From: O.B.Schou@lut.ac.uk
Newsgroups: rec.boats
Subject: Re: British Steel Challenge 5/6th JAN 93
Date: 7 Jan 93 10:57:46 GMT
Reply-To: O.B.Schou@lut.ac.uk (OBSchou)
Organization: Loughborough University, UK.


Folks,

Here the "latest" British Steel Challenge reports follow.  The one from
5 Jan is just the press report.  British Steel II was then safely in
Wellington. 

There have been some 20 reports in just two days - I will try and get
them more frequently for the next few days. 

Enjoy!

Bertil.
*****************************************************************************


Press Report (5th Jan)

Compiled at 10:30 GMT   5th January, 1993
Race Leg: 2 - Rio de Janeiro to Hobart.

HOFBRAU LAGER SAILS IN UNDER JURY RIG, COOPERS & LYBRAND WITH SPINNAKER
FLYING

Hofbrau Lager, the 67' British steel yacht skippered by Pete Goss
arrived in Hobart this afternoon with a cracked mast secured by an
amazing network off additional ropes and wood chocks.  They crossed the
line at 12:29:55 giving them a leg time of 50 days 09 hours 29 minutes
and 55 seconds placing them in second place overall after the two legs
of this round the world challenge.  Less than 7 hours later, Vivien
Cherry and the team on Coopers & Lybrand raced down the river Derwent at
approximately 9.5 knots with the corporate spinnaker flying. 

Crew member, Michael Kay commented "It was a feeling of immense personal
satisfaction on crossing the line, at 45 I had done it! The mast
problems dogged our last 400 miles, and that put a huge strain on the
team, particularly on the skipper and rigger, Mark steardman.  It was
credit to the whole crew to get the boat in, and the morale on board
never slipped.  The reason we got through it is definately down to team
work." Skipper, pete Goss confirmed that he was releived to finish. 
"Despite the worry of the mast and then the last minute failure of the
engine, the team never panicked, the humour was never far from the
surface."

A huge crowd gathered on the Queen Elizabeth Peir to see Vivien Cherry
and her team over the line.  The sight of hundreds of people after seven
weeks at sea was a huge surprise to the forteen strong team.  "To see
all the people after 8,000 miles of the loneliest ocean is a real shock. 
I can't believe it" commented Mathew Steel Jessep.  "The length of the
leg was a real challenge." Skipper Vivien Cherry confirmed "The length
of the leg was really tiring, for the first month it seemed as if we
were hardly reducing the miles to the finish, it was only when we passed
the magic 1000 mark that Hobart suddenly seemed a reality.  Some of the
crew got very tired and there was a lot of condensation below decks
which made it quite damp.  Everybody pulled together really well."

Coopers & Lybrand were also sporting a complex arrangement of ropes
around the mast, to support a small crack at deck level. 



Report 271
Compiled at 15:01 GMT   6th January, 1993
Race Leg 2 - Rio de Janeiro to Hobart


Latest Yacht Data

Listed in orser of ETA or ATA.  Time of fix in GMT
Name of Yacht         Time of Fix   Latitude   Logitude    CMG  SMG   DTF  VMG
01: Nuclear Electric  03 JAN 14:26  42 53.30S  147 20.50E  000  00.0  000  06.5
02: Commercial Union  04 JAN 00:20  42 53.30S  147 20.50E  000  00.0  000  06.4
03: Hofbrau Lager     05 JAN 02:29  42 53.30S  147 20.50E  000  00.0  000  06.3
04: Coopers & Lybrand 05 JAN 08:43  42 53.30S  147 20.50E  000  00.0  000  06.3
05: Group 4           05 JAN 20:47  42 53.30S  147 20.50E  000  00.0  000  06.2
06: Pride of Teeside  05 JAN 23:58  42 53.30S  147 20.50E  000  00.0  000  06.2
07: Heath Insured     06 JAN 05:59  42 53.30S  147 20.50E  000  00.0  000  06.2
08: InterSpray        06 JAN 15:00  43 13.64S  147 42.75E  294  05.9  027  06.1
09: Rhone Poulenc     06 JAN 15:00  44 33.52S  158 50.67E  300  05.9  515  05.7
  : British Steel II  04 JAN 15:00  41 30.63S  174 54.03E 

Key:
CMG   Course Made Good; Course between last two known positions
SMG   Speed Made Good; speed between last two known positions in Knots
DTF   Distance to Finish; Great Circle route via waypoints to end 
      of leg in Nautical Miles.
VMG   Velocity Made Good; average velocity towards leg finish in Knots
ETA   Estimated Time of Arrival
ATA   Actual Time of Arrival

Race Management System developed by BT in association with the Whitbread
Round the World Race. 

