Tough conditions

Global Challenge fleet tackle Southern Ocean

“I’d say that we are experiencing the biggest seas that we have had thus far on the Global Challenge,” reported Samsung skipper Matt Riddell on Friday. “In the last couple of hours we’ve had the biggest waves we’ve seen.”

Steep waves 'blasting' freezing water over the decks and winds of over 30 knots, gusting to 50, have limited the Global Challenge crews to on-deck rotations and helming duties lasting 45 minutes at a time.

It is now “bitterly cold” according to Matt Riddell, who said: “I’d be lying if I said people weren’t struggling a bit with the cold and the damp … we’ve just come from a 7-day sprint across the Tasman Sea in shorts and t-shirts and here we are back in the Southern Ocean – it is long and arduous and really what the Global Challenge is all about.”

The recent strong winds from the west-northwest are a result of the depression centred to the south of the fleet. As this low tracks eastward, the wind will continue to back to the west over the next 24-36 hours, maintaining its strength. It is most likely all teams will tack when headed by the westerlies – if they go too far south it may be difficult to get back up north to round Waypoint Bravo, designed to keep the fleet out of the worst of the ice. Once past this low-pressure system, the wind will be originating from further south so icy conditions are on the way for crews already feeling the chill deep in the Southern Ocean.

BP Explorer skippered by David Melville leads the fleet, creeping ahead of their nearest rivals today by another couple of miles; now 12nm ahead of 2nd place Imagine It. Done. and 19nm in front of 3rd place Barclays Adventurer in terms of distance to finish.

Team Save the Children, fighting back from 12th and 214nm behind the leader this afternoon after diverting from the racecourse so that injured crewman, Adrian Albrighton, could be airlifted to hospital, have had a minor set back. They have snapped the leech line on a headsail so they have been busy repairing the damage. They are also currently having problems with their heater so they will be feeling the cold more than anyone else as the winds drive the fleet further south.

However, they are clearly maintaining a sense of humour as usual. They wrote to race organisers, Challenge Business, to request permission for a campfire in the sail locker! Challenge Business said no.

Fleet positions

BP Explorer 4,206nm – Distance to Finish
Imagine It. Done 12nm – Distance to Leader
Barclays Adventurer 19nm
Spirit of Sark 34nm
Team Stelmar 38nm
BG SPIRIT 44nm
Samsung 44nm
Pindar 53nm
SAIC La Jolla 58nm
Me to You 67nm
VAIO 123nm
Team Save the Children 214nm