Mid-fleet suffers

Conditions benign for leaders as rest of Faraday Mill OSTAR fleet receive a pasting

Positions at noon

Boat Name	Lat	Long	DTF	Rating	Comments
MONOHULLS
Open 40 (Pen Duick)
HAYAI	44 39N	42 10W	1,289
VM MATERIAUX	49 37N	22 25W	2,096		Retired
ROARING FORTY	51 20N	21 16W	2,125		Retired-Returning to Kinsale/Cork
SPIRIT OF CANADA	51 43N	20 15W	2,163		Retired-Problems with Auto Helm
LA PROMESSE	50 49N	18 55W	2,244		Retired-Heading For Ireland/Plymouth
ROBOSAIL	50 49N	15 55W	2,359		Retired-Problems With Boom Vang
DESTINATION CALAIS	49 45N	14 34W	2,408		Retired-Problems With Boat
IRC 1 (Gipsy Moth)
OLYMPIAN CHALLENGER	45 46N	47 58W	1,076	1.152
ATLANTIX EXPRESS	44 16N	43 37W	1,246	1.311
ECHO ZULU	44 33N	41 43W	1,332	1.109
VIJAYA	48 30N	38 41W	1,461	1.056
CHIVAS III	47 35N	32 05W	1,703	1.045
OCTAVUS	50 18N	08 43W	2,624	1.063	Dismasted in Kinsale
BLUE SHADOW	49 03N	04 47W	2,790	1.121	Retired
IRC 2 (Jester)
TROIS MILLE SABORDS	43 15N	33 18W	1,685	0.998
REALITY	48 42N	28 12W	1,863	0.937
DE FRANSCHMAN	51 37N	18 30W	2,238	0.978	Retired-Broken Shroud
SUOMI KUDU	49 50N	14 04W	2,408	0.941	Retired-Problem With Forestay
ADRIENNE MAY	50 06N	13 39W	2,435	0.982	No Report Received
SEA BERYL	50 12N	07 45W	2,662	0.939	Retired to Plymouth
IRC 3 (Eira)
ZEAL	46 30N	38 30W	1,457	0.922
TAMARIND	45 43N	38 31W	1,458	0.892
AMELIE OF DART	51 49N	35 29W	1,597	0.843
CHIMP	47 47N	34 28W	1,622	0.909
QUEST II	49 43N	31 55W	1,742	0.932
AYESHA OF ST MAWES	44 54N	29 35W	1,847	0.899
MULTIHULLS
Open 50 (Manureva)
BRANEC IV	43 28N	57 52W	635.3
ACANTHE INGENIERIE	50 03N	17 50W	2,283		Retired to France with Damaged Knee
MOCRA 1 (Three Cheers)
SPIRIT	42 56N	53 50W	810.1	1.510
COTONELLA	46 31N	53 00W	837.1	1.653
SHOCKWAVE	47 14N	40 17W	1,376	1.478
HOUD VAN HOUT	50 40N	36 57W	1,551	1.063
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

Over the weekend Roger Langevin on Branec V has consolidated his lead in the Faraday Mill OSTAR as the leaders converge on the final run towards the next mark of the course at Nantucket Island. At present Branec V has 555 miles to go to reach the island compared to 726 for Pierre Antoine on Spirit, and 800 for Italian Franco Manzoli on board Cotonella, at present within spitting distance of Cape Race, the southwestern tip of Newfoundland.

At present the conditions for the leaders are relatively benign thanks to a high pressure system parked to the south of Newfoundland. The same cannot be said of the mid-fleet who are receiving a hammering from a fully fledged North Atlantic depression (to learn what this is like read Lia Ditton's extraordinary account here). The forecast for this depression is not pleasant. Rather than charging off to the northeast as North Atlantic depressions normally do this depression is set to not only hang around for the next four days, but is forecast to circle back to the southwest, giving competitors a second taste of it. The good news is that it is relatively far south, allowing competitors to the north the possibility of a strong northeasterly sleighride. Fortunately the depression is set to moderate, but after blowing for three or four days relentlessly the seas are likely to be horrific. Only on Thursday is the depression forecast to do the right thing and head northeast.

For the leaders were the going is set to get tough again tomorrow as a trough moves across the course, causing them to sailing into headwinds on the southwest side of this. But this will be short lived and they can expect a good run in to the finish in strong easterlies.

British solo sailor Hannah White has had a rendezvous with her shore team who braved the Atlantic in a RIB meeting her 50 miles off the southwest tip of Ireland. She has been through a rough time bringing Spirit of Canada home, little sleep after the breakdown of her self steering gear, headwinds and an electrical fire on board, which cost her most of her communications, meant it was a very relieved Hannah who is now heading for Baltimore with one of her team on board.