Day 29 :27' 11S 40' 30W

Not BP Explorer's finest hour... or rather 24. Hour by painful hour our fortunes have moved from bad to worse to the downright dangerous. There was admittedly one sunny interlude yesterday when the spinnaker tripped itself and floated free without warning. This unforseen and inconvenient spinnaker drop turned out to be a blessing in disguise - yes it meant lost miles as we slowed down, but in the process we found a hole in a seam which could so easily have led to a blown kite and a final nightmarish week below decks stitching. As it was, the repair took minutes thanks to our crack sewing circle (Goldie and Sasha). Apart from this good fortune, however, it has been a day which we would rather forget. The peels, drops, re-hoists and polings-out have been endless (we pole-out when the wind gets too strong for a spinnaker and we fly a headsail on either side of the boat, the yankee being kept out with the spinnaker pole). The work has been very, very tiring, with something seeming to happen at the end of every watch, the result of which being that precious opportunities to sleep leak away.

As night fell we entered a more dramatic and potentially dangerous phase. As the wind rose we dropped the 1.5 kite and had to temporarily pole out to sort out some twisted halyards. The wind shifted and we gybed, got the flanker on deck, and hoisted it inside its22m launching tube. As the kite breaks out, the tube normally trails harmlessly behind the yacht and is gathered in after the hoist. This time it appeared to bag up in the water, creating a large amount of drag and pulling the bowman off his feet. Back on the helm the boat powered up to nearly 11knots and there was a concerned ''the helm does not feel right''. The metres of thick, strong, white nylon then wrapped themselves around our rudder, massing themselves into an horrendous knot.

The feeling on the helm was akin to driving a car at night, at full speed, in the outside lane of the motorway. There are no brakes and no way of slowing down -suddenly your steering lock starts to go on and off..........

As the helm slowly locked up and the boat remained at full speed the situation became downright dangerous. The flanker had to be dropped and then the mainsail. With all sail down in the strong winds we were still making way and wallowing badly in the swell. In the torchlight 22m of thick nylon launching tube trailed, jammed under the rudder 2m underwater.After initial attempts to recover the launching tube failed, it became obvious that we would have to completely stop the boat, and perhaps send someone over the side for a closer look (i.e. the skipper). The back of the boat began to look like a dive site as ladders, boathook, torches of every shape and size and extra lines of all kinds were called for and handed over. But the launching tube would not budge, despite the fact that we had dragged enough of it back on board starboard side for a good six or seven people to heave on, tug-of-war style. After 45 minutes and as a midnight swim was looking more and more likely, we managed to free the other end of the tube.

This we dragged out on port side. Each free end was then attached to a winch with a section of rope, then winched in turn; one eventually began to give, although the tube still would not come free. Having secured both ends we cut the tube in two and winched the two halves separately - finally they were hauled into the cockpit to a relieved cheer all round and the tidy-up began.

Then it was back to the original goal - the flanker. We had been stopped in the water for at least an hour, so estimated that our minimum loss would be around ten miles. Time was of the essence - but it was not to be. In the heat of the moment of the re-hoist, and no doubt due to the fact that everyone was getting more and more exhausted, a staysail halyard which must and have become twisted at the top of the mast when we dropped all our sails was missed. This then fouled the spinnaker halyard during the hoist and the whole thing hand to come down again immediately and be sent below to the packing-station (which by this time was full of very worn spinnaker packers). With everything stowed we opted for tea and either a raw flapjack or, in some cases, a damp roll-up to calm our frayed nerves.

At 2a.m. we read that inevitably we had lost miles to everyone, but as we now await the morning's position reports there is an air of tension about the place. Things are not looking good. Whatever the result though we will fight on! It isn't over yet.

Skippers note: All of this was ''achieved'' without injury to the crew. Our primary goal of ''safe'' is maintained. The crew are tired but nothing a few hours sleep wont sort out, so that takes care of ''happy''. As for ''faster'' well we are working on it.

BP Explorer - Safe - Happy - Faster

Day 28 :24deg 28min S 42deg 14 W

The water finally pumped from the bilges and clothes strung out and drying around the yacht the conversation around the saloon table turns to Thursdays. It seems that every Thursday on this leg something has happened to BP Explorer. The first was the force 10 storm, one week later was a bad spinnaker day, the week after a foreguy broke and we lost places. This Thursday we were hit by a very strong gust front as a trough passed over us with everyone on deck battling to get back on course and avoid any damage thus ruining our chance to regain the lead. Next Thursday is the day before the first yacht's expected arrival in Buenos Aires we hope by then we've had all our bad luck and it goes without incident. The hard work on deck is paying off and we are holding our 4th place position and we were nibbling away at the miles between us and VAIO in third place. We were that is until the fleet positions this morning which showed that while trying to save our kites during the night we seem to have been going slower. A constant headache for the tacticians is how far to push it and when. In the quest for more speed or to protect the sails they may remain for as long as it took to get up before conditions change and it's brought down again and replaced with what was before.

Meanwhile, Barclays Adventurer have increased their lead and are 59 miles ahead of us in first place. Behind them is Samsung who we appear to be attached to with a piece of bungee as we seem to gain miles only to lose them the following day. After seeing Spirit of Sark on the horizon behind us on Friday night we are now 11 miles ahead of them and 15 miles in front of BG SPIRIT. We passed through an oilfield off the coast of Cabo Frio during the day yesterday and made sure we kept a safe distance from the huge oilrigs scattered around us. When we used our binoculars though we did see some of the crew on the rigs waving at us, one can only wonder what they might have thought when they saw a BP yacht passing by - were BP sailing their crews out to the rigs now in another step towards a greener company?

Or maybe this was a spying mission. The flames from the gas burners disappeared over the horizon during the night and we are now clear of obstacles and some 860 miles to the River plate and from there only 100 miles from the finish of leg one and that sweet, sweet beer.

Day 27 :Approachin Cabo Frio (just north of Rio)

It's been go, go, go on BP Explorer for the last 24 hours! A change, they say, is as good as a rest, but right now I am not sure that many of the crew would agree. A sofa, a hot bath, endless hours of mindless TV and pizza would, in short, be Heaven! But we will have to wait a little longer. As our watch came on deck yesterday afternoon, we were ready for an afternoon with the spinnaker up and all stops out to regain lost ground on Spirit of Sark and BG SPIRIT as we approached Cabo Frio (just north of Rio). In this area the weather looked set to change with the wind clocking around to the south and a possible lull in the process (which, we estimated, could take up to a day).

At around 2.30 (boat time), there we were, a light shower beginning but nothing untoward happening in the sky. Within less than ten minutes, it was spinnaker down (VERY quickly) and headsails up as the wind completed its predicted shift - not over the course of a day, but at lightning speed. Another five minutes and we were in the midst of a Force 7 - Gale 8! No boring lull for us. The reefs went in faster than you can say Jack Robinson, the yankee was changed and we surveyed the heaped-up sea - and our skipper's very stylish yellow helming goggles - with amazement. At one point in the maelstrom of wind and rain, we were also privy to a fleeting flypast by a bright-green fishing boat, its occupants all waving madly at us as we grappled with halyards and sheets. It's only a shame we did not manage to buy a bit of fresh fish for our supper!

