Zaraffa leads by a country mile

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

Wednesday June 25th 2003, Author: Dana Paxton, Location: United States
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

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