Sea, Sail & Surf newsVolvo Ocean Race / Leg 7
World Speed Sailing Record For illbruck
mercredi 1er mai 2002 –
We have about 25 to 30 knots of wind and we have our masthead spinnaker up and probably for the last eight or nine hours we had our smaller reaching spinnaker up. So it is the combination of two or three sails that broke the record Record #sailingrecord for us. We kept the watch system the same, we are trying to win this leg of the Volvo Ocean Race and it just happens that we are going fast enough to break the world record Record #sailingrecord .
The atmosphere was extremely happy when we heard that we have broken the record. But we were soon back to business and really racing hard."
For several 10-minute periods illbruck has averaged 27 knots of boat speed. Deducting the three-knot push of the Gulf Stream still leaves 24 knots through the water. Impressive by any means. The previous record was held by Bernard Stamm on the Open 60 Armor Lux (467.70 nautical miles, 19.49 knots average speed) since January 2001, sailed in the Gulf Stream as well. EDS has sponsored a trophy for the record.
The presence of waves big enough for the V.O.60s to surf Surf #Surf makes a big difference to boat speeds. A top helms person is vital in surfing conditions, as they can make a big difference by holding the boat on each surf Surf #Surf that tiny bit longer.
Whilst leading the fleet, illbruck has managed to hold onto a lead of 14 nautical miles ahead of the second placed yacht, ASSA ABLOY. ASSA ABLOY has managed to pull slightly ahead of Tyco into second place.
illbruck is not the only V.O.60 yacht to have broken the both the class and world records, again subject to confirmation and ratification, it looks very likely that Tyco has achieved a 24 hour run of 474 miles, ASSA ABLOY 471 miles and SEB just squeezing in at 468 miles. These high speeds are certainly making for an exciting dash across the Atlantic.
Since leaving Chesapeake Bay illbruck have done nothing radical and had boats each side of them throughout. Just prior to the passage of the main cold front, illbruck made a slight course alteration to get to the strong northwesterlies and made a relative gain. Skirting to the north has helped SEB who have slowly moved up from sixth to second in the last 18 hours.
"It seems our record from leg two will disappear because it is such an enormous help with the current," commented SEB‚s Gurra Krantz before the record was broken. "With the current conditions the breeze is at about 20-25 knots, reaching and running we are easily averaging 19-20 knots and plus that. I believe particularly illbruck can take the record from us. We are probably looking at 465-470 miles, if the wind stays as it is for the next six hours. We’re just on the edge, we might not make it because we’re just a bit further to the west. But illbruck is furthest to the east where there is more pressure". Afterwards he talked about his feelings : "illbruck has taken our record away from us. That was really painful. It is funny how we all felt that it was our record and nobody else’s. With the help of the Gulf Stream we have all done big miles."
Two fellow sailors were the first ones to congratulate : "Congratulations to illbruck for her clean break of the 24-hour record, even if a big part of her record contain a good help from the Gulf Stream. She has again been sailed very skilled and fast in reaching conditions, which she really likes," wrote Roger Nilson from onboard Amer Sports One. Knut Frostad from the pink djuice wrote : "Congratulations to illbruck with their new speed record...wish it was ours..."
With the wind still easing, yachts behind could close some miles on illbruck, where southernmost boats SEB and News Corp made the biggest gains. Djuice is still troubled by sail damage and their onboard sailmakers are working hard to get a blown out Code 5 spinnaker put together. Only in the lighter conditions they are currently experiencing, they will not need the sail.
PS Yacht Latitude Longitude DTF CMG SMG TFHR DTL DTL-C ETA PO
1 ILBK 39 15.80N 057 30.24W 2507 86 13.1 428 0 0 10/05/02 11:57 49
2 AART 39 18.68N 057 49.20W 2521 74 15 429 14 -11 10/05/02 13:10 41
3 TYCO 39 18.68N 057 51.88W 2523 81 13.8 430 16 -5 10/05/02 13:20 33
4 TSEB 38 54.92N 057 52.48W 2527 82 15.6 430 20 -16 10/05/02 13:41 26
5 NEWS 38 54.36N 057 57.96W 2532 81 15.4 427 25 -15 10/05/02 14:04 35
6 AONE 39 13.72N 058 13.72W 2541 80 14.2 417 34 -6 10/05/02 14:50 35
7 DJCE 39 11.16N 058 52.88W 2571 71 14.6 406 64 -8 10/05/02 17:30 23
8 ATOO 39 15.04N 060 19.48W 2637 73 13.2 371 130 0 10/05/02 23:10 10Dans la même rubrique
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