| Route du Rhum:Tough time ahead for Phil Sharp as finish approaches |
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| Tuesday, 14 November 2006 | |
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Tim Collins: British sailor Phil Sharp faces a challenging next 24 hours in the Route du Rhum transatlantic race as the winds begin to drop on the approach to the finish in Guadeloupe. A good nights sailing for Sharp saw the Jersey based sailor regain some of the ground lost over the last couple of days to nearest rival, French sailor Gildas Morvan. The lasted position report showed that Sharp has gained a further 25 miles on his rival and was now 102 miles ahead in what has become a two horse race. Sharp is now stuck in a wind hole that has taken his speed right down and the next 24 hours will be critical. Speaking from his boat 330 miles east of Guadeloupe Sharp said, “It’s been quite a stressful night as the wind has dropped right down and this morning I’m currently achieving about 2-3 knots. All you can do is sit and wait for everyone else to catch you up which is extremely frustrating.” The good news for Sharp this morning however was that the following fleet have also hit the same wind hole which has enabled Sharp to maintain his lead. “It looks like Gildas has had the same problems as me which is good news, my only hope is that I can get out this hole before everyone else and get a good run to the finish. The positive thing for me at the moment is that the boat is performing well and handled the storms really well. I was up the mast yesterday trying to sort out the spinnaker as I’ve been using it quite a bit recently as I can’t use the gennaker. “I’m just really looking forward to getting to Guadeloupe now and having a couple of weeks in the Caribbean. At this rate I think realistically we’re looking at a Thursday morning finish but I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed until then in the hope I can get out of this hole before everyone else.” First place at this stage is a fantastic achievement for Sharp who is sailing in his first Route du Rhum. A good finish in the race will put Phil in a good position to realise his dream of taking part in the 2008 Vendee Globe. Position from last report 0800h (CET) Latitude: 20 58.08N Longitude: 60 40.96W http://www.routedurhum-labanquepostale.com/ Route du Rhum photos |
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| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 14 November 2006 ) |
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