Amer Too choose Halifax

As the girl's team limps towards port, there has been a concertinaing of the Volvo Ocean Race fleet

Positions at 1000GMT this morning

PS	Yacht	Latitude	Longitude	DTF	DTL	SMG	CMG	ETA
1	illbruck	39 51.56N	050 10.40W	2145	0	15.4	89	10/05/02 04:37
2	Assa Abloy	39 57.00N	050 30.48W	2156	11	15.2	83	10/05/02 05:36
3	Tyco	39 51.88N	050 33.84W	2161	16	15.9	89	10/05/02 06:02
4	SEB	39 47.48N	050 41.08W	2168	23	15	81	10/05/02 06:36
5	News Corp	39 47.00N	050 48.68W	2173	28	15.5	85	10/05/02 07:04
6	Amer One	39 44.76N	051 02.04W	2183	38	16.2	84	10/05/02 07:58
7	djuice	39 38.44N	051 18.16W	2197	52	16.8	91	10/05/02 09:10
8	Amer Too	41 10.60N	058 43.24W	2458	313	6.8	344	RETIRED

Following their dismasting yesterday afternoon, Nautor Challenges and skipper Lisa McDonald have opted to make for Halifax, Nova Scotia. The latest position reports show them to be 290 miles from the Canadian port and making 6.8 knots. If they can maintain this speed then their ETA will be 0400GMT Saturday morning, however this seems likely to be delayed due to the strong conditions forecast for Friday night.

Meanwhile the Nautor Challenge shore crew are looking to arrange to have Amer Sports Too shipped to France as soon after her arrival as possible.

The positions show a slight concertinaing of the fleet since the same time yesterday when Assa Abloy were 14 miles astern of race leaders illbruck and djuice 64 miles behind.

As usual illbruck is in their normal position - at the front of the fleet in the middle of the race course. Assa Abloy and Tyco are slightly to the north while the remaining boats are to the south.

Between systems, the wind is expected to veer from the south west to the north west and drop off to variable force 2-3. However at present there is a shallow low south south of Newfoundland and another major low is expected over Nova Scotia on Friday night, unfortunately coinciding with Amer Sports Too approaching the Canadian coast.

See the latest email from the boats on pages two and three...

Tom Braidwood at the grinder on board SEB