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An ocean event of the Millennium At the end of the year, The Race is all that matters. A formidable line-up of Millennium sailing craft will navigate the Great Circle Route in a no holds, no stops, 'round the world race from December 31, 2000. The Race in revue: Club Med's weather router Roger Badham explains the intricacies involved in plotting the best course right around the globe. Update: March 4: Club Med wins The Race in spectacular fashion, while Warta Polpharma hides in the lee of Cape Horn. February 28: What a homecoming! The biggest storm seen in the mid-Atlantic for some time appeared ready to send the big blue maxicat to Marseilles in fine style - but it seems the jet stream had other ideas ... February 21: Club Med, enjoying mild trades east of Brazil, glides to an 1100 mile lead over Innovation Explorer - navigating through high pressure. We say it is high time to redefine the South Atlantic! Meanwhile, at the back of the fleet, a new race, within the Race, takes shape. February 14: Club Med keeps the pedal to the metal as she attempts to sail around a portion of the South Atlantic High. Meanwhile, other skippers are lagging further and further behind. February 10: Club Med sails 655 miles in 24 hours between February 7-8. What made her do it? It seems a certain synoptic 'signature' was behind this golden opportunity. February 3: Under a big summertime high pressure cell, Club Med passes through Cook Strait, halfway around the world, and retains the lead she's held since the North Atlantic. Meanwhile, Innovation Explorer considers a Wellington stop-over to replace damaged equipment. What will the weather bring in the southern Pacific? January 22-29: How did Club Med and Innovation Explorer cross the Indian Ocean in record time? A kinder, gentler Southern Ocean helped, along with extraordinary timing of events and weather systems. Was Neptune smiling that week? January 28: Warta Polpharma proves she has the potential to sail fast and far after escaping the South Atlantic High. But was it any wonder? Meanwhile, Club Med sets a record Indian Ocean crossing after a week of wicked and wonderful westerlies. January 25: Leading skippers negotiate subtle changes within a general westerly flow as Kerguelen falls astern. What's ahead? Quite possibly plain sailing all the way under Australia! January 21: The southern Ocean takes its first scalp in the form of Team Adventure. What lies ahead? January 17: Here come the Southern Ocean. Can the big three catamarans stand the strain? And what will the weather be - steady westerlies for 2000 miles, or will ridges of high pressure give these talented sailors more cause for pause? January 13: The south-east trades offered swift sailing, but now the South Atlantic High is stretching its influence from coast to coast, offering few options for skippers and weather routers trying to avoid this zone of light and variable winds. January 10: Navigating the doldrums: Innovation Explorer jibes to the west in search of better winds, while Club Med and Team Adventure sail consistently south, with both expected to reach the first trade winds later today. January 7: Three Gilles Ollier -designed cats lead the fleet, as upwind conditions give way to downwind trades. Playstation in catch-up mode after 48 hour delay thanks to gear failure. January 3: Favourable winds provide a blustery send-off for the six entrants in The Race, but a front sweeps across Spain bringing westerly winds to the Straits of Gibralter. Can the big multihulls cope with strong headwinds and little room to tack? Introduction: Why this race is so important? Who's routing this race? Roger Badham: Club Med's weather eye tells us about his life and passes on a few trick along the way. Bob Rice: Playstation's main weapon. Rice is the most experienced when it comes to ocean race routing, and he takes us on a tour of The Race course around the world. Ken Campbell: TeamAdventure's choice for the best route. Cambell founded the us routing firm Commander's Weather and along with Team Adventure also routes for many of the world's best yachtsmen. He talked to us about Yves Bourgnon's record 24 hour run in the aging Open 60 trimeran Bayer. Background: Team Philips comes unstuck: (December 11, 2000) Revolutionary catamaran Team Philips, skippered by Pete Goss is abandoned during sea trials after a 961mb low deals a crushing blow to yacht and crew. Serious slow mode: (July 31, 2000) Light winds and stalled weather systems cramp the style of these fast multihulls as they wait, and wait, and wait for the right weather system to develop. Atlantic Challenge: (July 23, 2000) The most coveted Atlantic record is that from New York to The Lizard and maxi-catamarans Club Med and PlayStation tried desperately to break it during the summer of 2000. We profile the leading lights in a grand race. Record Atlantic crossing: (June, 2000) Within days of being launched, maxi-catamaran Club Med breaks the east to west trans-Atlantic record. Traveling along the old 'route of discovery', from the mouth of the Mediterranean to the Bahamas by way of Grand Canary Island, Club Med produces some incredible speeds in rather average trade wind conditions. © weather-wise.com 2000 |