Final miles counting down for Hugo Boss

by Barcelona World Race media on 14 Feb 2008
The final miles for Hugo Boss are being sailed on a glorious winter day in Barcelona, under bright, blue skies. Skippers Alex Thomson and Andrew Cape are closing in on the finish line quickly, sailing close-hauled in 20 knot easterlies. The wind is forecast to shift slightly to the right, which should allow them to sail their final miles slightly more free to the wind.

'We're almost laying Barcelona now,' said Andrew Cape, when reached this morning. 'We're thinking we'll be there around 06:00 Thursday morning. I'm expecting it to be dark.It's happening slowly but we'll be there eventually.We are looking forward to seeing you all in the morning!'

'I have started getting emails from my friends and family who will be in Barcelona for the finish, and I am really looking forward to seeing them all,' Alex Thomson wrote in his log yesterday. 'Not long to go now!'

Just outside the entrance to the Mediterranean, Temenos II is preparing to fight the strong Easterly 'Levante' winds that are being funneled through the Strait of Gibraltar.

'Today, it is very calm and sunny, but there is a big swell coming from Gibraltar; we had a storm last night and are ready for the bad weather in the Strait,' said Dominique Wavre this morning. 'We are preparing for some big seas and checking the mast very often, we are looking forward to having a beer with JP and Damian! We should be making our way through Gibraltar some time in the morning if the weather forecast is correct and we are really looking forward to getting back.'

Now nearly 300 miles in arrears of Temenos II, the Spanish skippers on Mutua Madrileña feel like they've played their last tactical card, and it hasn't worked. That being said, they expect to make up some miles the evening as Temenos II slows on the approach to Gibraltar.

'We are sailing more downwind now and we might come back a little but they have a good distance over us,' admitted Javier Sansó. That was our last card and we said didn't care if we lost by 15 or 300 miles! It was really proving hard to catch them we were getting nearer and then they would put the pedal down - it was very difficult but we haven't however given up at all. But now our objective is to make a comeback rather than be able to overtake them.'

For Educación sin Fronteras, the Barcelona World Race will last for nearly two more weeks. Now with less than 2 500 miles to run to the finish, Albert Bargués and Servane Escoffier have completed 90% of the course and are on the home stretch.

'The fact that you are all there is making me impatient to finish,' said Servanne on the video conference today, where she spoke with Jean-Pierre Dick and Damian Foxall, who won the race on Monday night. 'But we have to be careful with our 'old girl' still and not rush too much. Still, I'm beginning to feel like a lion in a cage.'

The latest ETA for Hugo Boss to finish is 05:30 GMT on Thursday morning. Temenos II is projected to finish 11:00 GMT on the 17th of February, and Mutua Madrileña on the 18th at 11:00. Educación sin Fronteras is forecast to finish around the 25th/26th February.

Watch 'The Barcelona World Race': Episode Three of the six-part series, 'The Barcelona World Race' is now available to watch online at: http://www.barcelonaworldrace.com/player/. A new episode will be posted every Friday.

Day 95 - February 13 14:00 GMT - Position report with distance to leader
1. PAPREC-VIRBAC 2 - Jean Pierre DICK / Damian FOXALL - winner
2. HUGO BOSS - Alex THOMSON / Andrew CAPE - 149 to finish
3. TEMENOS 2 - Dominique Wavre / Michele PARET- 736
4. MUTUA MADRILENA - Javier SANSO / Pachi RIVERO - 1029
5. EDUCACION SIN FRONTERAS - Servane ESCOFFIER / Albert BARGUES - 2488

Abandoned - VEOLIA ENVIRONNEMENT - Roland JOURDAIN / Jean Luc NELIAS
Abandoned - ESTRELLA DAMM - Guillermo ALTADILL / JONATHAN MCKEE
Abandoned - DELTA DORE - Jérémie BEYOU / Sidney GAVIGNET
Abandoned - PRB - Vincent Riou / Sebastien JOSSE

Quotes - Javier Sansó, Mutua Madrileña, on their recent tactical decisions: 'We think our chances are low now. We tried a wild card to go through the Canaries and it didn't work...if it works you look smart, if not you look pretty stupid! But at least and we are not giving up totally. We still have some miles left and we will see, but thanks for the support'

http://www.barcelonaworldrace.org