Flyer still leads N.Z. yacht

Press, 19 November 1981, Page 38

Flyer still leads N.Z. yacht

PA Auckland Flyer still had a slight edge over Ceramco New Zealand as the two Whitbread fleet leaders closed to within 2700 miles of Cape Reinga early yesterday. The 76ft Frers-design Flyer from the Netherlands, was 32 miles to the east and slightly further south of Ceramco with the two boats still averaging 11 knots in 20-to-25 knot tail winds and fine, sunny weather. , , They were approximately 1000 miles south of Cape Leeuwin on the south-eastern tip of Australia. Ceramco’s skipper, Peter Blake, said by radio telephone: “New Zealand doesn’t seem that far away now.” Outward Bound, Digby Taylor’s 51-footer, was thought to be in entirely different conditions 1200 miles astern of Ceramco. Taylor did not report in on the radio schedule, but Outward Bound is calculated to be close to the Norwegian 57footer, Berge Viking, and the Italian 64-footer, Save Venice, amongst the furthest south in the fleet. “Berge Viking and Save Venice have reported having four icebergs in sight and have been among bergs and growlers for the last three days,” said Blake. “They are right down in the cold and Outward Bound is with them, but they are also enjoying good sailing in strong tail winds and fine weather.” The South African entry Xargo HI, on a similar latitude to Ceramco and Flyer but 800 miles astern, had westerlies gusting 50 knots and had blown out a couple of spinnakers. The American 65-footer Alaska Eagle, the same distance back but 120 miles south of Ceramco’s latitude, was amongst icebergs in similar conditions to Xargo. The dismasted French 55footer 33 Export reached the Kerguelen Islands early yesterday and hopes to rejoin the race with a temporary rig in five or six days. The Italian 50-footer Ilgagomma, the last to leave Cape Town after running foul of Angolan authorities when it accidently entered

territorial waters on the first leg to Cape Town, was bringing up the rear of the fleet nearly 1700 miles behind the leaders, close to the Kerguelen Islands. Blake was hoping to close in again on Flyer with gale force tail winds forecast in the next two days. “Flyer seems to be able to inch away in the lighter stuff,” he said. “So we’re hoping for stronger stuff to close in/again. “It won’t be very long before we start our curve northwards — probably in the next two or three days, we’ll start to wind north on our great circle course bringing us up through the Tasman, probably on the Tasmanian side on our way to North Cape. < “We reckon the Portsmouth calculations are right — that we are leading on handicap at this stage. We don’t know exactly where Eric Tabarly is in Euromarche, but we feel we’re getting away from him and there’s plenty of time still to keep doing so. “Also there seem to be variations in the positions Flyer gives on the radio schedule between the boats and those it feeds back to Portsmouth, but we figure his positions relative to us are about right. He should get away a bit in light, sloppy conditions.” Blake termed 15 to 20 knots of wind and a reasonable sea “light and sloppy.” “That’s right,” said Blake. “A decent breeze how for the boys is 40 knots and we’re carrying spinnakers through to 40 knots across the deck and surfing at high speeds. “Life at the moment is much better. The barometer is up and we have dried the boat out completely. The temperature on deck is well above freezing today — probably about eight or nine degrees centigrade and the water temperature is about five degrees, which is quite a bit higher than it has been. “So crew morale has lifted accordingly. You tend to get a bit down when it’s freezing cold and the boat is wet throughout.”