David's goggles stayed on for the rest of the watch, but as for the rest of us, it is fair to say that shorts and T-shirts turned out to be a fashion mistake - total immersion was dolled out to one and all before we had time to change into foulies. Breathless and windswept, we finally found ourselves gulping down tea in unison on the rail, where our exertions were rewarded with a spectacular series of acrobatics courtesy of an energetic whale! Though in fine fettle considering our unforseen pasting, we prepared ourselves for the worst when the position reports came in; it was a mixed bag - there was now considerably more ocean between ourselves and BG SPIRIT, but Spirit of Sark had made miles on us during our stormy interval. At 2am this morning, however, after an exhausting 12 hours, we had clawed back our lead over the former foe. Fingers crossed that this is still the case when the next report comes in. As the leading packs close the coast, the question of whether or not it is necessary to tack out into the Atlantic again becomes a key one. Those who come in too close and then have to head out east again lose precious ground, whilst those who can maintain the course stand to make great gains. With just over 1,000 miles to go until the River Plate, it is all to play for and the tension is mounting.

Day 26 :130 miles off the coast of Brazil

We have now left the relatively predictable trade winds and are in more variable winds off of Brazil. The night watches are long as we are focusing hard on trimming and helming and they are also tiring as we are constantly changing and adjusting spinnakers. During the night the wind changed dramatically and we had to drop the flanker. On the way down it sustained a sizable rip and was hastily sent below where the sail repair team were woken to start a repair.

Meanwhile the 1.5 oz kite was hoisted only to find that that too had a tear and that had to be dropped immediately. For what was an agonisingly long time we had no sails up until we finally poled out the no1 Yankee. The position report confirmed our fears and we had lost valuable miles on Barclays Adventurer, Samsung and VAIO and the gap between us BG Spirit and Spirit of Sark had closed. When something like this happens often the off watch will stay on to help the on watch and make sure a procedure is finished and everything is ok before heading off to bed. The four hours off during the night can easily become two and everyone looks forward to getting in their bunks, however, the noise on deck can make sleeping without ear plugs quite difficult as all the hatches are open as it is so hot below. I guess nobody said this was going to be easy. The distance between us, BG Spirit and Spirit of Sark would be good on the last day of the leg but with over a week to go the pressure is on maintain and increase the gap. The good news is that with the variable winds comes the real opportunity to shine performance wise and we are confident that we will shine. It also opens up the game in that there are far more possibilities for an unfocussed team to make a mistake or a wrong routing decision and give us the window we need to improve our race position. Major Malhi took over the airwaves today as he hosted the chat show between yachts. Each yacht takes it in turn to host the chat show where positions are exchanged and time is given for informal chats to the skippers and crews who we have all become good friends over the years. It was also an opportunity for Laura Alexander to have a chat with her boyfriend who is a crewmember aboard Pindar.

Day 25 :15 57 S 36 27 W

This morning finds BP Explorer still charging down the coast of Brazil; an episode in our journey which is set to last some time - descending the Brazilian coast is the equivalent of sailing down past France, Spain, Portugal, Morocco and most of Mauritania - in all, over 2,000 miles. We have had a fantastically bright moon to guide us for the past few days and will enjoy a full one tonight, whilst beneath us we have Cadeia dos abrol hos - steep volcanic pinnacles on the seabed where the depth decreases from over 4,000 metres to just 23! Although we are now over two-thirds of the way to BA, we are trying to avoid discussing an ETA on board; there is little to be gained from thinking too far ahead, and certainly some more time would probably work in our favour right now. Kiting ever-more quickly downwind as we pass
south of Salvador, we are still locked into the same pecking order, with the three leaders having pulled away from us slightly overnight, and things with BG SPIRIT and Spirit of Sark remaining little changed. Undeterred we may be, but all of us realise that it will take days rather than hours to achieve any change in position. We keep our spirits up with inventiveness in the kitchen and take comfort in the knowledge that we have a superior TTS on board. Yesterday we had a breakfast which would have been deemed 'a marvellous spread' by any self-respecting member of the Famous Five off on adventure; chocolate birthday cake with blue icing to start, following by scrambled egg (powdered) and 'bacon' (soya) on freshly-baked brown bread, finished off with more chocolate cake. Here on BP Explorer, it is definitely a case of weight on the high side!

Day 24 :East of Salvador, Brazil

We are now riding on the back of the trade winds and heading southwest about 100 miles from the coast of Brazil. In contrast to the frenetic sail changes of the last few days we have hoisted the flanker and it has remained pulling
us along over the last 24 hours at some of the fastest speeds we've had. A hard-core tag team of wet footed trimmers stand mid-way along the deck (at the cap shrouds) watching for every curl in the sail. We are sailing BP Explorer to her optimum in these conditions and the worry of a broach is
always on the minds of the skipper and crew. The helms are fighting the swell, working extra hard at the wheel and nod knowingly at each other while clutching their aching shoulders. The rest of the crew are poised to leap into action should we enter a broach. Broaching, where the yacht turns out of control and on to its side, could spell disaster if we break something in our attempt to gain on the leaders and break away from BG Spirit and Sark.
We are holding on to 4th position, BG Spirit and Sark are constantly barking at our heels and we watching with interest as Barclays, Vaio and Samsung come in from the West under a better wind angle to join us closer to the coast. They are increasing their lead over us if only by a few miles a day and Vaio has now taken the lead over Samsung. To think that we had Vaio in our sights last week only for us to be becalmed just goes to show how one afternoon can alter the course of a five-week race. We have admirable competition both in front and behind and are looking for a combination of
unfavourable conditions befalling them and luck and focus staying with us before we can hope to improve our position in the fleet. Word that there are more images of other teams on the Challenge website is bringing out the David Bailey in us on our off watches. Determined not be outdone in any
arena we hope to even out the score with some more pictures of us doing our stuff. Amazing how the thought of being caught on camera gets people winching and hoisting with that little bit more gusto.

Day 23 :8' 52S 34' 05W

Well, it has been another encounter with frustrating winds throughout the night on BP Explorer. Having consistently chipped away at the lead of Samsung, VAIO and Barclays Adventurer over the past few days, and, at the same time, drawn away from (or at least held off) Spirit of Sark and BG SPIRIT, this morning we find ourselves faced with a less palatable position report. After a hard night's work of kites up and down, up and down, we have lost 12 miles to Spirit of Sark and 8 miles to BG SPIRIT.

