Problems for McKee
Saturday October 11th 2003, Author: James Boyd, Location: Transoceanic


Yesterday Jonathan Mc Kee on 247 - Team McLube was sailing faster than all his rivals and had nearly a 100 mile lead on second placed Samuel Manuard on 431 - Tip Top Too-Le Grau du Roi-Port Camargue. At 0300GMT this morning (Saturday) the race management was alerted by McKee’s Inmarsat D+ beacon that there was a problem aboard the American's boat.
In line with race rules as to how the Inmarsat D+ satcoms should be used McKee set off the second green alert half an hour later. Finally at 0400 GMT he set off the last alert.
"Jonathan understood the instructions," explains race director Denis Hugues. "Now we know that he has a problem aboard but that he doesn’t require outside assistance and is handling the problem himself."
McKee’s speed since the first alert has dropped to one knot and he is drifting more than he is progressing. As a result, the race management thinks that he has dismasted and that with daybreak, he is making a jury rig with the help of his boom and bowsprit. All the support vessels have been alerted and remain on the look-out.
The sea is believed to have been choppy at the time in southwesterly winds of 20 to 25 knots.
The latest position reports show that McKee is still in the lead with 50 miles rather than the 80 he had over Manuard yesterday evening.
Both boats are now across the equator and are heading for the Brazilian island group of Fernando de Noronha (see the mark on the chart above) which they must leave to starboard. As the wind chart above shows Sam Manuard to the west may just be able to lay this while McKee should be approaching it on a slightly freer angle.
For a first hand view on what the boats are going through at the moment - read Simon Curwen's take on this last part of the race. Curwen finished second in the Mini Transat two years ago - the race's most highly placed Brit ever.
Positions at 0700GMT
Pos
|
Sail no
|
Skipper
|
Boat
|
Class | Lat | Long | DTF |
1
|
247
|
Jonathan McKee | TEAM MC LUBE | proto | S011266 | W0305991 |
845.1
|
2
|
431
|
Samuel Manuard | TIP TOP TOO - LE GRAU DU ROI PORT CAMARGUE | proto | S000428 | W0315863 |
895
|
3
|
347
|
Pierre Rolland | EXTRADO | proto | N002741 | W0320480 |
926.1
|
4
|
151
|
Armel Tripon | MOULIN ROTY | proto | N001701 | W0301261 |
946.5
|
5
|
346
|
Sébastien Roubinet | ADRENALINE | proto | N005715 | W0292618 |
1004
|
6
|
240
|
Alex Pella | AQUATEC - SANTIVERI - TEXKNIT | proto | N012025 | W0293880 |
1018
|
7
|
260
|
Richard Mérigeaux | BON PIED BON OEIL | proto | N020241 | W0283033 |
1089
|
8
|
354
|
Bruno Garcia | SALADINO | proto | N022203 | W0283396 |
1104
|
9
|
353
|
Willy Garcia | CEYLAN DIAMANTES | proto | N022360 | W0283223 |
1106
|
10
|
393
|
Cian McCarthy | THE TOM CREAN | proto | N031704 | W0303323 |
1109
|
11
|
440
|
David Raison | RAYON LIQUIDE | serie | N032001 | W0301798 |
1116
|
12
|
312
|
Pascal Doin | ASNQ | proto | N022863 | W0281508 |
1120
|
13
|
303
|
Enrico Podesta | DIABOLO-SLAM | proto | N024136 | W0282981 |
1123
|
14
|
139
|
François Cuinet | REGLISSE | proto | N030333 | W0290396 |
1126
|
15
|
385
|
Jaume Mumbru | PORT DE BARCELONA | proto | N030343 | W0283286 |
1140
|
16
|
167
|
Manuel Castilla | VISION ORIGINALE | serie | N030993 | W0280678 |
1159
|
17
|
330
|
Jean-Pierre Balmes | CECIM | serie | N033081 | W0281688 |
1172
|
18
|
428
|
David Sineau | FRANCE FERMETURES | serie | N032478 | W0275746 |
1177
|
19
|
326
|
Ian Munslow | ISHTAR | proto | N032823 | W0275880 |
1179
|
20
|
318
|
Yann Riou | THRANE & THRANE | serie | N032468 | W0275071 |
