Aviva Challenge approaches Cape Horn

by Georgina Spring on 2 Jan 2006 If I had a drink for every toast made to Aviva and I on New Years Eve then my head would have been very bad yesterday. Thank you again for all the kind messages and thoughts at this time of year. They are really great to receive and really help me pick my head up and get going again.

New Years Day bought with it 35 knots, rain, thunder and big seas. The temperature also plummeted with the southerly wind. We reduced sail early as we were expecting it and hung on for the ride. This is the test we needed for the breather pipes on the autopilot. It was a bouncy introduction to 2006 but a very positive one.

All the best from Dee & Aviva

SHORE TEAM COMMENTARY: MIKE BROUGHTON
RECEIVED 14H36 1 JANUARY 2006

Weather Update

Dee has a really cold blast of gale force winds from the south, behind a tricky front that has passed east towards the Falkland Islands. These winds are pretty much direct from Antartica hence a real wind chill on deck of Aviva today.

The waves are not pleasant either, as the Falkland Island Current which is slowing Aviva down, will produce a nasty sea state till late afternoon.

Later a high pressure is forming over Terra del Fuego that will bring lighter winds that will eventually back all the way around to the north. Good news for Dee as she negotiates the strong tidal currents of the Straits of the Estrecho de la Maire, prior to turning right towards Cape Horn.

The forecast for Dee as she passes Cape Horn in about 48 hours time are for northerly winds of 15-20 knots. Given the present nasty conditions, I would imagine Dee will be quite happy with that bit of news.

INSTRUMENT READINGS - TELEMETRY (LAST REPORT 31/12/2005 15h46)

SPEED OVER GROUND (knots) 5
COURSE (°) 239
APPARENT WIND SPEED (knots) 8.0
TRUE WIND SPEED (knots) 11.2
TRUE WIND DIRECTION (°) 350
SEA TEMPERATURE (°C) 10.6
AIR TEMPERATURE (°C) not available

STATUS (LAST REPORT 02/02/06 07h58)

STATUS UNDER WAY
LATITUDE S 51° 51'
LONGTITUDE W 64° 11'
DTF 23,002
CMG 186.9
SMG 4.4
24HR RUN 144
24HR SPEED 6.0

Event website: http://www.avivachallenge.com