| Bubb leads Mini fleet |
British solo sailor Nick Bubb won today's re-start of the 2005 Mini Transat, from Puerto Calero, Lanzarote.
The 26-year-old repeated his Leg 1 feat, with a 'no-holds barred' port-tack start, crossing ahead of the entire international fleet of 70 yachts. Two hours into the race Bubb, sailing The Spa at Whittlebury Hall, was still leading the fleet on this deciding leg of the race.
The sailors now face a three-week, 2,700 mile odyssey toward Salvador de Bahia, Brazil.
During the pre-start postponement, Bubb made a bold call in consultation with his weather team, unleashing a more powerful sail plan with minutes to go. The new configuration, flying the massive code zero genoa from the forestay, has been in closely guarded development for over three years. This was the first time Bubb had deployed the extra power for a racing start.
Hitting the line at full speed on the gun, Bubb and fellow GBR sailor Phil Sharp (Le Gallais), stamped their authority on the fleet with a clear speed edge. On the first night, Bubb led the fleet past the southernmost point of Lanzarote, with Sharp holding a top five position.
Both individuals are attempting to become the first British sailor to win the biannual solo Mini Transatlantic race, which has a 30 year history dominated by the French.
With the southerly wind increasing to 15 knots within minutes of the start, the fleet face a complex escape from the Canary Islands.
The weather forecast has led to a clear division of opinion, on the best tactics to employ in the first week. This has dramatically split the fleet in two, with over 15 miles separation between both groups, only three hours into the race.
The leading players for overall honours (including Bubb and Sharp) have taken the south-west option. This makes best use of the immediate weather pattern over the first 72 hours. Leaving the island of Fuerteventura to port, they hope to pick up a favourable wind shift to the west within 36 hours. Attempting to minimise their exposure to the massive wind shadows in the lee of these islands, some in this group may even head further west, leaving Gran Canaria to port.
The south-east option takes a radically different view. With the normal pattern of trade winds disrupted by low pressure above the Canaries, these boats have decided to take a bold route, East toward the African Coast. They hope to pick up the trade winds earlier than their South West rivals. In doing so they are willing to risk a larger exposure to the light air zone, not to mention the pirate activity in that area.
Roughly 40 boats have gone south-west, the remaining thirty taking the flyer to the east.
Press report/Yachting World, 8 October 2005
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