1180
|
21
|
138
|
Eric Defert | AMIRAL DE BRETAGNE | proto | N031458 | W0272346 |
1187
|
22
|
421
|
Michel Mirabel | GWALARN IV | serie | N030205 | W0265986 |
1190
|
23
|
426
|
Erwan Tymen | POGO 2 NAVY LEST | serie | N031336 | W0264530 |
1208
|
24
|
258
|
Marc Gascons | TIP-TOP | proto | N032553 | W0265925 |
1210
|
25
|
269
|
Lionel Rubio de Teran | GROUPE CIBF | serie | N041660 | W0282156 |
1210
|
26
|
245
|
Patrick Bot | FINIST'MER ECOLE NAVALE | serie | N043343 | W0284186 |
1217
|
27
|
185
|
Thomas Valentin | THOMAS HAWK | proto | N035603 | W0272710 |
1219
|
28
|
168
|
Fabrice Guillerm | RAULT LE SERVICE ALIMENTAIRE | serie | N043718 | W0284403 |
1220
|
29
|
322
|
Gilles Guillerm | BLUE BOSSA | serie | N034971 | W0271475 |
1220
|
30
|
282
|
Erwan Abalain | MARION NOEL CONSEILS | serie | N033348 | W0264883 |
1222
|
31
|
295
|
David Sautret | MIKALOU SAILING | serie | N043961 | W0282290 |
1231
|
32
|
227
|
Donald Wright | RUSSE NOIR | proto | N035363 | W0270000 |
1232
|
33
|
175
|
Adam Seamans | SPIRIT OF AMERICA | serie | N035786 | W0265528 |
1238
|
34
|
352
|
Luis Irisarri | DEVIAJE.COM | proto | N033971 | W0261711 |
1246
|
35
|
89
|
Rémy Malburet | SOEUR MARIE THERESE DES BATIGNOLLES | serie | N052598 | W0292971 |
1250
|
36
|
209
|
Bertrand Lecharpentier | NEC HONFLEUR | serie | N042030 | W0270726 |
1250
|
37
|
321
|
Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty | ARTECH - CAEN LA MER | proto | N045361 | W0275506 |
1255
|
38
|
316
|
Pia L'Obry | EXPATRIA.FR | proto | N040791 | W0263618 |
1257
|
39
|
36
|
Peter de Smedt | HUYSMAN | proto | N044215 | W0272401 |
1260
|
40
|
345
|
Cécile Poujol | INFORMATIQUE ET STATISTIQUES | serie | N043145 | W0265676 |
1265
|
41
|
340
|
Rémi Beauvais | SPI CALL CENTER | serie | N052268 | W0280643 |
1277
|
42
|
388
|
Yves Niort | DEMI-CLE SHIPCHANDLER | serie | N044013 | W0264840 |
1277
|
43
|
373
|
Christophe Dary | SAGA MERCEDES BENZ | serie | N052036 | W0275970 |
1277
|
44
|
342
|
Alessandro Zamagna | ARKE | proto | N053423 | W0282068 |
1281
|
45
|
250
|
Brieuc Maisoneuve | PAYS GRANVILLAIS | serie | N040668 | W0255268 |
1283
|
46
|
277
|
François-Jacques Jauffrineau | VENDEE PRISMA | proto | N053950 | W0282218 |
1286
|
47
|
262
|
Eric Schmitt | LA LIMULE | serie | N054853 | W0284046 |
1287
|
48
|
329
|
Laurent Jaunin | TERRE-ET-FAUNE.ORG | serie | N044500 | W0263363 |
1289
|
49
|
371
|
Juan Carlos Sanchis Mari | SPASMOS | serie | N054648 | W0282708 |
1290
|
50
|
444
|
Isabelle Magois | EDEN PARK | proto | N045173 | W0264073 |
1291
|
51
|
29
|
Arthur Barret | UBAYE | proto | N053750 | W0275318 |
1296
|
52
|
135
|
Stéphane Ayrault | WYETH | proto | N053031 | W0272376 |
1302
|
53
|
333
|
Arsène Ledertheil | LA CIGOGNE DE L'OCEAN | proto | N052471 | W0270686 |
1306
|
54
|
416
|
Daniel Schaffer | SENSIL | proto | N045556 | W0261146 |
1310
|
55
|
34
|
Gustavo Pacheco | EPSILON | proto | N052198 | W0264053 |
1317
|
56
|
47
|
Bernard Morin | JOGGING INTERNATIONAL | serie | N060341 | W0275336 |
1319
|
57
|
56
|
James Bird | ATOMIC | proto | N044646 | W0253833 |
1323
|
58
|
335
|
Barnabé Chivot | FTH THIRARD | proto | N053848 | W0263171 |
1335
|
59
|
381
|
Gonzalo Botin | DON VITO | serie | N041733 | W0242330 |
1350
|
60
|
360
|
Henri Gourmelon | TOBABOOTS | serie | N054141 | W0252621 |
1374
|
61
|
109
|
Gaspard Franeau | AVOCATS SANS FRONTIERES | proto | N081241 | W0264501 |
1465
|
62
|
355
|
Jacques Valente | ACTION INNOCENCE | serie | N133790 | W0250731 |
1801
|
NC
|
121
|
David Lancry | MENSURA FROST | proto | - | - |
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