Zaraffa leads by a country mile

An update from the DaimlerChrysler transat - complete with latest positions and rankings...

Skip Sheldon’s racing machine Zaraffa is not only extending its lead on the fleet of 59 boats currently competing in the 3,600 nautical mile race to Germany, but it is looking to establish a new racing record that will most likely hold for a very long time. With approximately two more days of racing to go since the Class I start on June 14 in Newport, R.I., Zaraffa’s navigator Mark Rudiger summarised the boat’s success up to this point in the DaimlerChrysler North Atlantic Challenge.

"We were able to come off the backside of low and we were unconventional in taking a more northerly route out from the start," he told WADK radio's host Brad Read today by satellite phone.

"We were anticipating northeasterlies, so we could almost fetch the gulf stream easier than boats that went lower. We took our medicine early, so to speak. It was critical for big picture. We had a four hour window to catch the train on this cold front and we were on the leading edge for a week, surfing it. If we arrived four hours later at Point Alpha, we would have missed the train. We were fortunate to get on.”

Sheldon reported that at approximately Noon (EDT), Zaraffa was ten miles from the final waypoint and was looking to round it within the hour. "The feeling is one of enthusiasm and caution," he said. "We’ve had an extraordinary trip. The feeling of the group here is we have at least two more days with wind on the nose as we round the island. We’ve been fortunate with the boat and a highly compatible crew."

He then summarised the three characteristics of this race, "the Gulf Stream and legs of turning mark, the meteorology to get to Fair Isle and, most difficult of all, the North Sea is shallow and notorious for currents."

Neil McDonald one of the two watch captains onboard and a skipper of the Volvo Ocean 60 Assa Abloy with Rudiger summarised the current weather as "clear blue skies, gentle breeze and chilly. Normally it can be misty, rainy and wild. It’s rather pleasant."

How does the current weather weigh on the boat at this time? "After sort of surviving the cold front and lows, and battling high pressure across north sea, it was very challenging, both for crew and our patience," said Rudiger.

"We’re sniffing the barn and want to get there, but first we have to cross high pressure to get there. Once we cross, we’ll be in good shape. Tomorrow will be a tough day and hopefully we’ll come sliding in."

Positions in terms of Distance to Finish (bear in mind that a number of the bigger boats started a week late - marked with a *)

