When will she arrive?

Mari Cha IV less than a day away from transat success

Wed 8th Oct 03 at 00:32	52 30.12 ' N	19 28.96 ' W	116	17.6	20.06	554.98	500.86
Wed 8th Oct 03 at 04:34	51 54.12 ' N	17 31.00 ' W	128	20	20.05	477.6	493.35
Wed 8th Oct 03 at 08:06	51 11.92 ' N	16 02.64 ' W	128	14.8	19.8	417.48	469.82
Wed 8th Oct 03 at 13:28	51 35.00 ' N	13 55.00 ' W	82	20	19.8	342.7
Wed 8th Oct 03 at 15:40	51 41.00 ' N	12 46.00 ' W	75	21	19.63	302.89

The latest position update for Mari Cha IV shows her to be 302.89 miles from the finish line off the Lizard but still maintaining a blistering 21 knot speed and 19.63 knot average.

The two position updates from this afternoon shows that the giant schooner has gybed north and is currently sailing slightly north of due east in the direction of Ireland. It is possible Mike Quilter's tactics are to get a little northing in. Currently the wind is from the WNW but this looks set to back to the southwest early this evening at which point they will gybe back, allowing them to broad reach on starboard towards Land's End.

However this shift looks set to be relatively short lived as the wind is still northwesterly in the Celtic Sea. It looks set to veer to the southwest at around 0900 tomorrow morning. If the big schooner makes it to Land's End before then (which they are expected to) they will have a good blast to the finish line in northwesterlies.

Her ETA at the finish line should be around 0900 tomorrow morning.