Ellen MacArthur: Allein um die Welt im Trimaran

ELLEN: GIVE US A BREAK, I CAN'T CARRY ON LIKE THIS 15 Jan 2005 - 07:50
2 quick calls with Ellen during the night, 48 exhausting hours since passing Cape Horn. There has been little chance to recuperate, and the deep fatigue is taking its toll. Last night just as things seemed to be more stable, a 2 metre headsea (ie waves from ahead, wind from behind), creating a violent and dangerous motion onboard B&Q, pushed Ellen to her mental limits. 'The whole boat is shaking, its just terrible. Its terrible. Its **** bad. Everything is groaning. There is nothing I can do.'
FASTER CONDITIONS TODAY 15 Jan 2005 - 07:27
B&Q back up to speed - 19 knots heading on a north-westerly course for now, in 24 knots of SSW breeze. Rougher but faster conditions will, hopefully, prevent any further major losses on the clock today.
COMMANDERS WEATHER 15 Jan 2005 - 07:23
Light winds yesterday, strong airflow today from SSW-SW - 25-35 knots and stronger in the squalls - as approaching cold front from the west moves to the south-east. Ellen's main objective is to avoid getting engulfed by a high pressure that is expanding and moving east off Uruguay. See Commanders Weather below....
LATEST NEWS SIGNING-OFF 14 Jan 2005 - 19:47
As Ellen continues on a north-westerly direction, she will be eagerly awaiting the wind shift into the W-SW bringing stronger breeze to head NE again by tomorrow to try and stem the time loss on the record. One welcome change is the rise in the temperature [sea temperature now over 16 degrees] allowing Ellen to discard the thermals and oilskins that were a permanent feature of her life in the Southern Ocean. Latest News signing off until tomorrow...
LIGHT AIR FRUSTRATION 14 Jan 2005 - 17:24
Light airs and variable direction that Ellen is experiencing are set to continue through the rest of the evening and the high pressure system blocking the route ahead will prove to be a tactically testing time... See latest Day 48 full story below...
TIME SLIPPING 14 Jan 2005 - 14:35
Diminishing winds and decreasing boat speeds for B&Q - 5.62 knots at 1300gmt, 8.55 knots at 1400gmt. Breeze all over the place - now coming from the NE. Ellen tacked on to starboard heading NW. The effect? Big time losses - 6 hours of her advantage has disappeared since 0700gmt this morning. In comparison, Joyon was sailing fast in the Southern Ocean, so compounding the loss of time on the clock...
WEATHER AHEAD PROVIDES GREATEST CONCERN 14 Jan 2005 - 12:59
"I am very worried about the weather coming, it will make me have to push myself hard to get through the front and get passed the high pressure system. It will force a lot of sail changes - I am already having to do 1 or 2 sail changes every hour to keep moving. The biggest worry is the weather and trying to keep ahead of the record..." Today more light winds, tomorrow 30+ knots and by Monday a high pressure system that may block her route north. Latest boat speed just 5.62 knots.
JOBS V SLEEP 14 Jan 2005 - 12:54
"I got some rest last night - about 3hrs - if I hadn't, I wouldn't have been able to do what I've been doing today. Have just spent five hours getting on with the jobs I couldn't take on in the South - I have changed back to the air-cooled generator, fixed the tiller andthe rudder bearing, bailed out the whole boat and now got to repair the Active Echo [the transponder that helps B&Q to show up on a ship's radar]. Without sleep I would not be able to do this. It's hard to even think straight."
LESS WIND, LESS SPEED 14 Jan 2005 - 10:10
The conditions in the South Atlantic are slowing B&Q's pace this morning, as boat speeds dip to 10 knots. B&Q's advantage in these conditions is her weight - 8.3 tonnes compared to IDEC's 16 tonnes - but the complicated weather of the South Atlantic could easily trip up Ellen's march on the record... See Day 48 full story below...
BREEZE DOWN 14 Jan 2005 - 07:15
True wind speed down to 11.5 knots, although B&Q sailing at 10.73 knots heading NNE in a westerly breeze approximately 270 miles north of the Falkland Islands. Check out the sea temperature on Live Data, already back up to 13 degrees off the Argentine coast