| British Solo Sailor Battles on as Fleet Heads Towards Azores |
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 Despite some technical issues onboard Artemis, solo sailor Brian Thompson is in contention for the top positions in the Route du Rhum, solo transatlantic race. Thompson reported this morning that his concerns with his autopilot are under control and he is making good progress. With only 78 miles between first and fifth place the front runners in the Open 60 fleet are setting a fast pace. With the latest position report polling Brian in fifth place, the British sailor is just 6 miles behind fourth placed Temenos and with Roland Jourdain (FRA) taking a gamble with a very southerly course there is all to play for out on the race track.Jonny Malbon, Artemis Ocean Racing boat captain gave his update on the events: “Before the start of the race Brian always said he wanted to be in the top 5 and that is exactly where he is at the moment. They are all neck and neck with some really interesting course choices so the next 24 hours or so will be very interesting. Since yesterday, Brian has been having a few issues with the pilot system on board the boat caused by the rudders. The problems at this stage are more of a nuisance and a distraction than anything serious. Unfortunately troubleshooting is time consuming and will for sure, take Brian’s attention from the actual sailing of the race but it is common for problems such as these to arise, and we are working closely with B+G (electronics company) to get things back to 100%. The present forecast is saying quite a lot more wind, 30-40 knots, so it has been important for Brian to get the pilot working properly again. I spoke to him a while ago and he is happy with the tweaks that have been made to the system, which should give him more confidence. He is generally happy with the boat and having a great time, so once he can get over the little hiccups, and focus on the race more, then I’m sure he will start eating up the miles again. He is still very much in contention, and I’m sure he’s relishing the battle that he is having with Dominique right now. I hope to see him pulling back the 8 or so miles that Dominique has gained in the last 24 hours. A long way to go, and plenty can happen, especially with the leader only 78 miles ahead…” The Route du Rhum started in St Malo, France on Sunday 29th October, and takes the fleet of 12 Open 60’s on a 3510 mile dash across the Atlantic to Pointe à Pitre, Guadeloupe. It is one of the most established single-handed transatlantic races in the world, taking place every four years and Thompson is aiming to sail into the record books alongside Dame Ellen MacArthur, who holds the current race record of 13 days, 31 hours and 47 minutes. In setting this record Ellen won the Open 60 class in 2002, but no other British man has ever won the race. For further details on the latest positions, visit www.routedurhum-labanquepostale.com. Related Items:
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