Great American II Making Record Times in Tradewinds
by Cynthia Goss and Keith Taylor of sitesALIVE!
(May 14, 2003 09°48'N 37°34'W / Atlantic Ocean)
When Great American II--the 53-foot trimaran
taking a run at the Hong Kong-New York record
logged by the clipper ship Sea Witch in 1849--entered the
doldrums, she had
some breathing room. As GAII approached the doldrums, Sea
Witch was an
estimated 500 miles behind. But skipper Rich Wilson (Rockport,
Mass.) and
Rich du Moulin (Larchmont, N.Y.) knew better: they knew this
band of fickle
winds and squalls could be a parking lot--and it could easily
devour the
space they put between themselves and their legendary nemesis.
After GAII emerged from the doldrums, Wilson and du Moulin
had some bad
news. While they only logged a 4.6-knot average speed in
the doldrums, Sea
Witch was much speedier, averaging a pace of 8.1 knots. But
the good news
was their pace was fast enough to retain a one-day lead on
Sea Witch.
Today, GAII is sailing in Northeast trade winds and logging
some of the
best 24-hour runs in her history.
"In ideal conditions, with a following breeze and flat
water, the boat
glides along like a toboggan on new snow," said Wilson
today in a radio
broadcast. "She was built as a cruiser/racer 15 years
ago and is not
capable of the sustained high speeds of today's modern racing
multihulls.
But she easily attains speeds of 15 knots and higher in
these ideal
conditions." On May 14, GAII logged 292 miles in 24
hours--the best run
Wilson and this boat have made together to date.
As of today, GAII is some 2,780 miles from New York. Wilson
and du Moulin
will have to cover that distance in 15 days in order to break
Sea Witch's
record. But the strong Northeast trades they are enjoying
today won't last:
storms, headwinds, and lulls in the breeze could easily lay
in their path.
"We need to fly to have a shot at the record," said
du Moulin in a
satellite email report. "For the past two days, these
Northeast trade winds
have allowed us to put the pedal down. . . but we have to
fly while we
can."
This week, Wilson and du Moulin talked for 30 minutes with
students at the Hommocks School in Larchmont, New York. Students
and teachers fired questions at the two sailors and then
ended their session with a huge group cheer. Those small
voices from so far away were powerful fuel for two sailors
who have sailed alone on a vast ocean for 60 days. For Wilson, du Moulin, and some 360,000 school children
following their
voyage, this ocean adventure could be over in just two weeks.
Students have
been schooled in math, meteorology, the hard lessons of life
at sea, and a
myriad of topics through the unique sitesALIVE! Internet-based
programs
Wilson has created around his record runs across the world's
oceans. But
even when Wilson and du Moulin reach their destination at
the Statue of
Liberty, the educational efforts of sitesALIVE.com and its
companion
sitesALIVE Foundation will continue to bring other live adventures
to
children across the nation.
To break Sea Witch's record, GAII will need to reach the
Statue of Liberty during the week of May 26.
HOW THE PUBLIC CAN FOLLOW GREAT AMERICAN II: The website
tracking the voyage of Great American II is http://www.sitesalive.com. Daily
position reports and sailors' logs are posted on the site
for classrooms, students, and families who purchase licenses
to follow the progress of the boat.
For information http://www.sitesalive.com/oceanchallengelive/. The
saga of GAII will also be published in the Larchmont Gazette
and a number of daily papers, in the Newspaper In Education
supplements, and tracked on the AOL@SCHOOL program (keyword:
sitesalive). Some 360,000 students, including those at Hommocks,
are expected to follow the voyage.
The sitesALIVE Foundation addresses teacher training in
computer technology and funding for budget-constrained schools.
The mission of the foundation is to enhance K-12 education
by promoting the use of technology with real-world, real-time
content from around the world.
Photographs from the voyage: copyright sitesALIVE! 2003
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