Outsider and Chieftain are rushing home

by Event media on 22 Jun 2007 In the early hours of Thursday, the Outsider crew were the first to discover what the imaginary Point Alpha really looks like. They were soon followed by the Irish Chieftain. Both yachts passed the virtual mark at a speed of approx. 20 knots, extending their lead to the rest of the HSH Nordbank blue race fleet.

The Outsider seems to be rushing home. The crew of nine are pushing their boat to the limit, and the effort pays off.Skipper Tilmar Hansen (57, from Kiel, Germany) left the competitor from Ireland behind and rounded Point Alpha first. The Chieftain of skipper GerO´Rourke (44, from Limerick, Ireland) had been leading the fleet of 21 yachts sailing the HSH Nordbank blue race for some time, but now the Elliott 52 Outsider took over the top position again.

Weather expert Meeno Schrader forecasts a gradual weather change. 'The low has fully developed, so from now, things will get ‚better’ again, which means calmer. The stormy gusts will keep up until just about Point Alpha, with thunder gusts possibly reaching nine to ten Beaufort. During the course of Friday, the wind will go down to about force five. Then the speed of the hard gusts will come down from eight to seven and less, 'said the meteorologist from the Kiel-based company Wetterwelt.

But it will also turn colder. 'Point Alpha will mark the time to say good-bye to America and balmy water temperatures with the Gulf Stream influence becoming weaker from there. Now and again there will be currents, but less often with water and air temperatures falling to 17 to 18 degrees Celsius, 'explains Schrader.

http://www.hsh-nordbank-blue-race.com