Melbourne Osaka Double Handed Yacht Race 19/4/13 –0600

At this mornings 0600 sked, Cadibarra8, Optimus Prime and Wasabi have all broken through the 1000nm to go mark and Spirit of Downunder probably also by the time this is posted. Of course Escapade is alredy through 750nm to go. She still has a lead of186 nm but there are plenty of unpredictables yet. For example, in 1999 it took Yoko 2 days to traverse Osaka Bay, just 9 miles, while Spirit of Downunder had 40 kts and took just hours. In the synoptic situation below I have shown three yachts as E-Escapade, W –Wasabi and KGMS- Kiss Goodbye to MS so that you can see their place in the broader synoptic scheme. Will Escapade meet the fog patch? In these northern parts, the fog can persist with up to 15 kts of breeze such that yachts can be charging at full speed with very limited visibility!-interesting! Tonights sked should be very interesting also as strategic maneuvers become more limited closer to finish-RFH