The old adversaries are hot on our heels, we will continue to pull out all the stops to hold them off, but no doubt every shooting-star wish will centre around hopes for a steadier breeze to speed us quickly away from the prospect of that old three-boat race! At least we have plenty of shooting
stars to wish upon. Two nights ago our watch was granted the privilege of seeing one closer than any of us have ever seen one before. The sky was lit up literally as if by a flash of sheet lightning! It was so close that the dust burnt bright orange as it hurtled through the atmosphere - and left a
bright train in its wake which remained - a silver scar - in the heavens for quite some time. According to our pocket guide to the night sky, this was right on time for one of the busiest shooting-star seasons of the year. The display couldn't have been more on cue, we keep our fingers crossed and our
eyes cast upwards!

Day 22 :05deg 00min S 33deg 01 min W

Having crossed the Equator at midnight, few were in the mood to be woken for the customary celebrations and the judgement by Neptune. However, the next day, at 12:00 pm local time Neptune appeared from below decks, we assume through one of the hull fittings, much like an aquatic Santa Claus.

Strangely enough, just as Santa always looked like your dad with a white beard, Neptune was the spitting image of David. Dressed not in a flowing gown with sparkling seaweed and coral but in black silk boxers, a snakeskin posing pouch and a sheer, two-tone green and blue cape. He was not so much the legendary king of the sea but looked more like Albert Steptoe had been covered in Super Glue and rolled around in Oxfam.

Judged we were though, and crimes ranged from being too pale to allowing the biggest cross-track error ever recorded. The punishments were swift and unpleasant. An evil kitchen gloop had been created that satisfied the three main criteria, it smelt bad, looked bad and stuck to the skin like **** to a blanket. The amount of gloop slapped across the back of each offender varied wildly with some getting away with one and others (me included) getting the maximum sentence of five.

Frivolity over, we got back to the serious sailing. Each watch reported average speeds over 10 knots and we passed the Archipelago de Fernando de Noronha - an island some 200 miles from the coast of Brazil - at about midnight. Avoiding local traffic was the aim for the rest of the night. The fleet positions showed we'd gained on Barclays, VAIO and Samsung and edged away a little from BG SPIRIT and those behind. Whilst we are racing on the water every yacht in the fleet is our enemy, however, our thoughts do go out to Team Save the Children who appear to have had more than their fair share of bad luck. The leg is not over yet and anything can happen to any one of us, but we hope every one makes it to Buenos Aires safe with as few injuries as possible.

Day 21 :Past the Equator!

This morning we dine on 'southern hemisphere cake' (yet more muffin mix). Yes, we are over the Equator. Ushered across the line shortly before midnight by five dusky birds etched against a cloud-framed moon, BP Explorer had an air of Hitchcock about its decks for this long-awaited moment.

Not that many of the crew would have noticed! Of the off-watch, just one member, Holger Bindel, could summon enough romantic spirit to request a wake-up call, whereupon he was handed a fruit tea (it's a wild life out here!) and tucked into a hoarded Mars bar. Those on watch, meanwhile, were too consumed with trimming to get themselves organised (we have BG SPIRIT and Spirit of Sark hot on our heels). As the GPS disobligingly flicked from north to south without the definitive row of zeros, the media crew managed to take a very disappointing picture and some even less spectacular footage. It was all about as much on schedule as a Y2K project, and injected with about the same
degree of enthusiasm.

No doubt, however, this lunchtime's Equatorial ceremony will be a lot more memorable. King Neptune (aka David Melville) may not realise it yet, but those who have had a glimpse of the embroidery going on in the sail locker certainly do - there is no chance that the cameras are going to miss today's party! I am certain that all those who are due a judgement from the sea king succeeded by 'orrible slops over their heads, will deem the trial thoroughly worthwhile when they see the skipper in costume! More tomorrow.

Day 20 : 2' 11N 30' 14W

We are constantly reminded on this race that a skipper can lose the race but only a crew can win it. That is to say that he can help us with the tactics and strategy but it's us that have to agree and implement his advice. We can't leave everything to him. It's an almost impossible task.

We are also reminded that Mother Nature has the final say in whether our first drink is a beer or champagne at the end of each leg and ultimately at the end of the race.

I think as a crew we deserve a glass of champagne for effort alone but it would taste so much sweeter if sipped from the podium. After drawing level with VAIO during the night, today we stopped dead in the water and for an agonising 45 minutes we watched as they disappeared over the horizon as we twirled in the swell, at one point heading in the opposite direction. Clouds formed and surrounded us, some containing wind others just rain and one or two an eerie calm that turned the sea to glass and left the sleek racing yacht BP Explorer bobbing like an ice cube in a gin and tonic.

In one six hour period today we covered just 12 miles. We knew the fleet positions would make disappointing reading, it wasn't a question of if we'd lost ground it was how much had we lost. When the positions came in VAIO, Barclays Adventurer and Samsung had obviously benefited from better conditions and their lead over us had increased.

To add to the pain the rest of the fleet gained on us too. Today the lead yacht, Samsung, is some 80 miles in front, a lead that we would be very happy with. It would only take a few days like we've had to befall them to even things up a bit, unfortunately the likelihood of this is less now as we finally leave the Doldrums.

Barclays Adventurer must be even more disappointed, 48 hours ago they were side by side with Samsung when a squall separated them. Instead we'll have to do it the old fashioned way with even more focus and determination. We are digging deep.

The heavy rain did bring some benefits in the form of fresh water showers for the skipper and the watch on deck but the minus is that we now have very few clothes that aren't soaking wet.

Christian Talpo once again manages to make his way into the logs, his macho image now fully restored; he had his picture taken with a nice bird on his arm. It was of course the feathered variety, one of three that had landed on BP Explorer for a rest.

A rest on BP Explorer? - no chance - we're racing.

Day 19 : 03 27 N 29 29 W

The flavour of the day for the crew of BP Explorer is frustration. After our typically positive query - 'Doldrums, what Doldrums?' - we find ourselves now plagued with light and fickle winds in which the occasional migratory bird seems to make faster progress than ourselves. The ITCZ, the Doldrums, have dipped south to greet us, stolen our lovely, steady wind and replaced it with a breeze which varies from 8 knots to very little. Paradoxically, as the wind becomes less energetic, those on deck have to work ever harder,
changing sails repeatedly as we strive to squeeze every .1 of a knot of speed out of the boat. During the night we had Barclays Adventurer and VAIO in our sights off the port bow and had made considerable ground on all those in front - particularly Barclays - thanks in part to favourable winds. Now those fortunes have changed and there is not another boat to be seen.

Spotting our fellow yachts so near after all those miles not only provided a timely reminder of just how close this race is, but also gave us a chance to chat over the VHF, during which we discovered that VAIO have the luxury of
fresh oranges on board! We work harder every minute to speed ourselves towards BA and all of those little luxuries which we commonly take for granted. Currently we are 660nm off the closest point of mainland Brazil, Cabo Calcan, although Fernando Island (which we may well pass close enough to see with its tall beacon mid-Atlantic) is just 500nm south-west of us.

