Calm before the storm

An update from the Faraday Mill OSTAR

Positions at noon today

Boat Name	Lat	Long	DTF	Rating	Comments
MONOHULLS
Open 40 (Pen Duick)
HAYAI	48 43N	24 23W	2,023
DESTINATION CALAIS	49 45N	14 34W	2,408		Retired-Problems With Boat
LA PROMESSE	50 49N	18 55W	2,244		Retired-Heading For Ireland/Plymouth
ROARING FORTY	51 20N	21 16W	2,125		Retired-Returning to Kinsale/Cork
ROBOSAIL	50 49N	15 55W	2,359		Retired-Problems With Boom Vang
SPIRIT OF CANADA	51 43N	20 15W	2,163		Retired-Problems with Auto Helm
VM MATERIAUX	49 37N	22 25W	2,096		Retired
IRC 1 (Gipsy Moth)
OLYMPIAN CHALLENGER	49 29N	31 45W	1,742	1.152
ATLANTIX EXPRESS	49 51N	26 33W	1,939	1.311
ECHO ZULU	49 40N	26 06W	1,939	1.109
VIJAYA	51 03N	25 38W	1,974	1.056
CHIVAS III	49 10N	19 15W	2,213	1.045
BLUE SHADOW	49 03N	04 47W	2,790	1.121	Retired
OCTAVUS	50 18N	08 43W	2,624	1.063	Dismasted in Kinsale
IRC 2 (Jester)
TROIS MILLE SABORDS	49 19N	25 13W	1,978	0.998
REALITY	50 20N	16 07W	2,321	0.937
ADRIENNE MAY	50 06N	13 39W	2,435	0.982	No Report Received
DE FRANSCHMAN	51 37N	18 30W	2,238	0.978	Retired-Broken Shroud
SEA BERYL	50 12N	07 45W	2,662	0.939	Retired to Plymouth
SUOMI KUDU	49 50N	14 04W	2,408	0.941	Retired-Problem With Forestay
IRC 3 (Eira)
TAMARIND	49 16N	24 29W	2,018	0.892
AMELIE OF DART	53 26N	23 12W	2,048	0.843
ZEAL	49 41N	23 53W	2,057	0.922
CHIMP	49 28N	21 52W	2,135	0.909
AYESHA OF ST MAWES	47 46N	18 38W	2,272	0.899
QUEST II	51 34N	11 28W	2,537	0.932	No Report Received
MULTIHULLS
Open 50 (Manureva)
BRANEC IV	48 37N	36 15W	1,541
ACANTHE INGENIERIE	50 03N	17 50W	2,283		Retired to France with Damaged Knee
MOCRA 1 (Three Cheers)
COTONELLA	50 15N	35 59W	1,590	1.653
SPIRIT	45 17N	32 13W	1,712	1.510
HOUD VAN HOUT	52 34N	27 03W	1,900	1.063
SHOCKWAVE	48 29N	26 05W	1,943	1.478
UP MY SLEEVE	51 41N	12 31W	2,462	1.422	Retired-Heading For Cork
MOLLYMAWK	49 08N	06 20W	2,715	1.627	Retired at Plymouth

And then there was one. What was supposed to be a showcase event for the Open 40 class has turned into something of a disaster with only one boat, Dutchman Nico Budel's, Hayai - formerly Viktor Yazykov's Around Along steed - of the original eight surviving. This comes with the disappointing news that Patrice Carpentier is now hightailing it back to France on board VM Materiaux.

The leading monohull is now British 2008 Vendee Globe hopeful Steve White in the ancient Open 50 Olympian Challenger. White has previously worked for Goss Challenges and the Challenge Business.

In the multihull division there have been no more official casualties. Roger Langevin on Branec IV appears to have taken over the lead from Italian Franco Manzoli on Cotonella, who has covered just 106 miles over the last 24 hours compared Branec's 160. To the south, Spirit has made no ground up the course today, possibly aware of the onset of an extremely fierce and fast moving depression that is due to rip through between the leading trio over the course of tonight. Alternatively skipper Pierre Antoine may be aiming towrds the OSTAR end game whereby if you sail extra miles south towards Bermuda at this stage you can scream into the finish on a port tack reach from the east or ESE.

Lia Ditton on the trimaran Shockwave, is still in the race but awoke this morning with the boat behaving differently to its normal motion. To her horror she found there was large amounts of water in the forward watertight compartment. After stabilising the boat she emptied the compartment to try to locate the leak and found that a large crack had opened up around the bottom of the centreboard case. She immediately called her shore team who worked on the problem to find a solution and give Lia a procedure for stemming the flow and fixing the problem.

She called James Walker who had given her much help during the refit and together with the boat builder Dave Irving they talked her through a repair procedure.

James describes his thoughts below: "At about 1315hrs I had a call from Lia asking my advice on what was the best way to repair a crack in the centre board case under the floor of the forward stowage compartment. She described it as 'as big as her finger, because she could get her finger into it!'. About a 10-15mm gap is quite a bit more than a crack..... and indeed I would say its a small hole to fill. I asked if she could see it or feel it from inside the centre board box, because she had already taken the board out, but she couldn't as it was to dark for the flashlight and out of reach.

"I advise to mix a small amount of the under water resin system she had in the composite's repair grab bag. I had also made up a 'Oh sh*t carbon repair kit' which I put together for her along with spare carbon boom section, a 90deg angle and flat plate for what ever problem she come up against!

"She also asked me to pass on information to Andy via Abraham to the race committee and MRCC Coastguard at Falmouth, that the situation was under control and she would be carrying on. About an hour later, I heard from Simon through Abraham that she had
fixed the hole and water had stop leaking in, what fantastic news!

"I await further information as to the situation but have thought about any other possible after effects and/or further problems, and am ready with reinforcement ideas for beefing up the damaged area should any further action be required."