DAY 38 - Bullimore Haunted by Kergulelen Island, Where 4 years ago his keel Snapped off Exide Challenger
News - Tuesday, 02/06/2001, 5:40 AM GMT

Position	02/06/2001 5:40 AM GMT
1st	Club Med (9738 nm from finish. Plunging south to shorten route, avg speed 20.6 knots)
2nd	Innovation Explorer (629 nm from the leader. Heading SE in tactical gamble, avg speed 22.6 knots)
3rd	Team Adventure (4587 nm from leader. Should pass Cape Leeuwin today, satellite still no go, avg speed 20.5 knots)
4th	Warta Polpharma (5252 nm from the leader. Increased lead over Legato, avg speed 17.4 knots)
5th	Team Legato (6396 nm from the leader. Memories Kergulelen Island haunt Bullimore, avg speed 19.5 knots)
6th	PlayStation DNF

Team Legato: Bullimore memories:
"In the next couple of days we will be passing Kergulelen Island. It was four years ago, further southeast nearer to Heard Island, that I had my Southern Ocean adventure when the keel snapped off Exide Challenger". This was in the 1996-1997 Vendee Globe single-handed, non-stop ’round the world race.

"I think a lot about this, and wonder whether the larger stormy petrels that swoop down and around Legato now were the chicks that I had seen then".

After the keel snapped off, Exide Challenger flipped over with Bullimore trapped inside. He remained in this state for several days before being rescued, sleeping on a makeshift hammock in an airpocket to stay dry. As a permanent momento he lost the tip off one finger. Such an experience stays with one for a lifetime and yet the fearless bulldog is back at it again, challenging the seas.
Exide Challenger was never recovered.

Tony Bullimore aft of his yacht with rescuers close by
Photo by the Autralian Navy

Tony Bullimore in the hands of his rescuers
Photo by the Autralian Navy

Article on the Rescue from the Australian Navy.

Club Med's Dalton: "Its really windy, it seems we are destined to sail in strong winds all the time, all the way around the world. Right now there are 40-50 knots out here, the waves are not too bad yet."

"We are becoming more and more confident in handling our boat in these conditions. Our last gybe was executed with the spinnaker set in 40 knots of wind, something we would never have done a few weeks ago. It takes about half an hour to gybe the boat, even with two reefs in. The hairy bit is when the main is on the centreline before we go through the wind."

"Hervé Jan has sprained his ankle on the netting. It's not too bad but he'll have to take it easy for a while."

Grant Dalton has taken a direct route east, and is almost at the latitude of Cap Horn. Loïck Peyron is further to the north. The conditions are getting colder, and they may encounter some icebergs on the route to Cape Horn.

The low pressure currently centered southwest of Dalton is going to spin off a new, intense depression, which will form and move north into the path of Innovation Explorer, before sinking southeast. It looks as though this will have some very strong northerly breeze on its front edge, and Peyron may well have to hold his boat north, off the direct route to the Horn, to stay out of the worst of this one.

Innovation Explorer is bracing for the onset of a storm. "The biggest we've had since the start", predicted Skip Novak.

From the NOW live tracker, www.now.com

Innovation Explorer is in turqoise Club Med in yellow Team Adventure is green

PlayStation is in red Warta is orange Team Legato is blue

Team Adventure: Larry [Rosenfeld] has diagnosed the B-system satellite problem after receiving great instruction from France Telecom technicians. Unfortunately, he has come up with nothing - dead, no go.

Back in the Indian Ocean, Cam Lewis and Team Adventure have had a storming weekend, fully attached to the northwest corner of that little low pressure, blast reaching in southerly winds they have been eating up the miles and are now almost under Western Australia.

Team Adventure have sailed hard overnight, covering 493 nm during the 24 hours to 10:50 GMT. Skipper Cam Lewis should pass Cape Leeuwin today, and start to plan his route towards New Zealand.

They have been having problems with water leaking in through some hatches on the port hull, this does not make the team feel any more comfortable - dampness permeates everything already. "Lewis: We are sealing the gaps with Sicaflex (a kind of silicon resin) so that it’s dry to sleep".

Warta Polpharma have held off a rejuvenated Team Legato, and have managed to add to their lead during the past day. They have sailed 418nm in the past 24 hours.

Team Legato, hanging onto the low pressure system with 30 to 35 knot winds is still in classic Southern Ocean weather and has covered 392 miles over the past 24 hours.

From the NOW live tracker, www.now.com

Innovation Explorer is in turqoise Club Med in yellow Team Adventure is green

PlayStation is in red Warta is orange Team Legato is blue

Map images courtesy of Virtual Spectator, click here to go to The Race site for a free download of the software.

Club Med in blue Innovation Explorer is in green Warta Polpharma is yellow

Team Adventure is in orange Team Legato is in brick-red PlayStation is in orange-red

Map images courtesy of Virtual Spectator, click here to go to The Race site for a free download of the software.

Club Med in blue Innovation Explorer is in green Warta Polpharma is yellow

Team Adventure is in orange Team Legato is in brick-red PlayStation is in orange-red

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