Day 10 - Dec. 22, 1997
Report #2
1222 GMT
34° 18'S, 151° 12'E
Miles to Sydney: 31.6
Place: 1st; distance ahead of 2nd-place boat: 1.5 miles
From: Paul Cayard, skipper EF Language
It has been a long hard day. Getting past Swedish Match was not easy and it will not be easy to hold them off as we enter Sydney
Harbor tonight. The breeze will go down at least and if it dies
completely anything could happen.
All of us have been up all day, as I am sure the boys on Swedish
Match have. About 100 miles from Sydney the wind picked up and we
simply sailed lower and faster, gaining five miles on them over a
four-hour period. We then both shifted to fractional kites.
Ours was smaller and we went faster sailing up from underneath
them and around to the front.
Then, with a mile lead, our spinnaker broke. We had a bit of a
scramble. It was dark, of course (none of this stuff ever happens in
day light), but got another one up just in time to keep them from
rolling us. We have since stretched back out about 1.5 miles on
them.
We are 23 miles form South Head. Hoping for some breeze in the
bay. See you there.
Note: Chessie Racing, with AmericaOne's John Kostecki on board as tactician, holds a solid third position just 4.8 miles behind EFL.
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Anyone can
win. EF Education could still win. . . . The race could quite likely be decided in Sydney Harbor.
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Report #1
0004 GMT
36° 58'S, 150° 08'E
Miles to Sydney: 199
Place: 2nd; distance behind 1st-place boat: 3.7 miles
From: Paul Cayard, skipper EF Language
It is Monday morning, three days before Christmas, and we have got bogies all over the place. Swedish Match is 4 miles ahead,
Jules [Innovation Kvaerner], Slick [Silk Cut], Cheeze [Chessie Racing], and Merit (Cup) are all together in a pack about 4 miles back.
Big dogfight to the finish. Historically, Merit is the fastest in this light air running.
This is a completely different leg from the others. Anyone can
win. EF Education could still win.
Chart of SE Australian Coast
(Click on image.)
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Tonight will be real intense
when the wind dies trying to find out who will get the first
little zephyrs of wind first. The race could quite likely be
decided in Sydney Harbor.
I just woke up, so can't spend too much time.