Whatever the weather, there is still plenty to inspire us this morning. It appears that, having until very recently been in 6th place, we are now enjoying 4th, with the aforementioned duo ahead of us on roughly the same line, whilst Spirit of Sark and SAIC La Jolla flank us about 20 miles parallel on the port and starboard beams respectively. Imagine it. Done., meanwhile, are around 30 miles off on the starboard quarter, with Team Stelmar behind them. We are clawing our way back up the fleet inch by inch, and we will do everything we can to ensure that we have only clear water ahead when we plough up the muddy waters of the River Plate!

Day 18 : The Doldrums

Doldrums, what Doldrums? So far we've been surfing along at 10 to 12 knots and thoroughly enjoying ourselves. The heat is still intense and it does sap the energy levels somewhat but we are sailing and that makes all the difference. The good news is that we are making ground on the leaders and every time we look at the daily position reports we find we've either gained or held our own on the rest of the fleet. The heat and the fact that we are two weeks into the leg could lead to focus levels dropping but team talks every day from David keep us on track. We are treating every hour like it's the last hour on the last day on the final leg of the race and the task is simple - get ahead of the yacht in front then increase the gap. A special mention should go to Major Mahli today. Major has created by far the best meals we've had on this leg with curries being his speciality. Yesterday he also baked a cake for Stephen Allberry whose birthday we celebrated at midday, this time two months after the event. ALL HANDS ON DECK. as I write this log the shout goes out above me. The flanker has to come down and it's everyone up on deck putting their life jackets over their heads as they go.

Back at the screen now, flanker safely down, the foreguy* had given way and we had a flag instead of a sail. It had sheared midway along its length, no chafe and no reason for the failure, definitely one to muse over in a bar in Buenos Aires. Only moments before David had been chatting to Olly on the helm about dropping it "This Flanker is going to have to come down soon", five seconds later and it was on its way. David says he's been trying the same thought control to get a cup of tea, but it's not working. I'm taking that as a hint; I'm off to put the kettle on.

[* The foreguy is an 18mm diameter rope used to control the fore and aft movement of the spinnaker pole. It goes from the end of the spinnaker pole to a block (pulley) and back to the cockpit. It's supposed to have a breaking strain in excess of 4 tonnes, so the technical team might be musing in BA on that one too!]

Day 17 : 9' 15N 27' 56W

By nightfall we shall be half way to that cold beer! Some 700 miles off the coast of northern Sierra Leone , BP Explorer is now entering the doldrums, and the humidity is increasing hour by hour. This morning we find ourselves
far from becalmed, however, but moving along in 12 knots of breeze, now from the south-east. We are making the most of this wind to eke out every ounce of boat speed and focus 100% on clawing back distance between ourselves and
the leaders. It seems that there have not been any major alterations in the positions over the past 24 hours. The night did herald a couple of sudden changes more locally, though, including the aforementioned shift to this new wind direction - one minute we were bowling along with our spinnaker up, the next we were faced with headwinds, a rapid kite drop, and yankee and staysail hoist. Ploughing along close-hauled, we were later hit by a squall which saw the wind increase from 13 knots to 30 in the space of four
minutes. The on-watch depowered the sails to ride out the squall and lapped up the torrent of refreshing rain which came blatting down on the deck; the free clothes rinse being welcomed as a happy accident given that the fabric
wash ran out yesterday (still with two-and-a-half sweaty weeks to go!) This commodity we now add to the list of the 'thoroughly depleted' - which thus far includes stocks of ketchup, HP sauce, salt (we are preparing to harvest
from the guardrails) and peppermint tea. Below decks it seems that the heat is giving rise to new levels of both invention and madness. Silk sleeping-bag liners have been found to make wonderful saris (togas for the men), and a new cunning, if not elegant design has been fashioned by one of
the shorter-armed crew members (yours truly) for getting every last drop of water clear of the bilges.

Meanwhile, shouts of disgust could be heard from on deck this morning as Chris Talpo took delivery of his morning coffee. Hitherto pretty tolerant of the boat instant given that he heralds from Turin, his patience, it seemed, finally ran out today. ' I just cannot take this any more', he declared dramatically, throwing his nose in the air and the goo over the side. Down in the saloon, Richard turned to some amused eavesdroppers and confessed, holding up his ingredients: 'Oh dear, it may look the same but this is mashed potato not milk powder'. 'Cup-a-spud' does not look set to be a winner.

Day 16 : Heading for the doldrums

We are still heading South West for the proving grounds that will be the doldrums. The wind is changing direction like a drunk on a bicycle and our spinnaker pole is moving forward and back accordingly. Fortunately the wind strength remains relatively constant, which negates the need for loads of
kite changes, a relief in this incessant heat. Trimming the spinnaker hour after hour is having its affect though. I currently have a face like a lobster, eyes like a panda and sitting in one place for long periods reminds me of a baboon reference - but I won't go into detail. The spinnaker guy is
showing the strain in the form of chafe and David Melville showed his 'pole riding' abilities as we swapped it for the lazy guy with the spinnaker still up. The loss of the last six inches of the guy rope in the repair shouldn't cause any problems. Work below decks is very hot indeed and the off watch
crew can be found sweating in their bunks or huddled around the two fans in the galley. At midday, in a moment of off-watch madness, the Sony stereo was turned up full blast with a Scissor Sisters CD inside (one of David's) and some gentle head rocking was followed by an impromptu display of 70's disco dancing. The food menu is repeated (in more ways than one) every ten days so there are some disappointments when we see some bad memories served up again but we are adapting by eating more of what we like when we know a bad one's coming up. The treats, chocolate/cereal bars etc, are already hard currency and the smokers onboard are twitching nervously at their diminishing supplies of tobacco. Stephen Allberry's thought for the day is: "the ocean
is a big desert". We think he might be suffering from the heat but with this crew it's sometimes difficult to tell!

Day 15 : Just past the Cape Verde Islands

A tense spell for the helmsman and the kite trimmers described the mood on deck last night when we passed between two small uninhabited land-masses belonging to the Cape Verdes, a remote group of a dozen Portuguese-owned islands, some 400 nautical miles (nm) west of Senegal. With apparently no lights on these particular outposts to guide us, we found ourselves relying on our best carrot-fuelled night vision to navigate the narrow channel available to us. For the first time since the Solent we also made use of the depth gauge; there were just 7 metres of water below the keel at one point, and a nasty swell (from astern) as a result of the steep shelving of the sea bed made it vital to steer straight as an arrow to avoid a gybe which we could ill afford. Strong cross currents complicated matters, but we sailed safely through and the islands now lie 100nm behind us. It would
have been nice to have been privy to this glimpse of land by day, for that is the last we shall see of terra firma proper until Uruguay, 3,500nm or so away - although we may pass Fernando Island off the coast of Brazil. Buenos Aires itself is a mere 3,700 miles distant! For some time now our skipper and the 'technical team' have been glued to the weather and the charts, concentrating all their best efforts on positioning us for the best possible entry into the ITCZ (Inter Tropical
Convergence Zone) - better known as the 'doldrums'. This is no easy task as the doldrums move north and south daily in a wave-like pattern, regularly shifting by 80 miles in any 24-hour period. Once we arrive in the ITCZ (ETA Tuesday), we will wait with baited breath to see if we get 'stuck' or manage
to sail through relatively unscathed by becalmings! The tropical downpours that are expected will, however, no doubt provide welcome, if brief, refreshment, for it is going to get a lot hotter. As it is, the 86-degree heat of the last few hours has seen dozing bodies strewn around the sail
locker (where there is Force-One breeze) and a glut of uneaten cherry cheesecake (a real first and pretty unbelievable if you know how much the crew of BP Explorer are capable of scoffing). But thanks to the Northern-Irish contingent (aka John Stewart), we have achieved a more meaningful boat record this morning, having got our spinnaker-packing time down to 25 minutes after being faced with three sweaty packing sessions within the space of just two watches - in the baking heat this is no mean feat. The chocolate chips are no longer chips, just chocolate!

