Victory Of Ellen Macarthur On Kingfisher
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| A jubilant Ellen |
Ellen MacArthur on Kingfisher won the Route du Rhum 2002 in the 60-foot IMOCA monohull class, Saturday November 23.
Ellen MacArthur was first over the start line in Saint-Malo, Saturday 9 November at 1345 French time, 1245 GMT. She crossed the finish line, Saturday 23 November at 0216:47 GMT, Friday 22 November, 2316:47 local Guadeloupe time.
The previous record for monohulls in the Route du Rhum was 15 days, 19 hours, 23 minutes (Yves Parlier on Cacolac d'Aquitaine in 1994), Ellen MacArthur has established a new record time for Saint-Malo/Pointe-à-Pitre, at 13 days, 13 hours and 31 minutes, 47 seconds.
Hundreds of lights from the little boats gathering up the little star easing towards the finish ribbon at 7-8 knots through the melee of well wishers. Thousands carpeted the beaches to welcome the Queen of the Ocean who, right till the very end remained entirely and utterly focused. Her racing spirit exploding in the flares she sent off just minutes are crossing the line of this, surely one of the greatest, Route du Rhums in history!
An elated Ellen spoke from the pontoons backed by roof-tops swamped with people shouting her name. The whole of the little bay of the Darse like an amphitheatre echoing her words into the expectant crowd: "I have had so much pleasure actually just being on the boat. For me it's been a very special race. Very, very hard tactically without respite. You have to be at your best all the time and I couldn't have given more.
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| Kingfisher approaching Guadeloupe |
“It's so cool, I gave it everything I had. I'm pleased for myself, I'm pleased for the boat and above all I'm pleased to be in this position. You can never prepare yourself for an arrival; it just happens, you deal with it. The number of boats is impressive. It's just incredible. I'm so happy. I had a bit of a fight on with Mike. One day I was mild, next day he was mild. It will be great to talk to him - find out how hard he was pushing as I know I was pushing as hard as I could. We suffered the storm too but we were further West and got ahead of it. I thought about the multihulls who were hit by it a lot. I've never seen a storm like it in all my life with enormous waves.”
Ellen MacArthur, 26 years old, has made history by being the first female skipper and the first Brit to win the monohull class of the Route du Rhum. In 1990 the world followed the fantastic victory of Florence Arthaud on her trimaran Pierre 1er, Ellen is now the new star of solo racing. Sylvie Viant, president of the race committee said: "Ellen MacArthur is the greatest female solo sailor in all time. She is brilliant in all categories, she speaks perfect French, she is natural, charming, intelligent, always eager to learn more, and never one hundred percent satisfied. She wants to learn more and more, through herself and from other experienced people, like Alain Gautier and Yves Parlier."
Mike Golding on Ecover Second in the 60-foot Monohull Class
After 13 days of close battle with Ellen MacArthur on Kingfisher, Mike Golding crossed the finish line in Pointe à Pitre, Guadeloupe at 1134:35 GMT, 0734:35 local Guadeloupe time, just 9 hours 17 minutes, 48 seconds behind Kingfisher.
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| Ecover, hot on Kingfisher's heels |
Mike Golding has raced at an average speed of 10.61 knots at 13 days, 22 hours, 49 minutes and 35 seconds. This means that Mike Golding also beat the previous record for monohulls in the Route du Rhum.
It was a smiling Mike Golding that glided over the finish line bathed in warm sunshine amid a homely flotilla of little boats out on the water to greet this historic legend. After an intense battle with Ellen MacArthur for a sip of victory Rhum he comes in a triumphant second place in this the seventh edition of the Route du Rhum. A fabulous end to a great race.
Golding gave every thing he could to the final miles of the Route du Rhum. Having lost the use of two spinnakers, it was frustrating losing miles, and there was little he could do to catch up with Kingfisher and Ellen MacArthur's perfectly sailed race. The former fireman of the "Royal Berkshire Fire & Rescue Service" is a determined man. He kept the momentum going all the way to the finish line, which he crossed under the welcoming blue skies of the West Indies.
Mike Golding (42 years old) turned professional sailor in 1991. He has sailed four times round the world, three of which the "wrong way round" (westabout), against the prevailing wind and currents. He won the BT Global Challenge in 1997, in 1998 he won the first leg of the Around Alone (single-handed race round the world with stop-overs), but whilst in the lead in the second leg he ran aground in New Zealand and was forced to retire from the race. He also took part in the last Vendée Globe 2000/2001, starting a clear favourite. He dismasted in the first night shattering all dreams of victory, but Golding did not give up. He repaired the boat and got underway again, finally finishing a respectable 7th after 102 days at sea, catching up and overtaking many competitors one after the other.
