance to the Solent prior to the final 11 nautical mile leg to the Royal Yacht Squadron finish line off Cowes. She had extended her lead to 45 miles over David and Peter Askew’s VO70 Wizard, which at midday was nosing into Lyme Bay to the east of Start Point.
Read more: July 5 Update: SHK Scallywag in Final Throes of Transatlantic Race 2019
NEWPORT, R.I. - On this July 4, when the U.S. celebrates Independence Day, the spirit of cooperation with “ye olde country” is alive and well in the Transatlantic Race 2019. Co-organized by the Royal Yacht Squadron, New York Yacht Club, Royal Ocean Racing Club and Storm Trysail Club, the race is a friendly reminder of the tight bond that exists between the two seafaring nations. First sailed more than 150 years ago in 1866, this is the 31st race across “The Pond” organized by the New York Yacht Club.
“Our morning opened with playing the Star Spangled Banner, followed by America the Beautiful over the VHF Intercom, music thoughtfully provided by Bob (Langstine) and his iPad,” said Mark D’Arcy, navigator aboard Hiroshi Nakajima's Hiro Maru (top photo). “Chip (Adams) kindly distributed kazoo’s and adorned the mast with both the U.S. and Japan national flags to celebrate the day.”
NEWPORT, R.I. — With the Irish coast just 200 nautical miles away for race leader Wizard at 1500 UTC today, the front runners in the Transatlantic Race 2019 might seem to be on the home straight, but there remain many hurdles and potholes ahead before they cross the Royal Yacht Squadron finish line this weekend.
At present David and Peter Askew’s VO70 and Lee Seng Huang's 100-foot maxi SHK Scallywag (top photo) are attempting to find the best way to exit an area of high pressure just off Ireland’s west coast. Once free, the forecast warns of fickle headwinds for the final 160 nautical miles they must sail up the English Channel to Cowes.
Since late evening Monday the tracker has stopped functioning onboard SHK Scallywag. Positions are now being sent through manually from the maxi and at 1500 UTC this showed her having made major inroads into Wizard’s lead. On Monday morning SHK Scallywag had been trailing her rival by around 90 miles. At 1500 this afternoon this had dwindled to 38 miles, although Wizard was making better speed further from the high’s center.
Read more: July 3 Update: Transatlantic Race 2019 Features Match Races Throughout Fleet
NEWPORT, R.I. - For the last three days the frontrunners in the Transatlantic Race 2019 have been striding across the North Atlantic at 20-plus-knot speeds, eating up the miles to Cowes in the strong southerlies - exactly the dramatic conditions and high octane experience their crews signed up for.
Sadly, the big speeds and ‘yeehaa’ moments are soon to come to an end for the two frontrunners, David and Peter Askew’s VO70 Wizard and Lee Seng Huang's 100-foot maxi SHK Scallywag, at least. Already this morning, Wizard’s boatspeed had dropped from 20 knots to 15.
The reason for this slow-down is a ridge of high pressure centred off the west of Ireland that lies in their path. As Wizard’s navigator Will Oxley described it: “Wind speed is dropping, the sky is clearing and the barometer is rising. The sleigh ride is coming to an end and now it’s back to tactical sailing. The trick is to get into the high enough to use its shape to get a nice lift on the exit, while keeping enough windspeed to keep moving. Sometimes it feels a bit like Icarus - making sure we don’t fly too close to the sun (read ‘high’).”
Read more: July 2 Update: Transatlantic Race 2019 Leaders Setting Up to Slow Down
NEWPORT, R.I. — David and Peter Askew’s Wizard (at right) continues to set a blazing pace across the Atlantic, leading the fleet of 12 yachts competing in the Transatlantic Race 2019.
On Saturday, Wizard, the canting keel VO70 that won the 2011-’12 Volvo Ocean Race as Groupama 4, hooked onto a low-pressure system delivering strong southerly winds between 25 and 40 knots, and took off like a bat out of hades.
Wizard put up a 24-hour run of 492 nautical miles between 1230 UTC from Sunday to today. At today’s 1400 UTC position report Wizard had 1,196 nautical miles to the finish in Cowes, Isle of Wight, England.
“We’ve had an awesome past few days,” said navigator Will Oxley. “We’ve been staying on the low. It’s been quite wet and squally. We sailed a conservative plan for a day or two, but now we’re going to back to full noise. The breeze is down to 20 knots and there aren’t any squalls, so we’re able to use the full sail plan.”
Read more: July 1 Update: Wizard Posts 492NM in 24 Hours in Transatlantic Race 2019
- June 30 Update: Transatlantic Race 2019 Fleet in Too Much Wind or Not Enough
- June 29 Update: SHK Scallywag Overtakes Wizard as Both Speed Along at 23 Knots
- June 28 Update: Transatlantic Race 2019 Fleet Continues Upwind Slog
- June 27 Update: Transatlantic Race 2019 Fleet Contending with Light Patches and Gulf Stream
- June 26 Update: Transatlantic Race 2019 Comes Off as Straightforward as Possible
- June 25 Update: Stormy First Night Ahead for Transatlantic Race 2019 Fleet
- Askew Brothers Hope to Conjure Transatlantic Race 2019 Victory with Wizard
- Potts, Carina Line Up as Only Three-Time Entrant for Transatlantic Race 2019
- Super Maxi SHK Scallywag Sets Sights on Line Honors Trophy
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- Transatlantic Race 2015 Now in the History Books
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- Day 18 Race Report: Lucky Claims Top Honors in Transatlantic Race 2015
- Cowes Social Events
- Day 17 Race Report: Further Podium Positions Decided
- Day 16 Race Report: 60 Knot Winds, Record Boat Speeds and an Outstanding Classic
- Day 15 Race Report: The Fast and the Furious Reach The Lizard
- Day 14 Race Report: Top Results for Germany
- Day 13 Race Report: War Stories of the Giants, Comanche Sets New 24 Hour Record
- Day 12 Race Report: Line Honors and Bragging Rights for Lucky
- Day 11 Race Report: Tricky Finish Ahead for Lucky
- Day 10 Race Report: Storm-Force Winds in the Mid-Atlantic
- Day 9 Race Report: Gales and Flat Calms in the Atlantic
- Day 8 Race Report: Stop-Start Transatlantic Race
- Third Start Report: Final Four Make Lasting Impression
- Day 7 Report: Halfway Back to the Old Country
- Day 6 Report: From the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave
- Day 5 Report: Next Stop Europe
- Final Start: Third Time’s a Charm
- Day 4 Race Report: Second Time Lucky
- The Largest Group is On its Way
- Day 3 Race Report: Bigger is Better
- Second of Three Starts: Age is Just a Number
- Day 2 Race Report: Two Schools of Thought
- Day 1 Race Report: Stomach-Churning Opening Night
- First of Three Starts: Off and Running!
- TR 2015 Roster of Entries Starting on June 28
- The Long and Short of The Transatlantic Race
- For Two Teams, the TR2015 is a Family Affair
- Dorade’s Quest to Repeat her 1931 Transatlantic Race Victory
- An Adventure of a Lifetime: the Transatlantic Race 2015