The Race - 0930 - 8/2/01

Back with Cam Lewis aboard the Team Adventure (orange), all the way north in the Great Australian Bight, ice is the least of their worries at the moment. But they have hooked into some decent breeze from the low pressure system to their south, "Our speed is 27 knots and the wind speed is 35 knots," reported Lewis, "The seas are building as we sail south-east, with a big bright moon. Basically a gorgeous night. This is good downwind sailing at last - just as the brochure promised."

Looking at the forecast for Friday (right), there's no reason why Lewis can't hang onto that breeze for another day at least, to round Tasmania.

The Race Office have reported that the Poles aboard Warta-Polpharma (yellow) have no communications, if that's cut off their supply of weather forecasts, it might help explain their rather erratic progress across the Southern Ocean.

They got going in the right direction again yesterday, rolling around the bottom of the high pressure to their north. But that low is still thundering up behind them, although it does seem to be dipping a little further south and the brutal conditions on the leading edge dissipating.

But it's still got Tony Bullimore and Team Legato jammed into its north-west sector and making miles while the wind blows, these guys are getting the best ride of the lot.

Standings (at 0230 GMT, 8/2/01)

1 Club Med 8,636.8 nm to the finish
2 Innovation Explorer +796.5 nm
3 Team Adventure +4895.1 nm
4 Warta Polpharma +5803.4 nm
5 Team Legato + 6691.2 nm

Map images courtesy of Virtual Spectator, click here to go to The Race site for a free download of the software.