ECOVER slows, waiting for new pressure

by Susan Preston Davis on 24 Aug 2001 ECOVER IN THE EDS ATLANTIC CHALLENGE
DAILY REPORT NO: 42 (Day 10) Leg 5
DATE: Thursday 23rd August 2001


As the last report went out into cyberspace this came in from Mike Golding
and the team on ECOVER:-

22nd Aug Update; We are slowing down fast as we now leave the depression
which has been our friend, giving us several 400+ mile days, across the
Atlantic Ocean and head into the area of slack pressure which greets us in
the Western Approaches. Positioning ourselves to be in the best spot for
the new breeze which will arrive (we hope) from a depression coming in from
the SW.

Our last twenty four hour have not been without incident, the Code 5 bolt
rope snapped as we squeezed the last drop of speed out of the departing
wind the sail was destroyed instantly - way beyond any repair prospects. We
have now taken sail cloth from the destroyed sail to rebuild one good sail
from the two broken ones. Nigel has been hard at work in the dark
recesses of the sail locker sticking (with spray glue) on patches cut from
one sail on to the other. We now have one more chance should we need a Code
5 before the finish - quite likely given the light forecast ahead.

ECOMOOSE went missing today - no body was claiming responsibility for him
and we were unable to send the required photos. Thank goodness he showed
up for the evening meal - buried in the sail locker where he was lucky not
to be included as part of the mamoth sail repair that was taking place.

23rd Aug Update; We are virtually stopped right now, the sea is glassy but
a rolling SW swell kills the prospect of getting good drive of the little
breeze there is. The sails flog and we must wait. This is the other stress
extreme of Ocean Racing - the one which seems the most unlikely calm
conditions. We position ourselves 24 hours ago now we are moving so slowly
there is little prospect of being allowed to change our minds. We must
wait.

Last night we enjoyed the last of the wine with our freeze dried meal, a
small luxury after a busy day of tidying the boat for the the conditions
ahead. Nigel has completed the sail repair which Blue Peter (kids TV
programme in UK - been on since they invented TV) would have been proud off
involving bits from here and there, sticky backed dacron, spray glue and
blanket stitching. Nigel gets the BP badge.

Now we need to grunt up and focus on getting towards the new breeze fast -
distance towards the finish is rather less important than finding the next
breeze. A few mile lead will disappear into insignificance if we are in
the right spot. Dolphins are playing around the boat, curiously looking
out of the water at the helm as we ghost along at 2-3kts. Everyone is
taking time to catch up and bank some sleep the last hour of the race could
be the most testing and we need to be ready. Mike

ECOMOOSE update

All the competition photos are in the gallery now, at least three of them
have ECOMOOSE peeping out. There may be four? (a special prize for correct
answers to all four). To win you must provide the following information.
Description of the photo
Date of appearance on the site
Where is ECOMOOSE in the shot (don't worry about techy speak, top left will
do).

See if you can see him and get your responses in fast. The competition is
over when ECOVER hits the finish so you need to do it now if you want to
win the ECOVER product and Team shirt. Email responses to sails@mgyr.com


Mike Golding and his crew are sponsored by ECOVER, producers of natural
cleaning and washing products for household and industrial uses. ECOVER
manufacture their products from their Ecological factory in Belgium.
Twenty years of dedicated research and development have enabled ECOVER to
produce washing and cleaning products, made from plant based ingredients
and minerals, with a performance equal to conventional cleaning products,
but which do not damage the environment and are safer for the skin.

ECOVER is the fastest growing brand of its' type and the sponsorship of
Mike Golding
and his crew in the EDS Atlantic Challenge will reinforce the natural link
between ECOVER and sailing - harnessing the power of nature to achieve
powerful performance.



Free use photos from on board ECOVER and by Jacques Vapillon are available.
High resolution photos free of rights for press use only on
www.pixsail.com Short cut address to ECOVER page:
www.pixsail.com/eng/ecover


Contact: MPR - Susan Preston Davis/Susan McKeag
Tel: + 44 (0) 1489 789 111
Fax: + 44 (0) 1489 780222
Email: waterforduk@compuserve.com
www.mgyr.com
www.ECOVER.com