Day 14 : 120nm North of Cape Verde Islands

We are trying to get southwest straight through the Cape Verde Islands to get the best route through the Doldrums though the wind is making it difficult for us. The more westerly yachts are getting a better wind angle but when we get to the start of the Doldrums we hope for only a 30 mile
difference between us and the leaders. It's then a two and a half week race to Buenos Aires and having succeeded in our mission to pass every island on the way we will be keen as mustard to get there by the shortest and fastest method possible. Spinnaker up, we are cruising along at over ten knots but the pitching and rolling from the swell is making it uncomfortable below and none of the crew has had a really good nights sleep in 24 hours. Focused helming and good spinnaker trimming is the key and so crew are rotated regularly to ensure they are fresh.

The locusts were a constant companion throughout the day and the sea is littered with the ones that failed to make a landing. Some even managed to get below decks confirmed by the occasional shriek as they are discovered in the heads and the bunks. To add to the abundance of nature visiting BP Explorer this week flying fish launched themselves onto our decks one hitting Christian Talpo - his Italian macho
image took a bit of a dent as he skipped and shrieked around the cockpit. We have depleted our supply of hot chocolate after a mild interest at pre-race food talks turned into a 50% preference amongst the crew in the first two weeks.

Laura Alexander's thought for the day - why is it that of all the bunks on this yacht the locust chose mine!

Day 13 : 21deg 29min N 20deg 57min W

Day dawns with a hazy sky promising yet another scorcher and BP Explorer is still at the easterly end of a long line (over 200 miles wide) across which the 12-strong Challenge fleet is strung out. Hour by hour we strain our necks to get ahead as we charge towards the Cape Verde islands, which we should reach late tomorrow night. Morocco long gone over our left shoulder, we now lie 220 miles to the west of Mauritania, 1,400 miles from the Equator and with a wake of 2,150 miles behind our stern. So we are roughly one-third of the way to Buenos Aires. Just four thousand odd miles to go until that cold, cold beer; with the beads of condensation running down the bottle.

Meanwhile, we are now officially in tropical waters and as the competition hots up with positions changing by the day and hour, our sauna grows ever steamier. At least we have had plenty of entertainment to distract us from the heat. In a bid to make the most of every change in windspeed, we have been through our spinnaker wardrobe more times than I care to mention. Peeling, packing, peeling packing, the routine is endless and very hard work. At least during tea-and-jaffa-cake breaks we have had the pleasure of some new companions. For days it struck us as odd that despite all that life teeming beneath us (to a depth of 4,000 metres today), the ocean gave the appearance of being something of a wilderness. But with the warmer waters have come many visitors. After the wonderful sperm whale (with a very bad case of halitosis) came a brace of squid on the foredeck (too insubstantial for even the smallest of starters to serve 18), numerous storm petrels wheeling above the waves and a school of dolphins which provided us with a magical midnight show. Skipping and circling effortlessly (and surely just for fun), they trailed shimmering silver-green streaks of phosphorescence behind them at lightening speed, like constellations of underwater stars astride their backs. Far less picturesque are the insects which no-one expected! As dusk fell yesterday we began to find our foredeck being used as a landing strip for some very odd locust-like creatures. Salmon-pink and speckled with light brown, they are around five inches in length and would certainly be an ominous sight in large numbers. Not surprisingly our naturalist's library is somewhat lacking on board so any ideas on their identity would interest us!

Global Challenge Living Up to its Name - Aussie Leads

Taken from News Report by Rachel Anning , Thursday, 14 October 2004

Samsung, skippered by Aussie Matt Riddell, has taken over the prestigious first place in the Global Challenge as the lead yacht in the westerly group of the fleet, now split in two.

East and West now battle it out as they race towards the trade winds, which the yachts will reach in around 300 miles.

The fleet has just passed the Canary Islands in two distinct fleets. In the past few days the westerly yachts have enjoyed an advantage over the easterly yachts, which have passed through the Canary Islands looking for the Wind Acceleration Zone – the wind tunnel that occurs as wind passes between islands, known to occur between Tenerife and Gran Canaria.

There is now also a low pressure forming to the west of the fleet which will cause south westerly winds, bringing to an end the reaching run for the westerly yachts. Conversely there seems to be a north east breeze along the African coast within reach of the easterly yachts.

With the weather looking like it will remain stable in the meantime, and with lighter headwinds for the westerly fleet, there may be another imminent change in the leader board.

Team Save the Children, skippered by Paul Kelly, which nearly had to divert to the Canary Islands due to a water maker failure is gambling now to make up the deficit of miles lost over the past few days.

They have diverted far east in what looks like a desperate attempt to find the stronger winds nearer to the coast. Time will tell if they can make up the 212 miles they are currently trailing from the leader.

Fourth place Barclays Adventurer, skippered by Stuart Jackson, looks to be in the most advantageous position, having got back on the Rhumbline and hence capable of going either west or east.

David Melville, skipper of BP Explorer, currently lying in the middle of the fleet in seventh place explains the recent few days out at sea.

‘Which way to go? So BG SPIRIT (ninth place), Spirit of Sark (fifth place) and BP Explorer headed down between these islands in a kind of collective madness.

'We needed the wind to hold for this to work and inevitably it did not. We sailed slowly - oh so slowly - between the islands and every position schedule showed a worse and worse picture. It was hell, there is nothing worse than being a skipper and leading your boat into a poor strategic position.

‘I felt tense, anxious and miserable the whole day, it was so bad that I had stomach cramps. The only consolation was that we were not on our own. For most of this time Spirit of Sark were within close sight. First and second favourites, according to the bookies anyway, stuck behind an island where they should know better - ridiculous.

‘Well we are on our way again. We are out to the east and consider ourselves to be in a three boat race for the next week. Slightly higher speed trade winds are forecast out here and so we should be able to slowly claw back some mileage.

'So much has happened and we have only been going about 10 days so there is probably another 25 days left to sort this mess out.’

Having to find every inch of mileage from the yachts is hard work and leads to immense frustrations. As well as a great deal of soul searching from some there is also the usual banter from others as Richard Parsons of Team Stelmar explains:

‘Now there are many criteria for selecting someone to climb the 95 feet to the top of the mast, but today a simple error was made.

