From: O.B.Schou@lut.ac.uk
Subject: British Steel results 17 DEC 92.
Reply-To: O.B.Schou@lut.ac.uk (OBSchou)
Organization: Loughborough University, UK.
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 92 22:19:40 GMT


My comments on the press report: the write of this piece does not seem
to be a sailor - a forestay being a "wire from the front of the boat",
and winds 15000 FEET below the Southern Ocean..

To the someone I said I was betting on British Steel, I lost.  However,
they were gaing slowly but surely...

The incident with British Steel II means there have been 5 bottle screw
problems, and these have all been on this leg. What i want to know is
why have these yachts  not got a spare onboard??

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

Report 165
Compiled at 16.12 GMT   17th December 1992
Race Leg 2 - Rio de Janeiro to Hobart


Latest Yacht Data

(Time of fix 17 DEC 15:00 GMT)

Name of Yacht         Latitude    Logitude     CMG   SMG    DTF    VMG
01: Commercial Union  58 17.74S   137 26.93W   256   08.6   2843   06.2
02: Nuclear Electric  53 43.87S   139 18.59W   256   06.2   2864   06.2
03: Hofbrau Lager     57 44.66S   133 23.76W   243   09.1   2976   06.1
04: Coopers & Lybrand 57 13.00S   131 11.00W   247   08.1   3054   06.0
05: Heath Insured     52 39.84S   134 17.25W   255   07.9   3055   06.0
06: Group 4           53 05.89S   133 11.05W   268   35.8   3083   05.9
07: Pride of Teeside  49 47.98S   132 44.52W   248   08.7   3179   05.8
08: InterSpray        52 54.34S   124 02.56W   251   07.3   3385   05.6
09: Rhone Poulenc     49 42.69S   119 22.15W   249   07.4   3633   05.2

  : British Steel II  55 23.92S   134 18.72W   


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. 

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 Information:

A depression passing over the fleet with a circulating wind system will
provide favouable NE wind for the most southerly yachts followed by
southerlies tomorrow.  British Steel having been dismasted is heading
north to avoid the Roaring Forties and making way to New Zealand. 
Weather supplied by IFU Bracknell. 



The British Steel Challenge 
Press Report
Compiled at 09:30    17th December, 1992
Race leg 2 - Rio de Janeiro to Hobart

BRITISH STEEL ASSESSES THE OPTIONS


Kevin Dufficy on board British Steel II commented on yesterday's
incident.  "A noise like a gunshot and the leg was over for us.  A shout
of all hands on deck, a roll call of the crew, relief that everyone was
there, uninjured and then the realisation that the sails were no longer
there. 

The mast had broken, snapped off like a twig at deck level. 
Disappearing into the Southern Ocean dragging with it our sails and
rigging it fortunately did not put a hole in the yacht.  Since the 4th
day of this leg we had sailed well within ourselves as the first of the
four boats reported problems with their forestay - a thick wire at the
front of the boat that helps support the mast and also carries sails. 
Back in 8th place then we slowly worked our way up to second place.  For
36 hours we weathered very strong gales with winds of 55 mph and huge
rolling seas the yacht was loving it.  With no main sail up and just two
small sails on the foredeck she rode through heavy seas comfortably. 
The wind finally weakened to about 30mph around 5pm yesterday and we put
up the main sail part of the way.  Then the bottlescrew broke. 

There is a mood of quiet resignation on board.  You have to accept
events and get moving again.  the crew have cleared up the debris and
are now designing a makeshift mast and rigging so that we can get back
in the race as soon as possible.  The nearest land for repairs is New
Zealand over 2000 miles away.  Any thoughts of New Years Eve in Hobart,
a relistic possiblility given favorable winds lie 15000 feet under the
Southern Ocean [ed: What??] at a little spot called 56 degrees north,
131 degrees west.  We will still enjoy Christmas and New Years Eve and
Marcus Gladwell's birthday and we'll follow the progress of the other
yachts on the daily chat show wishing them safe passage.  But we wish
Santa Claus could drop a mast down the hole in our deck.  Getting there
is important, but getting there faster than anyone else is the real
challenge."

There is a small depression passing over the majority of the fleet
today, which will make British Steel II's passage north rather more
comfortable. 
 


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