Mission accomplished

The Royal Australian Airforce has successfully dropped supplies to Amer Sports one and Keith Kilpatrick's condition has stabilised.

Loading the 'heliboxes' aboard the P3 Orion before departure.

"The drop of medical supplies by the Royal Australian Air Force Orion at dusk yesterday went fantastically well. We got the last of the seven packages on board as the Orion circled overhead and just as night fell," reported the boats' navigator and doctor, Roger Nilson.

"Keith Kilpatrick's condition is stable today, but certainly without the fluids from the Orion, his situation could have been much more critical." Nilson goes on to say that Keith is in good spirits but realises that he will have to leave the boat in order to recover. "He needs better hospital care then we can offer and we have been in contact with race HQ about how and when to get him off," says Nilson.

"Volvo Ocean Race HQ and the rescue people in Australia have done a fantastic job. So did the crew of Orion aircraft. With stunning precision they dropped seven packages perfectly, about 300 metres straight in front of us. The timing was critical as night was falling fast. The last box was picked up just before dark."

The supply boxes were all dropped within 300 metres of the boat. Using the mainsail and engine together with a homemade boathook they were all quickly recovered. "It all went very smoothly, as the weather conditions were perfect- 12 knots of westerly wind, only a two-metre swell and a well tuned crew."

Nilson ,the only qualified doctor in the fleet, says his patient is showing signs of intestinal total or partial obstruction. "He still needs pain killing drugs and antibiotics. He has received 5 litres of intravenous fluids and we have his dehydration under control," says Nilson.

Onboard, Nilson reports that part of the boat has turned into a mini hospital. Though clearly concerned by Kilpatrick's condition, Amer Sports Too continues to race and as might be expected, the hospital has been rigged on the windward side. Indeed Nilson (who must be a busy man navigating and acting as doctor) reckons that Amer Sports One's more northerly course may give them a racing advantage. "We are full on racing and think we have a good chance of picking up some distance on the front-runners. A new low is coming in, picking us up first to the NW of the fleet. We should possibly also have a faster wind-angle in the predicted north-westerly increases."

Aside from their position in the race, continuing to race is clearly the best option for Kilpatrick who needs to be brought within range of an Australian rescue helicopter as quickly as possible.

Page two.... An emotive e-mail from Grant Dalton.