‘The crewmember selected was one that had,

a) More or less, been suffering from motion sickness for 10 days.

b) Was feeling unwell

c) Had just eaten lunch

d) Been un-communicative for the last half an hour

e) Had never scaled the mast before

‘Nevertheless, he was hoisted to the top of the mast to look for wind. After a half an hour at the top and still being un-communicative, even though his primary role there was to communicate, his first clear call was ‘Look out below!’

'Instinctively, instead of ducking for cover, all the crew on deck looked heavenwards, which was their second mistake, as they were soon to discover.

‘It might not seem funny to you, but for those of us below decks away from the firing line, in a manner of speaking, our day was brightened enormously as the contents of his stomach rained down on the deck above us.

‘The queue for the showers shortly afterwards was a source of much amusement for some and considerable embarrassment for others.’

Current team positions:

Position yacht Distance to go

1 Samsung 4,376
2 VAIO 4,379
3 SAIC 4,383
4 Barclays Adventurer 4,398
5 Imagine It. Done 4,409
6 Spirit of Sark 4,492
7 BP Explorer 4,444
8 BG SPIRIT 4,447
9 Team Stelmar 4,482
10 Pindar 4,500
11 Me to You 4,533
12 Save the Children 4,588

Day 12 : Heading for Cape Verde Islands

David said it all in his log yesterday, we've all read it and are 100% behind him. Control the things we are able to control, do our very best then try and find that little bit extra, it's the bit extra that will make the difference. We are playing a cat and mouse game with Spirit of Sark and the first thing we ask as we start our watch is "where are they?" It's a three horse race for us over the next couple of days and every bit of weather information is eagerly awaited, it's hot and sunny and definitely shorts and T-shirts on deck.



Below decks are like a Turkish sauna. We are wearing precious little when we retire to our bunks - except maybe a silk sleeping bag liner to cover our warps and fenders. Sasha Zamorouev got a surprise today when we celebrated his birthday nine months early. He is doing this leg as a member of our BP crew so we presented him with a card, some gifts and a message and promise from every crewmember.

They included; doing the washing up when it's his turn, donating their day's treats and even washing his socks! We have received loads of fantastic e-mails from our friends and relatives. They include messages from excited nieces, nephews following the race and checking our position when they wake, when they get home from school and again before they go to bed. Our older fans have been texting each other every snippet of information from the Challenge website and a few have even placed considerable bets. Every mail we receive just lifts us higher and adds to our drive to do that bit extra. We saw our first Sperm whale today and I can't help thinking just how lucky we are to be experiencing this adventure and sharing this incredible environment with them.

Goldie Raley's thought for today is "We still have a long way to go and a lot to do before we get there".

Day 11 : 27' 3N 16'39W

Well I suppose you would all like to know how you take a boat from first to the back of the pack in a few days. The answer is to take a holiday in the canaries. A lifetime ago we came out of a big storm battered but in front.



The fleet had been scattered by the winds over a large distance and a new low pressure system was out to the west disrupting the more normal north easterly winds. To the east lay the Canaries. I have been planning weather for this trip for nearly a year and you always in the research try and avoid them, but our close rivals BG SPIRIT and Spirit of Sark were heading that way, some of the others in the fleet were heading west. Which way to go? We have always really rated BG SPIRIT and Spirit of Sark and so it a kind of fixed mindset I decided to go that way. it was something of a gamble and required going between Gran Canaria and Tenerife (at this point experienced sailors roll their eyes). So BG SPIRIT, Spirit of Sark and BP Explorer headed down between these islands in a kind of collective madness. We needed the wind to hold for this to work and inevitably it did not. We sailed slowly..... oh so slowly, between the islands and every position schedule showed a worse and worse picture. It was hell, there is nothing worse than being a skipper and leading your boat into a poor strategic position. I felt tense, anxious and miserable the whole day, it was so bad that I had stomach cramps. The only consolation was that we were not on our own. For most of this time Spirit of Sark were within close sight. First and second favourites, according to the bookies anyway, stuck behind an island where they should know better - ridiculous.

Well we are on our way again. We are out to the east and consider ourselves to be in a three boat race for the next week. Slightly higher speed trade winds are forecast out here and so we should be able to slowly claw back some mileage. Realistically we are not going to see any big changes in the short term. Things should be shaken into place by the Cape Verde islands which are a few days away yet. Of course it doesn't look good, but the thing to remember that this is a long race. So much has happened and we have only been going about 10 days there is probably another 25 days left to sort this mess out.

When I realised the true horror of the situation I sent a rather down email to my wife Kate. She replied that ''the lessons we are meant to learn in life are the ones we fear the most''. So here I am learning how to be a good skipper and not be in the lead. The crew are unperturbed and supportive. We have decided to work this one out as a team - control the controllables and let the rest do what they will.

Day 10 : 28deg 26min N 16deg 02min W

After Sunday's desperate search for wind which included Christian Talpo scaling our 85ft mast in search of any signs, finally at 5:40 the winds returned to our sails and we were off again, but not without cost. The light airs gave the rest of the fleet time to catch up and the position reports made disappointing reading. Spirit of Sark had crept up on us over night and loomed like an ominous shadow on the horizon. VAIO, Team SAIC and Samsung were out to the west and had benefited from favourable winds and had caught up and taken over the lead. BG SPIRIT and Barclays Adventurer had also gained.

The winds stayed with us all day Monday and each watch gave their total concentration to regain lost ground. Far from being beaten, our resolve increased and the desire to get the most out of BP Explorer rose to new levels. A healthy competition built up between watches where the old watch gave the new watch target speeds. As I write this I can hear the watch on deck whooping at beating our record. We are not down, our lead has been taken but it is early yet. Gambles on the part of the other yachts in the fleet have paid off but as every gambler should know, you don't always win and consistency is the key. We know we can get back the lead and confidence is high in fact we are enjoying the challenge, we don't want it too easy after all.

(Skipper) David has been rescued from patrolling the decks in bare feet by Major Mahli who has given him his flip-flops. I asked Major today what he was most looking forward to in Buenos Aires, he said a cold beer.

Day 8 : 60 miles East of Madeira

In total contrast to the storms of Thursday and Friday we are now at the other end of the sailing spectrum. Light airs, dead calm by whatever name, it means unless we are totally focused on keeping the yacht moving we'll stop and that isn't racing. It's in these situations where brains take over from brawn and the physical challenge makes way to the mental challenge.

It doesn't mean we're sitting around waiting for wind though. We are hoisting and dropping spinnakers and headsails at a tiring pace and analysing every fraction of a knot difference. David has resorted to shouting into the skies demanding wind and has given the rest of the crew permission to pray to their gods. Whilst contemplating the next strategy David caught his deck shoe on the rail and moments later it dropped over the side and drifted majestically off into the distance. It was a lighter moment for Olly and myself, however, we were told that while this may be a funny incident to some people IT WAS NOT FUNNY AT ALL - AND THAT'S OFFICIAL. We waited until he had gone below before we cracked up. If you've noticed anything different in the nature of the log today it's because it is being written by one of the 'medieval males' onboard BP Explorer. We've given Naomi the week off from diligently recording every detail of our various odours so the fellas can have their say, so no beautiful sunsets and being scared this week I'm afraid.

