DAY 31, Special Edition - Innovation Explorer Broken Daggerboard
News - Tuesday, 01/30/2001, 5:44 AM GMT

Position	01/30/2001 5:44 AM GMT
1st	Club Med (Trying to avoid high en route to Cook Strait, avg speed 21.1 knots)
2nd	Innovation Explorer (854 nm from the leader, broke record set by Club Med yesterday, still troubled by sails, avg speed 23.7 knots)
3rd	Team Adventure (3766 nm from leader. Has taken over 3rd place from Wart Polpharma, covered 500 nm in 24 hrs, finally in the groove, avg speed 19.4 knots)
4th	Warta Polpharma (3894 nm from the leader. Behind Team Adventure as the crow flies, and slower, but is in the better position with regard to the course, avg speed 11.8 knots)
5th	Team Legato (5202 nm from the leader. Close to Roaring Forties, has made up some ground, avg speed 13.3 knots)
6th	PlayStation DNF

Latest News!

Skip Novak reports broken daggerboard and other damage on Innovation Explorer.

Innovation Explorer broke Club Med's record of yesterday between the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Leeuwin of 7 days and 18 hours - they did it in 7 days 14 hours and 10 minutes. Then overnight, they turned sharply left and experienced an overnight slowdown, dropping to single figures - now we know why.

Innovation Explorer is now in an emergency situation and will put in to Wellington, New Zealand.

There will be a 48 hr penalty for receiving assistance. The good news is that they will be able to take advantage of the new gennaker being made. Innnovation Explorer could conceivably drop to 3rd or 4th place.

Other boat damage:

• Lost - another half of a security port that was situated under the central crossbeam.
• broken - one of the plexiglass shields that protects the companionway into one of the hulls.

A new daggerboard has been ordered from Ollier.

The question everyone is asking: what did they hit? To date there is no information on them hitting anything. It is more likely to have been caused by fatigue, and repetitive high loading, then a big wave, considering the other damage. More news to come...

Skip Novak is not committing to going into port, certainly it is frustrating to lose so much time considering their current position. And also because computer simulations from Meteo showed Innovation Explorer passing through Cook Strait first. Dalton (Club Med) would prefer to pass through first, for all the New Zealanders avidly watching.

Team Adventure: they have to navigate a route between an anticyclone that is blocking their route and a strong depression with winds gusting to 50 knots.

Warta-Polpharma is in light air and big seas, and trying to escape by heading north to flatter seas and more breeze. The night was long, with many sail changes.

Team Legato continues to gain speed as they are firmly in the Roaring Forties. We are likely to see them gaining alot of ground on their predecessors.

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