Pos	Name	Sail no	Lat	Long	DTF
1	ZARAFFA	USA 16	59° 29.62'N	2° 40.78'W	515
2	TEMPEST	SWE 22198	54° 21.42'N	25° 22.77'W	1314
3	SNOW LION	USA 52120	52° 31.22'N	26° 37.58'W	1408
5	ZUKUNFT IV	GER 3930	53° 34.73'N	28° 19.73'W	1427
4	DISCOVERER	GBR 7804T	53° 38.17'N	28° 30.22'W	1430
6	HANSA	GER 4460	54° 9.35'N	30° 26.22'W	1466
7	JULIE MARIE	GER 4447	52° 43.60'N	29° 19.80'W	1485
8	WORLD OF TUI HH	GER 4561	52° 22.77'N	29° 58.43'W	1517
9	VITA BELLA	GER 5210	52° 29.22'N	30° 14.50'W	1521
10	NV HAMBURG	GER 46 11	52° 14.10'N	30° 56.87'W	1551
11	ALBATROS	GER 1800	52° 32.75'N	31° 24.75'W	1553
12	VARUNA	GER 5225	52° 18.88'N	32° 12.73'W	1585
13	HASPA HAMBURG	GER 4810	51° 36.73'N	32° 19.55'W	1614
14	PETER V. DANZIG	GER 4000	51° 38.70'N	32° 38.98'W	1623
15	HEAVEN CAN WAIT	GER 5072	50° 13.42'N	31° 21.93'W	1630
16	KING'S LEGEND	NED 6572	51° 38.90'N	33° 3.38'W	1634
17	TANASSA	GER 7242	51° 2.12'N	32° 51.22'W	1651
18	HAZE	GER 5348	51° 22.77'N	33° 27.37'W	1656
19	VOLKSFÜRSORGEII	DEN 1	51° 13.23'N	33° 16.97'W	1657
20	PAULA	GER 5168	50° 22.72'N	33° 50.58'W	1704
21	BRINKMANN PA.	SWE 106111	50° 41.10'N	35° 34.87'W	1744
22	MAMELIE	GER 4735	49° 57.95'N	34° 49.37'W	1749
23	GR.FREIHEIT	GER 2921	48° 45.77'N	34° 31.43'W	1781
24	CHERI	GER 777	48° 40.12'N	34° 25.07'W	1781
25	SEA ROSE	USA 51931	49° 12.37'N	35° 15.80'W	1790
26	HOBBY	GER 768	46° 7.13'N	34° 47.88'W	1866
27	MAIDEN	GBR 1418	48° 44.10'N	37° 15.05'W	1869
28	ANNY	GER 2000	40° 0.03'N	33° 31.20'W	1869
29	ELAN	GER 1950	46° 40.38'N	36° 45.88'W	1924
30	RAROTONGA	GER 3767	45° 34.65'N	36° 42.65'W	1952
31	BANK V. BREMEN	GER 944	47° 34.57'N	39° 13.73'W	1975
32	WALROSS III	GER 909	46° 50.60'N	38° 39.38'W	1983
33	ANNE BONNY	GER 4455	47° 17.15'N	39° 18.28'W	1988
34	P.V.SEESTERMÜHE	GER 77	46° 27.18'N	38° 38.98'W	1997
35	MISTRAL	GER 73	46° 15.67'N	38° 56.73'W	2013
36	MELTEMI	GER 5004	47° 5.63'N	39° 53.57'W	2014
37	ISKAREEN	GER 4517	46° 35.45'N	39° 32.28'W	2022
38	HEBE III	CZE103	44° 49.60'N	38° 56.47'W	2057
39	ZWERVER	NED 1038	46° 15.08'N	40° 19.42'W	2060
40	ONE STEP AHEAD	GER 5331	45° 57.92'N	40° 24.22'W	2073
41	TORTUGA	GER 4760	46° 16.38'N	40° 48.92'W	2075
42	AQUIS GRANUS	GER 1375	45° 54.67'N	40° 55.52'W	2092
43	GUNDEL.G.	GER 4850	45° 6.28'N	40° 25.70'W	2103
44	NANI	GER 5302	45° 14.37'N	41° 1.80'W	2120
45	TOM´s KAHN	GER 5292	44° 11.60'N	40° 17.48'W	2125
46	CHARISMA	GER 1708	45° 25.17'N	41° 43.10'W	2136
47	ASTA	GER 785	45° 14.58'N	42° 44.22'W	2176
48	ARCADIA	GER 91	43° 57.97'N	41° 36.35'W	2182
49	BO GLASWALD	none - tba	43° 16.57'N	41° 51.60'W	2211
50	ISOLA BELLA	GER 103	44° 5.68'N	43° 52.53'W	2258
51	POLARIS	GER 5077	43° 52.95'N	43° 53.13'W	2266
52	JOLLY CELESTE	none - tba	43° 30.35'N	43° 32.65'W	2268
53	LEON DE MAR	GER 4791	43° 53.45'N	44° 39.12'W	2291
54	SALUTE	GER 5360	42° 6.58'N	45° 5.92'W	2370
55	BRIGANTIA	GER 85	40° 27.60'N	44° 40.57'W	2380
56	FRISCO	54325	40° 1.70'N	45° 30.35'W	2418
57	D`ACCORD	GER 5277	40° 44.95'N	45° 56.55'W	2434
58	TEAM 888*	GBR 888	39° 47.78'N	50° 29.27'W	2645
59	UCA*	GER 5000	39° 46.20'N	50° 45.67'W	2657
60	ZEPHYRUS V*	USA 28686	39° 47.78'N	51° 0.72'W	2669
61	WINDROSE*	none	38° 1.13'N	57° 33.48'W	2940
62	MONSUN	Aug-02	40° 28.82'N	56° 53.85'W	2942
63	HSH NORDBANK*	GER 4540	39° 43.37'N	68° 26.97'W	3437