On his battle with Ellen: "We were racing so close, we saw each other four times during the race, one of these four times was for five solid days, when we always had sight of each other on the horizon! Once I thought Ellen had a problem so I changed course slightly and went really close. She did not answer my call, maybe she was up the mast. I am not sure, maybe it was the logo, but I think I saw her.
"One day after the storm, I had a lot of damage - a long vertical tear in the main sail. I had to repair it immediately. We were close reaching in strong winds, and I did not want to lose miles. I reefed the main sail and pulled out the big genoa, a little bit too big for the conditions but I did not want to lose miles. I carried out the repair in 18-20 knots speed. The waves were huge, crashing all over the boat constantly. I was repairing slowly, sowing with a big needle, running around the mast to pull through the needle. It took me several hours in the rough conditions. When I got back to the cockpit and took the helm I looked ahead and right in front of me was Kingfisher! Amazing."
Victory For Michel Desjoyeaux On Geant
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| Geant's Michel Desjoyeaux |
Michel Desjoyeaux on Géant took victory in the 60 foot ORMA multihull class. Charging at full speed over the finish line, hundreds of boats were cheering on the French hero in the late afternoon in Guadeloupe.
Michel, left Saint Malo on Sunday 10 November at 1245 GMT and cut the finish line today, Saturday 23 November at 2038:00 GMT. His arrival time according to local time in Guadeloupe was 1638 hours and his race time from Saint-Malo / Pointe-à-Pitre is 13 days, 7 hours, 53 minutes and 0 seconds.
The time to beat for Route du Rhum in the 60 foot Multihull Class is that established in 1998 of 12 days, 8 hours 41 minutes and 6 seconds.
After crossing the finish line Michel said: “It is really excellent to finish at 30 knots (!) in the bay of Pointe à Pitre. Solo, it's full on, but I wanted to give this moment to all the people who came out here to greet me. These boats are really fantastic!
He also commented on the damage to the trimaran fleet: "We have known for long that to win in mechanical sports you first have to finish. And my ambition, already from the start was to cross the finish line. We should not forget that on a unfortunate mistake another competitor gave away his position. Stève was two days ahead of the rest of us and charged harder and it is true that I could have had a faster pace, but the essential was first to arrive in Guadeloupe. And to be at the startline! I want to credit the whole team. If we hadn't worked like mad for months, I would not have been here today. “
And as he crossed the finish line at around 20 knots, virtually swallowed up by an appreciative welcoming committee of little boats, it seemed that either Desjoyeaux or his boat, or both, wanted to keep on racing as the boat sped off at 30 knots and had to have its sails whipped down to regain control, as Ellen MacArthur stepped aboard.
| Anatomy of Ellen's Winning Race |
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Throughout the 3546 nautical miles up to Guadeloupe, the sailor has been able to dodge three of the principal traps of this race: the storm, the Azores high and breakage. Thanks to her westerly course on exiting the Channel, Ellen, situated to the North of the depression, in effect escaped the worst of the storm that decimated part of the fleet between 12 and 15 November.
Then it was by positioning herself south of her opponent Mike Golding that she was able to glide into the reaching winds at the edge of the anticyclone of the Azores and have the advantage definitively. She maintained her lead over six days. From the 17 November until her arrival on the 23. Saturday 9 November 2002 Start at 1245 GMT for 17 monohulls in 18 to 20 knots of north-westerly under reduced sail. Ellen MacArthur and Roland Jourdain beam to beam get the best start. The sailor passed the Cap Fréhel marker in third position, behind " Bilou " (Sill) and Mike Golding (Ecover). She holds this place for 24 hours. On the programme: tacking to exit the Channel.
Sunday 10 November
Wind from the West, from 25 to 30 knots, the first monohulls reach the point of Brittany at the end of the early morning. Sill is still in the lead, Kingfisher in fifth position 8 miles behind.
Monday 11 November
The fleet moves along upwind in the sea off the point of Brittany, in a sustained westerly wind and in particular a very strong sea. Sill was still in the lead in front of Mike Golding and Jean Pierre Dick. Ellen MacArthur is back into fourth position. Two options become to present themselves: westerly course (Ellen) or further south (Roland Jourdain, Jean Pierre Dick).
