Plymouth to Newport Classic Currently Led by J/105 and J/122 (Plymouth, England- May 25 start)- The Race is now in its 15th day as the main part of the fleet, having sailed North along the Great Circle Route staying out of the Gulf Stream, now heads South around the limit of expected ice drifting down from the Labrador Sea. As the cold water current meets the warmer Gulf Stream off the Grand Banks of Newfoundland dense fog occurs. The thirty one remaining competitors have faced the full cocktail of these adverse conditions on which they were fully briefed prior to leaving Plymouth. Added to this was the severe gale with 35-40 knot winds which occurred overnight on 7/8 June. Some of the racing boats are very small.18 year old Oscar Mead onboard his J/105 KING OF SHAVES in one of them described surfing down the largest wave he has ever seen at 20 knots trying to steer straight down it as his boat is slewed 45 degrees off course. Those who are not out there can only imagine what these intrepid sailors are experiencing.
After two weeks at sea many skippers are suffering from boat or equipment defects such as torn sails or damaged rigging. Electrical problems and battery charging difficulties are high on the list of concerns as ever. Anything can go wrong and in isolation the skippers have no one to turn to for assistance. Only they can resolve their problems and keep going although damp, cold and tired. The trackers aboard Oscar Mead’s KING OF SHAVES are not reporting every four hours as they should. However, both boats are giving regular position reports by other means. All boats send their position as at Noon UT each day by satellite telephone text to Race HQ as a back up safety measure.
The leading boat LA PROMESSE, sailed by Dutchman JanKees Lampe, is now less than four hundred miles from the finish line at Newport, Rhode Island. He is expected to arrive late on Thursday 11th June. Just two hundred miles in arrears is Roger Craigie onboard his J/122 J-BELLINO and somewhere lurking in the shadows is Oscar on the J/105 KING OF SHAVES. For more info.