Club Meds Indian Ocean record broken by Innovation Explorer
by Mer & Média 30 Jan 2001 16:59 GMT
Records are made to be broken and Club Med's Indian Ocean Record, gained just two days ago when the Grant Dalton-skippered catamaran passed Cape Leuwin two days quicker than the previous holder, has been in turn been taken by second placed Innovation Explorer. The Loick Peyron-skippered boat has been sailing in a completely different weather system, yielding significantly more favourable conditions across the Indian Ocean, and allowing the white-hulled catamaran to take four hours off the record, which now stands at seven days and 14 hours.
At noon today Club Med held a lead of almost 750 miles over Innovation Explorer but was sailing in significantly stronger winds, more in survival mode than at record pace. Grant Dalton had this to say: "We've got two reefs in the main and the storm kite up at the moment, which we've actually had on the for the past couple of days. Over the past 24 hours we've seen the strongest winds since the start of The Race. We've regularly seen over 50 knots. Carrying a spinnaker in over 50 knots is interesting stuff! There's just way too much seaway to get the boat up to any major record breaking speeds in that stuff."
Club Med has now gybed to start heading North towards the Cook Straits. The stretch of water separating the North and South Islands of New Zealand is the next mandatory mark of the course and marks the half way stage for the five teams left in The Race. Dalton anticipates crossing through sometime on Saturday, 3rd February, 34 days after the start: "We've gybed to start our approach into the Tasman we're heading North East out of the 'Badlands'".
But skipper Grant Dalton was worried that the lead he will hold at this stage could be as little as 200 miles as the conditions behind him and in the Tasman Sea ahead are more favourable for the following boat: "We're getting hammered at the moment. He's in this different system to us and it's paying off nicely for him. As we head into the Tasman Sea Innovation Explorer is going to ride that system straight up behind us so I expect that they should get to within 200 miles of us. They're going to nail us to the wall..."
To complicate the issue a little bit for Innovation Explorer the question of whether or not to stop in Wellington is still hot on board. This morning co-skipper Skip Novak announced that they had broken half a daggerboard off which had damaged the hull and rudder as it was washed backwards. There is also a new spinnaker waiting for them in the New Zealand capital. If they stop they have to wait 48 hours before they are allowed to restart, leaving Club Med to once again build further on the lead as The Race continues into the Pacific.
More Information: