40 Degrees reaches 40 degrees

Miranda Merron reports in on her latitude progress towards Boston

Thursday 22nd May 2008

Sponsors Of The Day :
40 W St James Place
41W Sailing Logic Ltd
42W Topsham Sailing Club

Time of Position : 0800 UK time
Latitude 40 37.44' N Longitude 42 30.46' W
Ranking : 5th
Average Speed : 5 knots
Miles To Leader : 139
Distance To Boat Ahead :
Miles To Marblehead : 1,291

"As forecast, there was a light patch to negotiate - first signaled by blue sky and sunshine, which was a pleasure. However, the wind went on holiday at 1800 yesterday, and only started appearing with the weakest of puffs at around midnight. There was a large southwesterly swell, which meant that any time the sails filled, the air then got flogged out of them by the swell. Not even the magic gennaker, which normally gets the boat moving in no wind, could cope with it. Tedious, though OK if you know that some of your fellow competitors are being submitted to the same torture. But as it is night-time
blackout, I don't know if anyone behind has managed to sneak through. The boats ahead should have gained."

"Since yesterday, 40 Degrees has been in what must be an eddy of the Gulf Stream, as the water temperature is 19.8 C, yet the nearest known iceberg is 250 miles west. This current helped 40 Degrees along at 1 knot in the absence of any wind. There are lots of Portuguese men of war, sailing along with their inflated air bags, tentacles strung out beneath. No swimming! Other than that, I have done a thorough check of the boat, so ready for the big wind. 220 miles (upwind) to the ice gate."

"Thank you to the following degrees, and yet another mid-ocean park-up: 40 West had to go to 40 Degrees/ St James's Place - if Peter Harding hadn't decided that short-handed racing is where it's at, then I wouldn't be mid-Atlantic on this Class 40, the result of that. Thank you very much for lending me the boat!

"41W Sailing Logic Ltd - Allie - keep up the results! Hope there is more wind where you are. 42W Topsham Sailing Club - thanks to my godfather, Peter Lee."

Miranda/ 40 Degrees
www.40-degrees.co.uk

St James Place - Providers of personal, face-face wealth management advice. http://www.sjpc.co.uk

Sailing Logic Ltd is the leading Yacht Racing School in the Solent, teaching individuals how to sail and race yachts competitively, based at Shamrock Quay Marina, Southampton. Run by former round the world sailors, Allie Smith and Philippe Falle, Sailing Logic's Reflex 38 yachts are regularly seen on the inshore and offshore racing circuits, always crewed by novice sailors. www.sailinglogic.co.uk

Topsham Sailing Club. This club, high up on the Exe estuary, has a very active racing cruiser fleet, a fleet of Devon Yawls and a small mixed dinghy fleet. The club does much to train youngsters in sailing and RIBs.

COMPANIES, INDIVIDUALS and DOGS SPONSORING MIRANDA:
MT Waters, Ancasta, Grapefruit Graphics, GRIB US, The BP Oil Terminal,
Musto, The Bugle, Skandia Team GBR, Southern Daily Echo, Health Unlimited,
The Volvo Ocean Race, The Merron Clan, Batfish, Audierne Maritime, Dubarry
Shoes, Champagne G.H. Mumm, Hamble River Sailing Club, Point Source, Stag
Gates Garage & Marine, Sail TV, Bonne Bouche, Notty, PG Colby, ML Controls,
Hamble River Authority, Hampshire County Council, Hamble River Sailing Club,
CDP, The Moloney Clan, Chanic, St James Place, Sailing Logic Ltd, Topsham
Sailing Club, Cuppa Cino, www.thedailysail.com , The Thompsons, BP Shipping
Ltd, J-UK Yachts, Rivacom, Petit Navire, The Royal Southern Yacht Club,
Hamble Rage, Batfish, Osprey Racing Yachts, Societe des Regates de Douarnez,
Diverse Yacht Services, Activ, Esso, Owen Clarke Design, The Marsays,
Lowford Clinic
Dog Sponsors: Salty, Beatle, Sen