One race, two battles

The Volvo fleet is split

Position report at 04.00 8th May 2002
.

		Latitude	Longitude	DTF	CMG	SMG	TFHR	DTL	DTL-C	PTS
1	illbruck	47 03.20N	011 02.28W	407	99	10.8	264	0	0	49
2	Assa Abloy	47 02.04N	011 59.76W	446	93	11.5	258	39	-4	41
3	Tyco	47 16.00N	012 04.40W	450	95	11.5	255	43	-5	33
4	SEB	45 57.16N	012 41.96W	476	87	10.8	249	69	0	26
5	Amer One	47 12.64N	012 48.20W	480	96	11.2	251	73	-3	36
6	News Corp	47 19.12N	012 51.32W	482	94	11	249	75	-1	34
7	djuice	46 53.96N	014 31.04W	549	91	10.3	227	142	3	23
8	Amer Too	44 38.96N	063 34.24W	4512	0	0	152	4105	64	10

The fleet is now split into two main groups. illbruck has maintained her lead over Assa Abloy and Tyco with the real battle now looking set for second and third.

Further back News Corp, Amer Sports One and SEB are separated by just six miles and look set for a titanic strugle to the finish. Points won or lost here could very well determine who is on the podium in Kiel.

SEB is starting to pay the price for her earlier southerly track and now have to sail between five and ten degrees higher than their competitors. Unable to build speed by powering off, they must be hoping that the breeze holds out.

Most of the fleet are heading straight for the finish with reacher and staysail in good visibility, although skies are overcast with an air temperature of 14 degrees centigrade.