June 30 Update: Transatlantic Race 2019 Fleet in Too Much Wind or Not Enough
NEWPORT, R.I. – Life in the Transatlantic Race 2019 can be summed up by paraphrasing a familiar survival-of-the-fittest saying: sometimes you’re the keel, sometimes you’re the minnow.
This year’s race across The Pond has been so uncharacteristic that the 120 sailors will be forgiven for feeling like they’re a school of minnows. Instead of southwesterlies pushing them along from behind, the fleet has spent an inordinate amount of time pounding upwind.
“It’s been pretty much all upwind until the wee hours of this morning,” said Carina navigator Gary Grant. “The forecast is a bit different from what we expected. This morning we thought the wind would back from the east to the northwest before dying and then filling in from the southwest. Instead, it’s been veering from the east around to the southwest. Whichever way the wind gets here, fine. We just hope to hold the southwesterly to clear the ice zone.”
At today’s 1630 UTC position report, Rives Potts’ Carina was 284 nautical miles from waypoint A3, the southeastern corner of the ice zone limit. Grant said that Carina and the J/52 True, co-skippered by Howard Hodgson and Ryan Hughes, have been crossing paths all race. He also mentioned that Mark Stevens’ Kiva has been in the mix, although it has fallen slightly farther astern in the past day.
Read more: 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
NEWPORT, R.I. – With the Transatlantic Race 2019 fleet entering its fifth day at sea, some top speeds are showing on the frontrunners as they begin to free up and sail a more northeasterly course.
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David Witt and the supermaxi SHK Scallywag regained the boat-for-boat lead this afternoon when they sailed over the top of David and Peter Askew’s Wizard. Sailing in a southerly wind of 18 to 20 knots, SHK Scallywag was able to put its length to use and power over the top of the VO70 within one nautical mile.
“They went ripping along in close proximity, went past us at 24 knots. It was spectacular to see,” said Wizard navigator Will Oxley.
At the 1700 UTC position report, SHK Scallywag was making 23 knots boatspeed on a heading of 053 degrees. Wizard was making 23.4 knots on a heading of 051 degrees. Both were well clear of the southeastern corner of Point Alpha, the ice limit zone.
Read more: June 29 Update: SHK Scallywag Overtakes Wizard as Both Speed Along at 23 Knots
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