Old rivals do battle in Global Challenge

by Rachel Anning on 23 Jun 2005 They promised competition and a no holds bar fight to the end - and that is exactly what the crews in the Global Challenge are doing, with old rivals sparring - Spirit of Sark is just three miles ahead of BP Explorer and VAIO in the sixth and penultimate leg.

BG SPIRIT, the current overall race leader, Barclays Adventurer, Imagine It. Done and Samsung, are all just 4 nautical miles behind the leader. The yachts are within sight of one another and competition, as always, is painfully high.

Team Stelmar is in sixth place just three miles behind, Pindar another 2 miles behind Team Stelmar, with Team Save the Children and SAIC La Jolla – the most southerly yacht - 23 miles behind the leader.

Eero Lehtinen, skipper of SAIC La Jolla offered a reason for his team’s slow start: ‘Our plan to get into good breeze from the low coming up from the south has gone wrong, as this system has weakened significantly and now the best breeze should be building from the north, although looking at the other boats, this does not appear the case! We have to limit the damage for now and find a way to use our southerly position to our best advantage.’

Entrants are currently experiencing strong downwind breezes, which should continue for at least the next 24 hours, so the crews should be set for more high boat speeds and an exhilarating ride across to Waypoint Charlie.

Overall points, as they currently are, with BG SPIRIT just three points ahead of BP Explorer and Spirit of Sark, the Global Challenge 2004/05 could actually be won on technicality rather than speed.

‘The jury, which penalized BP Explorer following a protest lodged by Imagine It. Done., did say it was a technical breach of the rules. Certainly a first for the Global Challenge if they do lose the race overall because of this and certainly a major talking point,’ cited Cal Tomlinson, Challenge Business’ sailing manager.

In Boston there was much said about Leg 6 being a three-way battle between BG SPIRIT, BP Explorer and Spirit of Sark, but there are other strong contenders ‘up there’ who are not going to make it easy for the three – with podium place winners running the length and breadth of the fleet.

Duggie Gillespie was in reflective mood when he wrote the following to Race HQ this morning: ‘Most importantly, this leg is only 15-17 days long and with everything, I mean everything, to play for.

‘When we arrived in Boston, we had dropped to third place overall, but as a result of a protest hearing, one of our main rivals, BP Explorer, who had beaten us over the line by 1 minute 28 seconds, were docked three points – but what is this bigger driving force?

‘This crew is not being paid to get up out of their bunks every four hours and race. Each have given up a lot for this project, jobs, cars, homes re-mortgaged - that's the motivation and the realisation that this is a unique chance for those who haven't chosen yachting as a career - not just sailing but racing round the world the wrong way! The value is high to each individual crew member.

‘As a team though, we too have put in place a set of values. These values are our constant gold standard that we have come back to time and time again when the focus slips, or conflict threatens to disrupt the cohesion we have worked so hard to build over the last 18 months and 30,000 miles, and I believe it works.

‘Even as skills and abilities have improved, we have needed constant re-evaluation and reminders to keep ourselves in check. It's about keeping fresh and invigorated, particularly at this late stage, when monotony can be a great enemy against the urgency required by racing.

‘With less than twenty days left at sea in the whole of this Global Challenge there is a real sense of straining to savour each moment of just being out here, racing across the North Atlantic and enjoying it!

‘This leg is, so far, no different to the last one, in that we have not yet been alone, out of sight of our opponents. This is boat on boat racing again for thousands of miles. If that isn't focus enough then what is?’

The fleet is currently on a straight-line chase to Waypoint Charlie - designed to keep the yachts off the banks of Newfoundland, which should be reached in the next few days.

Yacht positions:

Spirit of Sark 2,574 (distance to finish)

BP Explorer 3 (miles to leader)

VAIO 3

BG SPIRIT 3

Barclays Adventurer 4

Imagine It. Done. 4

Samsung 4

Team Stelmar 7

Me To You 10

Pindar 12

Team Save the Children 23

SAIC La Jolla 23


www.globalchallenge2004.com