Additional Information:

InterSpray has westerly winds of 15 to 20 knots and should finish the
second leg of the race this afternoon.  Meanwhile, Rohn Poulenc, the
final yacht to finish, the wind will veer to the Northwest tomorrow. 

Weather information supplied by IFU Met Office at Bracknell.

Acknowlegement

BT Race Results System data
Copyright British Telecommunications plc 1992

Any part of this document may be reproduced for information purposes in
any form, provided the reproduction is accompanied by the above notice. 


(Additional comment from the ETA/ATA datasheet (not copied)):
ETA of Rhone Poulenc is within 12 hours.  All above times [ed: not
copied] are provisional and subject to the Hobart Protest Committee's
decision on :- Protests arising at the Start in Rio, and redress for
time lost by the yachts who diverted to assist British Steel II. 


Press Report (6th JAN)
Compiled at 10:30 GMT 6th January 1993
Race Leg: 2 Rio de Janeiro to Hobart

GROUP 4 SECURITAS, PRIDE OF TEESIDE AND HEATH INSURED ALL CROSS THE
FINISHING LINE IN HOBART

Group 4 Securitas, the yacht skippered by Mike Golding finally sealed
the outcome of the ongoing duel between themselves and Ian
MacGillivray's team on Pride of Teeside this morning, crossing the line
in just over three hours before their rivals in a fragile wind.  As they
crossed the line, they played a team rendition of Waltzing Matilda, and
sprayed champange they had loaded on board in Rio before their departure
on 15 November 1992. 

Golding and his team had to keep their concentration going to the very
last seconds as the wind disappeared as they came past Hobart's
Wrestpoint Casino.  Delecate manouevering was require to get the boat
over the line between the marks in conditions which gave little
steerage.  Race creator, Chay Blyth congratulated Mike Golding on
recouping so much time after their unscheduled stop at the Brazillian
port of Florionapolis with the first bottlescrew breakage.  The crew had
to face a recurrence of the problem in week four of this leg. 

Mike Golding commented "Leg 2 lived up to its reputation as the toughest
yacht race ever, thankfully we arrived in Hobart with no serious
problems, no one hurt, and in a strongly competitive position overall. 
The crew have exceeded my expectations in some very testing situations."

Rob Colen noted the different smells of Rio and Hobart.  "After a long
period at sea you are much more attuned to these small differences. 
Approaching Rio, the rain forests gave off a pungent, earthy smell,
whereas the strong scent of pine forests as we drew close to Hobart was
very strong and very tempting."

Meanwhile, for the team on Pride of teeside, the minutes turned into
hours as the calm that had caught Group 4 Securitas in their finishing
moments dogged Ian MacGillivray's crew right up the river Derwent. 

Agronomist, John Bagley said that one of the high points of his trip was
"A huge iceberg that looked like Sydney Opera House.  It had obviously
turned 90 degrees in the water and the part that been under the surface
was beautifully green and smooth.  The exposed part was completely
contrasted, crusty, jagged ice.  The magnificent sailing was a unique
experience and i was amazed by the speed of weather changes."

Knowlege of a pending telephone conversation wirth the princess Royal
who is due to open the 1993 London boat Show today did much to focus
their attention on getting to the Press Office on time.  Meanwhile the
crew on Group 4 Securitas report that Christmas greetings were received
on the boat from her Majesty The Queen and Prince Phillip.  Michael
O'Reagan said "I thought they were joking until I saw the message on the
telex, it gave the crew a real boost amid the chilly conditions of the
Southern Ocean." 

Later in the afternoon, Heath Insured became the seventh yacht to
complete Leg 2.  With a heavily bearded Adrian Donovan at the helm the
yacht crossed the line at 16:59:06 local time.  Crew member, Carol
Randall received a fantastic surprise when her husband appeared from the
companionway of Pride of Teeside as Heath Insured came alongside. 

Food has apparently been a contentious issue among many of the crews. 
The weeks ration of strawberry jam was among the most coveted items on
the boat.  The doctor on board of Pride of Teeside, 28 year old Robert
Milnes rewarded his crew with homemade mincemeat and pastry pies on
Christmas Day and just two days ago, presented homemade croissants! Each
yacht had a budget of almost 18 million Brazilian cruzados to spend in
Rio to supplement the dried food! Their early arrival in Hobart allowed
some to double their rations and others to select only their favourite
dishes. 
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