June 28 Update: Transatlantic Race 2019 Fleet Continues Upwind Slog
NEWPORT, R.I. — The Transatlantic Race 2019 continues to be a slog upwind for the 13 boats racing towards Cowes, Isle of Wight, England.
Aside from the three lead boats, who this afternoon were in following winds on top of a low pressure, there have been scant few opportunities to put up fuller, off wind sails as the wind has mostly been forward of the beam.
At today’s 1230 UTC position report, David and Peter Askew’s VO70 Wizard had moved into the overall lead on the water after overtaking David Witt and the supermaxi SHK Scallywag, which had been leading since Tuesday’s start.
Wizard’s distance to the finish was reported as 2,290 nautical miles, whereas SHK Scallywag was 2,300 nautical miles away. Wizard was on port tack and crossing SHK Scallywag’s starboard-tack bearing by some 63 nautical miles.
An hour later, at the 1330 UTC report, Wizard had maneuvered back to starboard to cover SHK Scallywag and was making 14.9 knots while SHK Scallywag was sailing at 2.9 knots.
Presumably, Wizard is enjoying some benefit from the Gulf Stream as it is farther south than SHK Scallywag. That could also be contributing to the great speed difference between the two yachts. Wizard was about 335 nautical miles from waypoint A3, the southeastern marker of Point Alpha, the ice limit zone. Once past that waypoint the course opens up and they’re free to sail a more northeasterly course towards England.
Read more: June 28 Update: Transatlantic Race 2019 Fleet Continues Upwind Slog
June 27 Update: Transatlantic Race 2019 Fleet Contending with Light Patches and Gulf Stream
NEWPORT, R.I. — The conditions on the open Atlantic Ocean are far from white knuckle, but the tactics playing out in the Transatlantic Race 2019 are never more interesting.
It’s perhaps due to the lack of screaming conditions that the action is so compelling. Rather than dodging waves and squalls, the fleet is scampering around light patches while setting up for the effects of the Gulf Stream.
At the head of the fleet the supermaxi SHK Scallywag, skippered by Australian David Witt, seems to have sailed itself into a corner from which returning is going to come at a hefty price.
At today’s 1530 UTC position report, some 48 hours after the race start, SHK Scallywag was about 170 nautical miles due west of the waypoint A2 marking the southwestern corner of Point Alpha, the ice limit zone. SHK Scallywag was 146 nautical miles north of Wizard on a bearing of 338, but was making 14.6 knots boatspeed on a heading of 156 degrees.
That has put David and Peter Askew’s Wizard, the Juan Kouyoumdjian-designed VO70, into the virtual lead on the water. Wizard is south of the rhumbline sailing at 15.1 knots on a bearing of 106 degrees in south/southwesterly winds around 10 knots. Wizard, however, is far from in the clear as the crew attempts to slither between two patches of light wind.
Page 9 of 34