Tuesday 12 November
South-west to westerly wind at 25-35 knots, gusts up to 45 knots. Very strong seas locally big. The competitors found themselves in the seas of the Bay of Biscay. Those situated further North, like Ellen, are protected from the worst. The skipper managed to keep up with the leading pack behind Sill who lost his place during the day to Ecover.
Wednesday 13 November
The storm continues (south-west to westerly 40 knots, gusts up to 70). The northerly, followed by Ellen, was the right one: less wind, less sea, fewer obstacles to hind progress. Torn sails, Dominique Wavre (Temenos) retires. Jean Pierre Dick (Virbac) dismasts 120 nautical miles from La Coruña. Ecover and Kingfisher (13 miles behind) launch into their "pas de deux", which they were to continue right up to the finish.
Thursday 14 November
The leading monohulls are at least 300 miles from the archipelago of the Azores. Kingfisher, the fastest over 24 hours ( 271.2 miles at an average of 11 knots) takes the head of the race. Roland Jourdain heads to Madeira for a technical pitstop (torn mainsail). Joé Seeten has taken third place.
Friday 15 November
On the approach to the Azores, the competitors are beginning to ease the sheet, but the wind is still strong. The wrestling continues between the two Brits, a duel which leaves Joé Seeten (Arcelor-Dunkerque) speechless, 208 miles behind. Ellen who has had a bit of a fright with her runners, is positioned slightly south of her adversary to anticipate the negotiation of the Azores high.
Saturday 16 November
The first monohulls are sailing close to the Azores archipelago, on the edge of the anticyclone. The sparring between Ellen and Mike continues and the two Brits have their eyes glued to their barometers to avoid being trapped in the calms. In the 1600 GMT rankings, Ecover, faster, scoops into the lead: he has 8 miles on Kingfisher.
Sunday 17 November
Wind from the north-east at 15-20 knots: the trade winds are here and we are at the halfway point in the race. Sailing under full mainsail and spinnaker, positioned to the south of the her rival, Kingfisher retakes the lead in the rankings of 07h00 GMT. At noon, Ellen was in the lead by 16 miles on Mike. The two Brits had an enormous lead on third placed Joé Seeten from then on.
Monday 18 November
In the trade winds, Ellen MacArthur is working hard and holds her position: 33.2 miles ahead of Mike Golding. She is also the quickest over 24 hours (229 miles, 11 knots average), despite her little trip to the top of the mast to repair the lashing of the gennaker halyard.
Tuesday 19 November
Ellen has lost some miles following her expedition to the top of the mast the day before. At the end of the day, she finally gybed and left the Southerly edge of the anticyclone to dive into the trade winds. Her manoeuvre was clear: to benefit from the easterly flow of the anticyclone for as long as possible so as to shift towards the west and have as few gybes to make as possible in the future.
Wednesday 20 November
At a little more than 1000 miles from the finish line, Kingfisher takes control with 44.5 miles on Ecover. It has to be said that Mike Golding has experienced some setbacks: first spinnaker blown and a second in tatters wrapped around his stay. Ellen is pushing her boat, spending hours on the helm and trimming so as to negotiate the squalls. The fatigue and the stress are setting in. With 330.7 miles covered in 24 hours at an average of 14 knots, she makes the best progress of the day.
Thursday 21 November
A moment of stress for Ellen MacArthur who has been living these 24 past hours of racing at an average of 15 knots. Not breaking anything, planning a strategy for the coastal route of 82 miles around Basse-Terre which will lead to the finish line, remaining lucid after 12 days of racing on a knife edge… such are the reasons for her worry and fatigue. Nevertheless, Mike Golding is still losing ground: 76.3 miles behind at the end of the day.
Friday 22 November
Last miles to victory. At 1100 GMT on Friday 22, Kingfisher was no more than 155 miles from the finish line situated in front of the Pointe à Pitre. Once the island of Désirade is left to starboard, she will have to round a marker located to the east of Basse Terre and skirt the island by the south as far as the second marker, before the final straight line to the finish.
Saturday 23 November at 0216:47 GMT
Slicing the Pointe à Pitre finish line under a heavy moon and an atmosphere ripe with the anticipation of thousands of well wishers lining the beaches of Guadeloupe, the air erupted with life from the cheering and the klaxons. Averaging 14 knots towards the final hours rather than the predicted 8, Ellen was pushing back Yves Parlier's record with every puff of wind. Reducing the record which has stood for the past 8 years by over 2 days. Finally edging her way at 7-8 along the closing straight through the throngs of boats who had come en masse to greet her after 13 days, 13 hours, 31 minutes and 47 seconds, the waiting was over and Ellen was absolutely delighted. |