Just for the record yesterday was shower day and all the blokes now smell fresh and clean and we've even washed our socks! We are all getting into the routine of the watches now and there are more meetings between the watches instead of just coming off and climbing into our bunks. Spirits are high which is good (we've been through a lot already).

We are going to need every bit of concentration and teamwork to get BP Explorer back sailing fast where we most like to be - up front.

Day 6 :Off Portugal

The winds have now finally died down sufficiently for us to send a log detailing BP Explorer's adventures during the last 24 hours. At 21.30GMT on Friday 8th October, we are starting to recover from an incredible 24 hours which culminated in 14 of the crew battening themselves down below while the deck became inhabited solely by those with a stomach for a sea state which skipper David described as 'awesome', and wind speeds constantly in excess of 50 knots, and gusting to near 60.

'I have never seen anything like those waves on a Challenge boat', he admitted - later - which is just as well because those of us who were by this point cowering under the table might have become even more unnerved by the news that this was virgin territory for him too! This kind of weather - a Force 10 - is described for those who might find it hard to visualise as 'seldom experienced inland; trees uprooted; considerable structural damage' (Beaufort scale).

Crawling reluctantly out of our damp but warm bunks and going on watch at 2am was rather like leaving the house and getting hit by a cricket bat. Having sailed into the centre of an impressive low, we were struck by a downburst and surrounded by thunder and huge sheets of lightning. The latter lent the whole nightmare a filmic quality as again and again it lit up the scene of mayhem on the otherwise pitch-black deck.

One moment we were sailing along with the headsail poled out, the next we were pinned down by a huge gust which nailed the sail to the forestay and caused the fabric to rip and numerous hanks to come apart. This initial scene of horror behind us and dealt with, the watch being replaced were put on standby in full wet-weather gear in the saloon. Exhausted and longing for bed, they were soon required back on deck, as the reefs followed one another in quick succession and sail area was reduced. Before long we had the main down completely and were flying along with just our storm staysail and no3 - the stay a luminous brave red banner in a wild expanse of angry sea.

In the snakepit, things were far too hectic to even take in the sea, which for all its fury was a beautiful sight, but at the helm, Andrew Smith felt 'fine' as the winds increased to a constant 45 knots - until he looked behind him and saw the size of the waves. By daylight these had built to around 40 feet - although by this point it was just David and three adrenalin junkies on the deck. One such, John Bass, related how the skipper, seemingly delighted with this new challenge, was zipping around the boat tweaking this and that, ensuring that all was safe, and that at one point he zoomed up to foredeck, video camera in hand, to capture a frame of the almost submerged cockpit and its whooping occupants.

There was absolutely no way that I was going up there! Things down below presented quite enough of a challenge with sails to be mended valiantly by Goldie (Raley) and Sasha - known to us as 'Russia's greatest sewing machine' - tea to be supplied and comfort to be proffered to those of us who were scared.

It is a night we will none of us forget in a hurry - and its high point, which came at around 11 this morning, was really something. Trying to grab a couple of hours' sleep, we heard David's voice booming into the 'back bedroom' - 'Hey guys!! You want to hear something?.... We're in the bl**dy lead!!' The boat erupted - nothing could have chased away the night horrors more effectively!

Protest blitz hits Global Challenge

Taken from News Report by Elaine Bunting, Yachting World on 8 October 2004

Controversy swept the Global Challenge fleet this afternoon as seven of the 12 yacht crews were informed of the race committee's intention to protest them for a rules infringement. The committee believes that Barclays, BG Spirit, BP Explorer, Save the Children, Pindar, SAIC and Team Stelmar all disobeyed the general sailing instructions by cutting across the Ushant Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) on day two of the race.

"The general sailing instructions refer to Rule 10 of the Collision Regulations," says Matthew Ratsey, Challenge Business technical director and a member of the race committee. Rule 10 b (ii) states that vessels should 'so far as practicable keep clear of a traffic separation line or separation zone'.

"From plots we can see some boats clearly made a conscious effort to avoid it, and we have others which blatantly did not," comments Ratsey. "We have definite plots of three of them in the TSS. With the others there are plots effectively on either side, but until we get their logs we can't be sure. We will have 24 hours after the boats get to Buenos Aires to examine the logs and lodge a protest."

The international jury will hear the protest in Buenos Aires. If it is upheld, they may choose to dock a point from teams, one point being equivalent to one place. Juries often favour a softly softly approach to infringements on ocean races - think of the £1,000 fine illbruck received during the last Volvo Ocean Race for breaking class rules by fixing a weed cutting device to the S-drive - but ignoring a rule that underlines the Collision Regulations would seem to be a much more serious offence.

Whatever the outcome, these seven crews have another pressure-cooker month at sea in which to rue the potential consequences.

This morning the race gained a new leader as David Melville and crew on BP Explorer pinched the lead from Isle of Sark. Yesterday, Isle of Sark broke their 1.5oz spinnaker, which tore across the head and ripped down the tapes. The Sark crew will be busy stapling it back together in the next couple of days.

The fleet has been sailing fast downwind in the last 24 hours, racing towards a low pressure system off Portugal which is intensifying and is forecast to deepen to 985mb by midnight tonight. By this time the yachts should have reached the south-western quadrant and will be broad reaching into decreasing winds. As they do, they will meet lumpy beam seas and life will temporarily be less comfortable.

Today's position reports illustrate a variety of tactics, with two distinct packs forming: one to the west, headed by Matt Riddell and crew on Samsung; the others to the east and closer to the rhumb line, headed by BP Explorer and Isle of Sark.

The aim in both cases is get far enough west to sail over the top of approaching low and down its western flank, so keeping in favourable winds, yet not so far west as to add unnecessary miles. In the next 12 hours we will see if the eastern group have managed to shape a course that skirts lighter winds near the centre of the low.

This weekend, it looks like the fleet will be fast reaching, which will be hard on gear and stressful for crew. Only the most adept helmsmen will be used and, at this early stage of the race, those are going to be few and far between. To add to their difficulties, the waning moon will be rising later and later in the morning, so during the night helmsmen will have the horrid job of trying to anticipate waves in pitch darkness.

Day 5 : 42' 15N 11' 21W

Very, very scary. This is one way to describe last night's sleigh ride down past the north-west coast of Spain. Whilst most of the rest of the fleet appeared to have headed further west, we made south in search of the stronger winds off Finisterre which skipper David has encountered on numerous occasions when sailing in the opposite direction - towards home - with his wife Kate.

