All ill wind that blows good for Slattery

AS GALES once again sweep the country this weekend it is hard to imagine what sailor could possibly relish the prospect of 50 knot winds. Yet, that is exactly the situation that Just in Slattery, is in at present. The 26 year old Corkman is enduring these conditions somewhere off the coast of New Foundland and he also has the prospect of icebergs for the next few days, together with his 15 crew mates on the 80 foot maxi Nicorette.

A severe weather warning for the area issued yesterday afternoon forecasts more `ideal' conditions of 60 knots of wind from a south, south west direction as their boat speed is already averaging 18 knots. Should the conditions hold, their objective of beating the 92 year old transatlantic record of 12 days, four hours and 12 minutes, could be realised.

Set by the 185 foot, threemasted schooner, Atlantic, the record is marked from the Sandy Hook Light Ship off New York to the Lizard off Cornwall. The 1997 attempt may mirror the original voyage which benefited from a large low pressure system mid way across but the high tech build of this smaller yacht should, in theory prove a winning formula.

However, the weather is where similarity between the two crossings end. Skipper Ludde Ingvall will not have an protesting owner on board to be locked below as did Charles Barr in 1905 and freeze dried food is the order of the day. Crew numbers are exactly half on the maxi and that's not counting the 12 stewards that were on board as well.

This maxi is enjoying a new lease of life after the Grand Mistral round the world race had to be wound up last autumn and Nicorette and her five state of the art sisterships were left without a purpose. Slattery is full time on board and has been based in Sweden since the boat arrived there a year ago.

He started his professional sailing career with Eddie English in Cobh and progressed on to various international teams and events including Sardinia Cup's and Fastnet Races. Before joining his current campaign, he was training in the United States. A successful outcome on this crossing will be the highlight of his own four year foray into the highly competitive global scene.

Although Atlantic's record has been beaten in the past, a variety of technical reasons has allowed the original time to stand. An eight day crossing by the massive four masted, 244 foot Phocea, was disallowed by the World Speed Sailing Council as the monohull had the benefit of power winches. A 20 hour reduction in the time set by Denis Conner's Winston could not be ratified as nobody witnessed the yacht passing the Lizard en route to Southampton.

Meanwhile, the multihull record stands at six days, 13 hours and three minutes since Serge Madec's attempt in 1990 on Jet Services V, smashing the legendary Eric Tabarly's 1980 time of two days shorter than the Atlantic's record.

Weather willing, Phocea's out of rule record is the most ambitious target likely for this present crossing but as many have found to their cost, sailing records frequently defy technology and two days into the course is very early indeed for predictions.

. Despite having been without a mainsail for more than 12 hours, Nicorette remains on target to break the 92 year old record for a non mechanised monohull to make the 2,925 mile trip across the Atlantic.

In two gruelling days of sailing the 80 foot maxi has covered 658 miles, clocking an average speed of 13.72 well inside the 10.02 knots the 185 foot schooner Atlantic achieved in 1905.

But the feat of the skipper Ludde Ingvall's crew is all the more remarkable as their mainsail was damaged when battens broke as the third reef was being taken in during 70 knot winds. On board sailmakers worked through the day to repair damage.

Prior to Nicorette's mainsail problem, the crew had made rapid progress in strong winds. Under mainsail, and with one reef and a reaching jib, speeds of 27 knots were regularly recorded, with a top speed of 29.2 knots. With the mainsail back the speed has lifted to 17 knots, and the record appears in sight.