Order under IRC corrected time

Pos	Boat name	Sail no.	TCC IRC	Corrected time
1	ZARAFFA	USA 16	1.415	366.2
2	ZUKUNFT IV	GER 3930	1.139	417.5
3	DISCOVERER	GBR 7804T	1.143	418.0
4	TEAM 888	GBR 888	1.474	426.9
5	TEMPEST	SWE 22198	1.279	444.2
6	KING'S LEGEND	NED 6572	1.117	450.5
7	UCA	GER 5000	1.551	454.8
8	SNOW LION	USA 52120	1.257	455.9
9	JULIE MARIE	GER 4447	1.219	459.1
10	HASPA HAMBURG	GER 4810	1.148	460.4
11	HANSA	GER 4460	1.235	461.0
12	VARUNA	GER 5225	1.174	463.8
13	PETER V. DANZIG	GER 4000	1.158	466.1
14	HAZE	GER 5348	1.142	467.5
15	MAMELIE	GER 4735	1.095	470.3
16	WORLD OF TUI HH	GER 4561	1.236	470.6
17	ALBATROS	GER 1800	1.214	472.3
18	GR.FREIHEIT	GER 2921	1.086	474.5
19	NV HAMBURG	GER 46 11	1.223	475.2
20	VITA BELLA	GER 5210	1.255	477.0
21	PAULA	GER 5168	1.142	479.2
22	CHERI	GER 777	1.096	479.3
23	VOLKSFÜRSORGEII	DEN 1	1.175	481.2
24	BRINKMANN PA.	SWE 106111	1.126	482.6
25	HOBBY	GER 768	1.062	486.5
26	ZEPHYRUS V	USA 28686	1.693	493.1
27	ELAN	GER 1950	1.043	493.4
28	P.V.SEESTERMÜHE	GER 77	1.005	497.5
29	SEA ROSE	USA 51931	1.147	504.0
30	TANASSA	GER 7242	1.238	505.4
31	ISKAREEN	GER 4517	1.007	506.3
32	MISTRAL	GER 73	1.027	513.6
33	RAROTONGA	GER 3767	1.083	521.8
34	AQUIS GRANUS	GER 1375	1.002	527.0
35	MELTEMI	GER 5004	1.054	527.4
36	ANNE BONNY	GER 4455	1.072	527.9
37	WALROSS III	GER 909	1.077	528.8
38	ZWERVER	NED 1038	1.037	534.1
39	MAIDEN	GBR 1418	1.175	539.7
40	HEBE III	CZE103	1.052	540.7
41	TORTUGA	GER 4760	1.045	543.5
42	ARCADIA	GER 91	0.974	544.2
43	TOM´s KAHN	GER 5292	1.038	558.1
44	GUNDEL.G.	GER 4850	1.055	558.9
45	CHARISMA	GER 1708	1.039	562.8
46	BANK V. BREMEN	GER 944	1.152	563.0
47	NANI	GER 5302	1.054	563.4
48	JOLLY CELESTE	none - tba	0.962	569.5
49	BO GLASWALD	none - tba	1.027	585.6
50	ASTA	GER 785	1.056	587.8
51	ONE STEP AHEAD	GER 5331	1.144	594.6
52	POLARIS	GER 5077	1.01	599.7
53	LEON DE MAR	GER 4791	1	604.9
54	BRIGANTIA	GER 85	1.004	620.4
55	SALUTE	GER 5360	0.997	638.4
56	ISOLA BELLA	GER 103	1.084	638.7
57	FRISCO	54325	0.959	641.5
58	WINDROSE	none	1.552	644.4
	ANNY	GER 2000	1.369	0.0
	D`ACCORD	GER 5277	0.97	0.0
	HEAVEN CAN WAIT	GER 5072	1.239	0.0
	MONSUN	Aug-02	0.876	0.0
	HSH NORDBANK	GER 4540	1.486	0.0