We certainly found them. Or perhaps I should say they found us... and we got more than we bargained for. Designed to take up to around 12 knots of apparent wind, the 1.5oz kite suddenly had to contend with over 18 knots. First we had to gybe the kite, and in the rolling seas the boom crashed back and forth over our heads while it was centered. Later the wind strengthened again and and we pitched and rolled ever faster through the gloom. The moon made a hasty exit, to be replaced by ominous clouds, and on deck we felt as if we had been plonked aboard a highly-strung, out-of-control horse and told to gallop blindfold downhill with no reins.

Those in their bunks tightened their lee cloths and offered up silent thanks that they were down below in relative safety. Some clinging to sleep even slammed shut the forward watertight bulkhead door to drown out our shouts (this later raised a smile!) In the snakepit we tried desperately to continue to think logically and swap and change seven urgently-required ropes between the three winches whilst receiving barked (and inevitably different!) instructions simultaneously from bow and helm. The latter meanwhile was managing to oversee the whole operation whilst narrowly avoiding a nasty broach which would have seen us over on our ear and risking boom and crew. Hearts pounding, ropes everywhere, pouring sweat and with a few bruises to show for it, we just about managed the situation and emerged shaken but not hurt, the only losses being an expensive spinnaker sheet and an irritating number of mugs overboard.

On the plus side, it looks like our wind hunt has paid off. At least we have our fingers crossed that this is the case. At 22.00 GMT it appeared (and the position reports came in very sketchily over the VHF) that we had widened the gap between ourselves and those behind us.

Unfortunately it does not seem that we managed to make up ground on Spirit of Sark at all. No doubt the imminent position reports at 11.00 local time will shed more light on the
matter. Meanwhile we continue the merry-go-round. Having spent most of the early hours with our headsails poled out (or 'goosewinging'), we are now 100 miles off the Portuguese coast and back to flanker (a heavier spinnaker) and
enjoying the ride.

Day 4: Bay of Biscay

The warm weather seems to be ever closer as Day 4, Wednesday 6th October, opens upon us with clear skies and a light breeze. La Coruna lies approximately 80 miles to the south, whilst we are yet 100 miles shy of Finisterre. Breakfast this morning was a triumph - porridge and warm rolls
care of our culinary genius Major are always a trea (especially when they come after 'pasta pesto' - never a treat, especially in the eyes of the two Italians aboard - Valeria Rosa and Christian Talpo). As the crew become more rested and learn to settle into the watch system, increasing numbers seem to be awake towards the end of their six hours off during the day. This has created more time for starting to manage the domestic arrangements a little better - which can only be a good thing as the boat is beginning to smell medievally male, despite all efforts with our fantastic aromatherapy air freshener (thanks Kate x).

Awake by nine this morning (and not due on until midday), I allowed myself, for example, three luxuries - washing myself (hair wash not allowed until after one week), washing my socks etc. and a vaguely successful attempt at brushing my hair. BLISS. Odours might be marginally improved by increasingly successful bread baking and seasickness finally being left behind in our wake, but it seems our neoprene-lined boots are compounding the cheese factor! A universal sock-washing order will no doubt soon be announced.

Still on starboard tack, we have had a difficult night in terms of keeping the boat going in the light and somewhat fickle winds which saw a series of sail changes; the sail plan was altered from head sails (No.1 and staysail) to flanker (the heaviest kite, 2.2oz), back to head sails, to the 1.5oz spinnaker, and now, at 9.36 GMT, the 0.75oz (which we are currently flying close to the edge). Needless to say we have got through a lot of wool in the packing and re-packing process and it is a case of wellies on, wellies off, ad infinitum, in an effort to tread softly around our precious kites. Anyone not obeying this rule is soon barked at by each and every member of the sail-repair team (the tiniest of holes could lead to endless hours sewing!)

Against a backdrop of a magnificent night sky, sporadically illuminated by brilliant shooting stars, the tension of those on the 10-2a.m. watch was also compounded by the fact that a yacht was sighted off the starboard quarter. This meant one of two things - we had either made significant ground on the race leaders, Spirit of Sark, or we had lost ground to one of the yachts behind - Barclays Adventurer or Team Stelmar. Agonisingly, we will not know our fate until the position reports later this morning....

Day 3: South of Brest

At 8.55 GMT BP Explorer is bowling along close-hauled just south of Brest and, most importantly, with the lead boat in sight off the starboard bow. Spirits are considerably improved on deck this morning. As the seasickness which has debilitated perhaps up to two-thirds of the crew begins to ease its grip, we are able to savour our promising position, some fantastic weather - sunshine and an average of 17 knots of breeze - and a return to some proper food (relatively speaking of course!) Not that we are now trouble-free. That would be far too easy.

This morning sees us still being plagued by a duo of technical hitches. We find ourselves unable to run the generator (vital for providing power to our instruments, etc.) and our mechnical experts have their heads planted inside the monster trying to solve the problem.

Meanwhile, back at the chart table, our weather information has become somewhat patchy thanks to difficulties downloading email. The ramifications of this are that it is hard to decide whether we will get lifted by the wind on this tack (starboard) sufficiently to clear Finisterre, or whether we should put in a tack soon - all vital information when it comes to the struggle to catch the lead boat!

Day 1 : Start Day Global Challenge 2004/05

Photos taken by family and crew memebrs on Start Day.
Click on the photo which links to a slideshow of more photos.



Local Television converage of the start of the race

Boat Songs

BG SPIRIT - A Little Less Conversation, Elvis vs. JXL


SAIC La Jolla - Guaglione, Perez Prado



Team Stelmar - Praise You, Fat Boy Slim



Samsung - Fly Away, Lenny Kravitz


Me to You - Walking on Sunshine, Katrina & The Waves


Pindar - Ready to Go, Republica


VAIO - Song 2, Blur


Barclays Adventurer - Kids, Robbie Williams & Kylie Minogue


Imagine It. Done. - Can't Stop, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers


Spirit of Sark - Insomnia, Faithless


BP Explorer - Right Here, Right Now, Fat Boy Slim


Team Save the Children - You're a Superstar, Love Inc.

Gunwharf Quays!

This morning has seen an impressive displays of complex logistics with more than 200 excited crew volunteers being shuffled into position for an aerial shot from the spinnaker tower - a momento of what will no doubt go down in our memory banks as a real red-letter week.




Many of us have been waiting upon this moment for three or four years, in some cases even longer. In every nook and cranny on the boat, in the crew house, over coffee - we repeatedly turn to each other with wide eyes - 'this is it - it's actually going to happen... now!' Part of yet another impossibly packed pre-start day, the fleet picture came after our final fleet crew briefing and slots in before yet more photo calls for the crew swinging from the rigging of HMS Warrior, rigging checks, final attention to detail on our spinnakers, the list is endless. After this we head out into the Solent to blow any lingering cobwebs away before the off - which now looks set to take place in the teeth of pretty much a full gale! And finally there is our crew bye bye bash tonight (with an order for 'no alcohol for crew' being imparted from an optimistic David!). The air of (I hasten to add controlled) tension aboard BP Explorer is tangible. The adventure starts here!