EDS Atlantic Challenge - Foggy start to Leg 5

CHASING A COLD FRONT THROUGH THICK FOG

The EDS Atlantic Challenge fleet are sailing in soupy fog, trying to break into new wind on the other side of a cold front

After a sunny start from Boston, the yachts racing Leg 5 of the EDS Atlantic Challenge have sailed smack into thick fog and are making slow progress across the Grand Banks. The area is a rich fishing ground off the New England coast, but fishing is not on the minds of these sailors. They are instead angling for a position that will allow them to take advantage of the new wind on the other side of the cold front. The new wind promises a southwesterly flow of air, and with the great circle course to St. Malo in a northeasterly direction, it means that the wind will be from behind, something all the crews have all been longing for. The race for now, however, is to the new wind.

“We have a southwesterly swell running at the moment,” said Nick Moloney, skipper of the leading yacht Kingfisher. “That means that the new breeze can’t be too far off.” Same aboard Fila, the Italian entry that rejoined the race for Leg 5 after suffering forestay problems on Leg 3. “We are in thick fog with not much wind,” said Andrea Scarabelli, skipper of Fila. “The swell is from the southwest so maybe we will have a spinnaker up later today.”

Fila and Sill Plein Fruit have both chosen a southern course, and until the fog rolled in, had been in sight of each other. They are hoping that their strategy allows them to break out of the front they have been chasing since leaving Boston, and into southwesterly winds that will propel them across the Atlantic. Kingfisher to the north has similar intentions, and their northern course has them closer to the rhumb line and therefore closer to the finish than the others. There was a slight edge of concern in Moloney’s voice when discussing the southern yachts. “We have a strategy and plan to stick with it,” he said, “however if we see the boats to the south getting away we might have to have a rethink. Only time will tell.”

Only Gartmore skipper, Josh Hall was less than optimistic about the forecast. “I don’t think we are going to be able break through the front,” he said. “It’s moving away from us faster than we are sailing. Maybe the next system coming along from behind will pick us up, but for now we are concentrating on going fast with the wind that we have.”

Other skippers were less concerned about the weather, living more in the moment. “We have a vertical mast so we are happy,” said Roland Jourdain, skipper of Sill Plein Fruit. “Last night we all got some good sleep which was good because we were all very tired after working on the mast.” A week after a spectacular dismasting off Norfolk, Virginia, Sill Plein Fruit was back in business with a repaired carbon mast. For the all-female team aboard AlphaGraphics the mood was equally buoyant. “We just love it out here,” said skipper Helena Darvelid. “The girls are happy and we are all looking forward to a fast sail to France.” The first yachts are expected to finish in St. Malo by August 25. The EDS Atlantic Challenge website www.edsatlanticchallenge.com is an innovative and interactive resource for rankings and breaking news.

Boat Positions:

At 10:45 GMT, on a distance to finish (DTF) reading, the positions were as follows:

More Information:

• YachtsandYachting.com EDS Atlantic Challenge Page