10:19 PM Sat 13 Feb 2010 GMT
Clipper Round the World Yacht Race - In a surprise change to the position table overnight, the team on board Jamaica Lightning Bolt has secured their first Scoring Gate points of the race - crossing first at 0716 GMT to claim the maximum three points on offer.
'What a difference a couple of days can make,' says the team's skipper, Pete Stirling. 'Two days ago we were languishing at the back end of the fleet in our own private wind hole, cursing the boats that were sailing past us having taken a more westerly route and questioning our own tactics. As I write we find ourselves in first place and all on board are very happy.
'It has been a wet and uncomfortable night but the reward has been well worth the hardship. The crew has worked hard with multiple sail changes throughout yesterday and last night. No time for complacency though as the rest of the fleet will be pushing hard to catch us.'
The last 24 hours have been hard gong for all the teams as the weather takes a turn for the worst. Jan Ridd, skipper of Cape Breton Island and the second team to cross the gate, describes how the conditions over night have taken their toll on the crew.
'Yesterday afternoon the wind started building considerably and we were changing down the sails as required,' says Jan. 'At one point the crew had to set about one of the most physically demanding tasks on board; changing from the Yankee 3 sail to the storm jib. Just by the fact we needed the storm jib meant that we were in some serious seas.
'In the hours of darkness the crew were on the bow while 5 metre waves were literally breaking on top of them and trying to wash them off the deck. Not only did they have to pull the sail down, unhank it and pack it away they had to do it all in more than 30 knots of wind with waves washing down the deck.'
For Cape Breton Island's closest rivals in Race 6 it has not been a great 24 hours. A conservative sail plan overnight has resulted in Hull & Humber missing out on any Scoring Gate points which yesterday looked like they would be theirs for the taking.
Skipper of Hull & Humber, Piers Dudin, says, '12 hours ago we were looking good for some gate points but those with a stronger sail plan were able to sail higher and faster during the heaviest of the weather overnight and caught up the deficit.
Despite slipping back down the leader board, Piers was quick to praise his crew, saying, 'They performed brilliantly in the most testing 24 hours of the entire race so far. Helming and working through numerous sail changes as we tried to boost Hull & Humber back into the lead.'
Team Finland took the final gate point on offer crossing at 0936 GMT and although the Finnish entry has been in Qingdao's sights for some time, skipper Chris Stanmore-Major admits that his team's chances of getting any points at the gate were slim.
'There was a point at about midnight that we could have continued north with Team Finland and might have been closer to the gate,' explains Chris. 'But looking at the close competition for those precious points we would have had to have sold our souls to score any.
'Unfortunately our tactic of going east did not work, but at the time we felt that any movement in that direction at an early stage would be an advantage. It was not to be and as we diligently headed east those who went north found a great lift that allowed them to travel both north and east and the outcome was inevitable. Uniquely Singapore also chose this route and we are now in sight of one another matching each other tack for tack.
'What now for us? Well, a certain licking of wounds and cups of tea are required and then we will do what we always do - pick up our tools and start again.'
Similarly, the crew on board Spirit of Australia knew that the points onoffer at the Scoring Gate were not going to be theirs on this occasion. In his report to the Race Office this morning, skipper Brendan Hall said, 'We have made a tactical decision to bypass the gate. Instead we have headed east, into the Kuroshio Current, which should give us a nice northerly push around the east coast of Taiwan.'
Whilst the decision making has been relatively easy, life on board certainly hasn't been and the heavy weather has begun to take its toll on boat and crew.
'With a sound like a gunshot, the Yankee sheet snapped,' says Brendan. 'The sail, without its primary control line, flogged back and forth, totally out of control with the broken sheet whipping across the foredeck. Luckily, with quick thinking and reactions, we tacked Spirit of Australia and brought the sail back under control. No damage and
thankfully no injuries. This was the first of what we all know will be many trials in this heavy weather slog to Qingdao.'
Positions at 1200 UTC, Saturday 13 February
Boat DTF* DTL*
1 Jamaica Lightning Bolt 923nm
2 Qingdao 926nm 3nm
3 California 927nm 3nm
4 Cape Breton Island 931nm 7nm
5 Team Finland 931nm 8nm
6 Uniquely Singapore 938nm 15nm
7 Hull & Humber 939nm 16nm
8 Edinburgh Inspiring Capital 950nm 27nm
9 Spirit of Australia 966nm 43nm
10 Cork Did not start
*DTF = Distance to Finish, *DTL = Distance to Leader)
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