July 8 Update: Swallowed Up in Celtic Sea Parking Lot
NEWPORT, R.I. — Like an immovable bouncer barring entry to the English Channel nightclub, the giant ridge, or zone of high pressure, continues to define this latter half of the Transatlantic Race 2019.
While the center of this huge “bubble” of light winds has retraced south gradually, its reach still extends north into the Celtic Sea (between Cornwall and southern Ireland). The latest forecasts show little prospect of it shrinking further south before the boats reach the Western Approaches.
Thus, for the next wave of boats that have spent the last week skirting the perimeter of the high, there is now no option: They must cross the high and accept a frustrating, but inevitable, down-turn in speed.
“Ordeal by ridge” has been the case since late last week for Clarke Murphy’s Rogers 82 Aegir (at right). Only this morning is the crew on board feeling some reprieve as not only are they through to the east side of it but have also “made land.”
Read more: July 8 Update: Swallowed Up in Celtic Sea Parking Lot
July 6 Update: Wizard Transitions to Waiting Game for Transatlantic Race 2019
COWES, England – In the early hours this morning, British time, a familiar VO70 shape ghosted across a pitch-black Royal Yacht Squadron finish line off Cowes, Isle of Wight. David and Peter Askew’s Wizard arrived home second in the Transatlantic Race 2019 at 00:31 UTC with an elapsed time of 10 days, 9 hours, 1 minute and 42 seconds.
The Wizard crew included owners David (Park City, Utah) and Peter Askew (Riderwood, Md.), Richard Clarke (Salt Spring, Canada), Charlie Enright (Barrington, R.I.), Joe Faneli (Middletown, R.I.), Rob Greenhalgh (Sydney, Australia), Phil Harmer (Bishops Waltham, U.K.), boat captain Chris Maxted (Newport, R.I.), navigator Will Oxley (Castle Hill, Australia), Mark Towill (Honolulu, Hi.), John Von Schwarz (Charleston, S.C.) and Mitch White (Sydney, Australia).
Wizard and her crew have great pedigree, their steed being Franck Cammas’ 2011-’12 Volvo Ocean Race winner Groupama 4. Since acquiring her in 2017 for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race, they have won the 2018 Newport-Bermuda Race and earlier this year the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s Caribbean 600. Of the two finishers so far, the American VO70 is the present leader under IRC corrected time.
Read more: July 6 Update: Wizard Transitions to Waiting Game for Transatlantic Race 2019
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