Day 51, Sunday January 24, 1999

© Photo Richard Konkolski

Unfavorable headwind drastically slowed down Minoru Saito. By the end of the day he was only 143 miles from the finish but his speed dropped down to 3.4 knots. With such a speed it could have taken him another two days to finish. At least he had Cape Rienga behind his stern.

Saito's Shuten-dohji II © Photo Billy Black

Thirty one miles behind him was Neal Petersen doing about 5 knots and catching on. As he passed Cape Rienga, he kept sailing straight on tack off the coast. His email expressed his frustration with strong headwind: "It has been living hell. I am less than 230 miles from Auckland, but unable to close the gap because of severe weather. Tropical storms are whipping up the seas. Today the winds were SE between 30 and 40 knots, coming directly from Auckland. The seas are a mess. I feel like a ping pong ball being bounced around by an idle hand. It is too rough to cook. I am hungry and very frustrated. This is my 49th day at sea, and what should be 2 days is more likely 3 or 4 days with this weather. I saw land briefly as I got swept past, unable to tack SE yet. It is hard just sitting wedged, trying to write without being airborne as we crash over the crests."

Hunter's Paladin II © Photo Billy Black

Farther back was Neil Hunter doing over 6 knots. For now he was able to hold direct course for the Cape. Hopefully the wind would change direction at his arrival there. He was still 357 miles from Auckland.

Class I skipper Fedor Konioukhov was less than 250 miles behind Hunter. He was further north but he should be having the same conditions as Neil. Unfortunately he slowed down considerably, to 2.6 knots. He still had 604 miles to go.

Robin Davie who was tailing the remaining fleet just passed the Tasmania and had 1479 miles to go with only 6 days left. Definitively he was not expected to make the 30^th of January deadline in order to be allowed to continue the race. He had little wind as he described it in his email: "We have drifted slowly, and sailed to light airs slowly, and we have watched the wind generator go around slowly - or not at all - it's been another 24 hours of summer sunshine cruising and drifting and dreaming… Generally we have tried to drift and sail northeastwards to clear Tasmania, but to keep the boat moving a course closer to the west to northwest light winds and airs has meant a more northerly course, so today right on bow are the higher hills and mountains of Southern Tasmania visible on the horizon… If the final 1,000 miles into Cape Town on Leg 1 without a rudder was a challenge, then this final 1,500 miles into Auckland on Leg 2 is proving to be every bit as tough, slow and at present frustrating."

© Photo Richard Konkolski

Positions:

Class 1

Class 2

Copyright © Richard Konkolski
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