Zaraffa leads by a country mile
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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