KEY DATA DAY 65 0710 GMT:
Distance ahead: 658 miles
Time ahead: 3 days 6 hours [representing 40.41% of time remaining] calculated using the time it took for Joyon to get to the same Distance to Finish as Ellen's current position

OMEGA: Official timekeeper for Ellen MacArthur

Lat/Long: 25 59 N / 030 40 W (700 miles WSW Canary Islands / 750 miles SSW Azores)
Average Boat speed: 18.27 knots (heading NNE)
True Wind speed: 19.8 knots (direction SE)
Sea temperature: 23 degrees C
Distance sailed so far: 25,291 miles at an average speed of 16.2 knots
(data communicated by Thrane MiniC via BT Business Broadband)

Update based on data recorded 0710 GMT...check http://www.teamellen.com for the latest data updated hourly

IN BRIEF:

* FAST BOAT SPEEDS THROUGH THE NIGHT PROPEL <<B&>> TO HER BIGGEST LEAD since rounding Cape Horn over two and a half weeks ago. Boat speeds have been averaging around 19 knots as MacArthur appears to be drawing out a commanding advantage but there is a 'cloud' on the horizon in the form of a huge high pressure south-west of Ireland: "Looks like we've got another two days of this fast sailing, and then we're going to be heading in to the high. We'll get the sun back, but the wind will go light and we might have to gybe around the top of the high, go through all the sail changes possible, and then sail upwind to the finish. It doesn't fill with my joy to think of the sail changes to be honest. Every muscle and joint is hurting me. Hard to imagine being in much before the record at the moment, at least another week to go..." An arrival before Monday, 7th February is looking unlikely but whatever happens MacArthur must cross the finish line off Ushant by 0704 GMT on Wednesday, 9th February to break the 72 day, 22 hour and 54 minute world speed record set by Francis Joyon.

* LESS THAN 2000 MILES TO GO AND AVERAGE VMG REQUIRED DROPS TO UNDER 10 KNOTS for the first time in a long while. <<B&Q>> has covered 25,291 miles at an average speed of 16.2 knots leaving 1,817 miles left on the race course which requires an average VMG [Velocity Made Good to the finish] of 9.4 knots. <<B&Q>> will have to cover more miles to negotiate the high pressure ahead and so will be required to sail significantly faster through the water than the VMG required. Right now, her average VMG is 16.6 knots and MacArthur recorded 398 miles Distance Made Good to the finish over the last 24 hours compared to Joyon's 299 miles. Both <<B&Q>> and her 'virtual' competitor IDEC were straight-lining it to the north, edging east whenever they could. MacArthur's Course Over the Ground this morning is around the 20 degree mark - east of north - which helps extend her advantage quickly. Joyon's track took him northwards to skirt just east of the Azores before turning right and making a bee-line for the finish. His last four days were very fast - 383 miles, 400, 439 and 345 miles of progress towards the finish.

* <<B&>> 700 MILES WEST OF THE CANARY ISLANDS and approximately 750 miles SSW of the Azores, the climatic conditions are changing quickly for MacArthur: "It's already getting cold at night, I tried to nap in the cuddy [space between cabin and cockpit] last night, bit it was pretty chilly. The sun is about to disappear behind a massive bank of cloud, probably for a couple of days until we enter the high pressure system. It has been hard to sleep again as the wind has been up and down from 16 to 24 knots, hard reaching. The nights are now longer than the days."

* HIGH PRESSURE SW OF IRELAND LOOKS SET TO BLOCK ROUTE TO THE FINISH as it starts to track west and then south-west on Thursday through to Sunday. Commanders' admit that 'this is a very unusual weather pattern' and by Thursday as <<B&Q>> closes on the Azores, the huge high pressure will be sitting between MacArthur and the finish line. This will mean light downwind sailing for a while and once she is through, strong upwind conditions towards the finish line. Not the conditions Ellen would have chosen from the weather menu - her body is telling her to rest, but the wind has other ideas...as ever it is the changing conditions, rather than the actual conditions themselves, that are the hardest challenge, as they lead to energy sapping sail changes to match boat power to wind strength.

WEATHER ANALYSIS FROM COMMANDERS' WEATHER 0600 GMT:

In the rules of record attempts, skippers are allowed to use the advice of shore-based weather experts to assist them with their choices. Ellen is working with two teams, principally Commanders Weather in the USA, backed up by Meeno Schrader in Germany.

Another 24 hours of fast sailing conditions for Ellen. Wind directions will continue ESE and SE. Wind speeds will range from the upper teens to mid 20’s or a little higher than the previous 2 days.

Wednesday and Wednesday night will start to see the winds change – wind speeds will very slowly diminish to the mid teens and low 20’s while the wind directions will start to slowly back.

Huge high pressure continues SW of Ireland. This high will settle southward over the next 2 days and will move W and SW on Thursday thru Sunday. This is a very unusual weather pattern, but by Thursday, when Ellen is near the eastern Azores, the huge high pressure area will be located directly between Ellen and the finish line.

As the high moves W and SW on Friday and Saturday, Ellen will have to sail north of the approaching high pressure area – this will mean light downwind sailing, which is not favorably fast. Friday and Saturday look to be slow and frustrating days for Ellen.

Wind forecasts
Wind directions are TRUE, wind speed in kts, time is UTC

Tue, Feb 1
03: 100-120/16-22
06: 110-130/16-22
12: 110-130/16-22, near 27N/30W
18: 110-130/18-24 - 20-30 kts at 25N/31W
Partly to mostly cloudy Tue - Thu, maybe a brief squally shower or 2

Wed, Feb 2
00: 110-130/18-24 - wind much stronger W and over 30 kts west of 30W
06: 110-130/18-24
12: 100-120/20-25, near 33 30N/27 45W - wind much stronger west of 30W
18: 100-120/17-23 - winds stronger W, lighter E

Thu, Feb 3
00: 110-130/15-20 - wind stronger W, lighter to the E
06: 100-120/12-17
12: 120-090/10-15, near 40N/25 20W - winds will diminish as we sail closer to the high
18: 110-070/ 5-10

http://www.commandersweather.com

FRANCIS JOYON 24 HOUR RUNS

Francis Joyon's 24 hour runs. These are VMG distances, ie distance sailed towards the finish, not through the water:

26.1.05 IDEC 162 miles / B&Q 388 miles
27.1.05 IDEC 130 miles / B&Q 367 miles
28.1.05 IDEC 232 miles / B&Q 258 miles
29.1.05 IDEC 257 miles / B&Q 317 miles
30.1.05 IDEC 300 miles / B&Q 374 miles
31.1.05 IDEC 299 miles / B&Q 398 miles
1.2.05 IDEC 278 miles
2.2.05 IDEC 221 miles
3.2.05 IDEC 212 miles
4.2.05 IDEC 162 miles
5.2.05 IDEC 284 miles
6.2.05 IDEC 383 miles
7.2.05 IDEC 400 miles
8.2.05 IDEC 439 miles
9.2.05 IDEC 345 miles
[dates normalised to Ellen's]

Click here for further information on Sailing Speed Records http://www.sailspeedrecords.com and here for information on Ellen's campaign http://www.teamellen.com

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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.