Bullimore on standby for record attempt

by Team Bullimore on 22 Jan 2007 A series of high pressure systems that have been hovering over the Tasman Sea since the beginning of January have not been conducive to starting Tony Bullimore's attempt to break the 70 day barrier for sailing solo around the world, but the time spent waiting for the right winds to slingshot his 102ft (31m) catamaran Dohar 2006 towards Cape Horn, have not been wasted.

Tony reported today, 'The weather is not right at the moment, so we have spent the time fine-tuning some of the systems on the boat, and getting myself as fit as possible.’

Tony, who turned 68 last week, is using this extra time to build up is stamina levels by working out in the Oceana gym each day.

This week, Tony plans to take Doha 2006 out for a series of sail trials with Simon Redding, Team Bullimore’s shore manager and a group of enthusiastic members of the Bellerive Sailing Club who have been helping to prepare the big catamaran for what will be the greatest voyage the boat has ever undertaken.

'Because we have time on our hands, we are going to replacing several sponsor decals that did not stand up to the wear and tear when we delivered the boat from Qatar to Hobart', Tony says. Another area that needs attention is the satellite communication and camera set up on the boat. ‘This equipment should have been commissioned before Doha 2006 left Qatar for it's delivery sail to the start line in Hobart, but it was not, and this has caused delays. It is imperative that I can transmit pictures and video to the media as I go round the world so that everyone can see the action as it happens.’ He adds. Engineers expect to have the systems up and running this week.

Meanwhile…the wait for the right set of conditions to slingshot Tony across the South Pacific to Cape Horn, continues…

The Course: The 27,000 mile course will take Bullimore straight down into the Southern Ocean where the westerly winds in the Roaring Forty latitudes will slingshot him across the first 5,000 mile stage to Cape Horn. He will then follow the South American coast northwards to the Equator, from where he must pick his way through the calms of the Doldrums and those associated with the Azores high pressure system, to round the island of Flores before returning southwards to the Cape of Good Hope.

Lee Bruce will be advising him about impending weather systems on a daily, if not hourly basis and once in the Indian Ocean, the British yachtsman will rely on his weather router to help him to avoid the worst of the Roaring Forty winds that will speed Doha 2006 towards Cape Leuwin marking the Western tip of Australia, and passed the point where Bullimore famously spent 5 dark days capsized during the 1997/8 Vendee Globe Race. Once across the Australian Bight, he must navigate his way around Bass Strait and back to Hobart - all in 70 days!

The course has been sanctioned by the World Sailing Speed Record Council www.sailspeedrecords.com which will time Bullimore's start and finish from Tasmania and monitor his progress around the world. The distance is exactly the same as if he started from Ushant on the north west tip of France where Dame Ellen Macarthur, the current record holder began her 71day 14hour 18 minute voyage last year.

The campaign is sponsored by the Doha 2006 Asian Games Organising Committee, the Qatar National Bank, International developers Qatari Diar, and Mistral Internet.

Website: www.teambullimore.com