KEY DATA DAY 51 0910 GMT:
Distance ahead: 1,125 miles
Time ahead: 3 days 18 hours (representing 17.1 % of time remaining) calculated using the time it took for Joyon to get to Ellen's current position

OMEGA: Official timekeeper for Ellen MacArthur

Lat/Long: 31 13 S / 041 18 W (700 miles ENE Punta del Este)
Average Boat speed: 15.19 knots (heading N)
True Wind speed: 13.9 knots (direction SSE)
Sea temperature: 22.3 degrees C
Distance sailed so far: 21,259 miles at an average speed of 17.4 knots
(data communicated by Thrane MiniC via BT Business Broadband)

Update based on data recorded 0910 GMT...check http://www.teamellen.com for the latest data updated hourly

IN BRIEF:

* NO RESPITE SINCE ROUNDING CAPE HORN SIX DAYS AGO for Ellen MacArthur and her 75-foot multihull, <<B&Q>>. Both now extremely fatigued and suffering from wear and tear after covering over 21,000 miles of the course so far. Without doubt, Cape Horn lived up to its reputation as <<B&Q>> passed this legendary cape in 50 knot winds and hardly any sail up bar a small staysail. The relief of rounding Cape Horn in a new solo time of 44 days, 23 hours and 36 minutes, proved to be shortlived as MacArthur headed north, passing west of the Falkland Islands. Extreme conditions from rough seas to wildly fluctuating wind speeds took Ellen to the critical point of fatigue as the complicated South Atlantic weather systems took their toll. But, Ellen, more than anyone knew that the South Atlantic could present the toughest part of the course - sailing in fickle light, upwind conditions along the coast of South America to the Equator. And she has been proven right, as the weather trials continue unabated with three major hurdles to be contended with in just 72 hours.

* NEW 3D VIEWER LAUNCHED TODAY: Click on Download 3d viewer on homepage of TeamEllen.com and enter a whole new world of user-controlled 3d animation software. Voyager 2020, in association with OC Events and <<B&Q>> have made their Ellen Viewer software available free of charge, enabling you to re-watch the entire record attempt from as many angles as you want, and follow the progress of Ellen and Francis Joyon in this final phase up the Atlantic.

* 3 HURDLES: RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE AND NO WIND - DONE! Overtake front with thunder lightning and variable winds - TO DO! Upwind in 30 knots - TO DO!

* SINGLE DIGITS THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT, both in wind speed and <<B&Q's>> speed, rarely climbing above 5 knots for the last 12 hours - the first time in Ellen's record attempt that his has happened. Stuck south of the high pressure ridge late last night, Ellen's frustrations were at their peak: "Can't believe it, nine gybes in the last hour and a half. An hour ago the breeze started going round 340 degrees, 350, 060 so got ready to tack, then it all went to pieces... Until you are on the other tack with 10 knots of breeze, you are not out on the other side. I am struggling to make headway in the right direction - we're not out."

Thankfully, the transition across the middle of the windless zone has happened but the knock-on effects are obvious. Ellen's advantage has been eroded down to 3 days, 18 hours. The latest 24hr run at 0710gmt was just 245.3 miles. The only thing that is rising is the temperature, up in the high 20s now making life down below unbearable. Wind speeds are back up to over 10 knots this morning: "I'm alright, but had a bit of **** time to be honest. It filled in from the north-east, so its been less stressful as I've not been on deck for hours doing gybes. Got the Code 0 [sail] down, and I can maybe get some rest [sailing with full main and genoa]. It's pretty frustrating though and its going to get worse with the low."

* WEAK FRONT AHEAD PRESENTS 2ND OF 3 MAJOR WEATHER HURDLES for Ellen as she desperately tries to catch the front slowly moving away from her to the north east. The difficulty is that Ellen will need full sail and power to get through the light winds to the south of the front, but once through the wind can suddenly and violently change to the strong upwind conditions - requiring a very very different sail combination. In between, it can be doing anything. Add in thunderstorms and lightning, and it's a dangerous cocktail in store. Ellen has only had to sail upwind once previously in this record attempt, and its worth remembering that 30 knots of wind upwind means 45 knots of apparent wind with the boat travelling at 15 knots in to it. Sailing downwind in the Southern Ocean with 45 knots of wind behind, generally resulted in only 30 knots of apparent wind across the deck. Upwind is to be avoided if possible therefore, but no escape this time.

* HEAT AND ROUGH FORECAST persuade Ellen to change back to the main generator in preparation for these difficult conditions. Having put up with the discomfort of the heat from the air-cooled generator in order to preserve her olive oil reserves, she hopes that she can now make it to the finish on the main generator.

* TRANSITION ACROSS FRONT LATER TODAY as Commanders' Weather predict getting across the weak front between 1900gmt and 2300gmt tonight. <<B&Q>> needs to get to the north-east as quickly as she can - airflow today mainly SSE but shifting closer to SSW nearer 1500gmt. Through the front and the wind shifts into the north, clocking from NW to NE and increasing to 24-30 knots late tonight and tomorrow morning. Out of the frontal zone and into the stronger winds we will then see <<B&Q>> head on a more ENE course looking for the south-east Trade Winds located to the south of the Equator another 1000 miles ahead on the race course.

* ELLEN'S OC SAILING TEAM MATE UPDATE: Nick Moloney on Skandia, 7th place in the Vendee Globe, has high speed collision overnight, full damage assessment to be determined at daylight but no major damage visible. http://www.nickmoloney.com

http://www.commandersweather.com

For further information, please contact Offshore Challenges:
Lou Newlands or Lucy Harwood
T: +44 (0)870 063 0210
E: lou@offshorechallenges.com or lucy@offshorechallenges.com

Article added 22/1/05.