Showing posts with label Leg1. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leg1. Show all posts
Thursday, November 25, 2004
Monday, November 15, 2004
Thursday, November 4, 2004
Leg 1 Day 33 : near a bar! (34 47 S 57 15 W)
'Once we are in the river, that's when the dye is nearly cast.' These were the words of David Melville just a few days ago and here we are, still in fourth and holding off the enemy!
Throughout the night we have been careering up the inappropriately named River Plate - which means River of Silver, although it is anything but. By night it was admittedly a sparkling sight - to port, a multitude of vessels in the shipping channel all lit up with their navigation lights; to starboard, the golden glow and streetlights of Montevideo; above, a canopy of stars; and all around us, the best show of phosphoresence of the journey - so bright that the rushing caps and foam of the brisk waves piled along luminously for as far as the eye could see. When a particularly frisky whitecap landed on the deck, that too was lit up with millions of spots of florescent light.
As dawn breaks, however, we regard our final bowl of porridge with some relief and the water with some surprise. We knew it would be muddy - but it really is very very brown - full of the earth washed down from the hills and mountains. In the Plate we have a series of waypoints to round, after each of which we must send in a brief report to Race HQ.
Information included in this is a list of yachts which we can see behind and in front. Thus far, this section has remained blank - a bittersweet fact, for whilst we have held off our old adversaries Sark and BG, we have not, thus far, managed to catch Samsung. Tantalisingly close at dusk yesterday - just a few miles distant - they managed to pull away from us dramatically during the high winds of the early hours. If we are honest with ourselves, only a fairly major mistake on their part is likely to see us pass them at this stage, but as they say, 'it isn't over until it's over!'
We have saved our final Mars bars until today for that extra bit of fuel in these last hard-fought hours of racing and perhaps it will make all the difference! I know for sure that as long as we hold our place there is going to be a huge roar of approval when we cross that line to the relieved shouts of our supporters bounding along in the ribs - Mum I'm on my way!!!!
Thanks to readers for all the kind comments about our logs throughout Leg 1! I am reliably informed that there will be much to see on our team website - www.bpoceanracingteam.com -during the stopover, and we will try to post logs throughout our stay in Buenos Aires. More soon when we head for Cape Horn - but for now it's off to the bar! Watch leader David Pugh ('Cop') may have discovered that he is not as addicted to Stella Artois as he previously thought, but there is still a lot of catching up to do!
Throughout the night we have been careering up the inappropriately named River Plate - which means River of Silver, although it is anything but. By night it was admittedly a sparkling sight - to port, a multitude of vessels in the shipping channel all lit up with their navigation lights; to starboard, the golden glow and streetlights of Montevideo; above, a canopy of stars; and all around us, the best show of phosphoresence of the journey - so bright that the rushing caps and foam of the brisk waves piled along luminously for as far as the eye could see. When a particularly frisky whitecap landed on the deck, that too was lit up with millions of spots of florescent light.
As dawn breaks, however, we regard our final bowl of porridge with some relief and the water with some surprise. We knew it would be muddy - but it really is very very brown - full of the earth washed down from the hills and mountains. In the Plate we have a series of waypoints to round, after each of which we must send in a brief report to Race HQ.
Information included in this is a list of yachts which we can see behind and in front. Thus far, this section has remained blank - a bittersweet fact, for whilst we have held off our old adversaries Sark and BG, we have not, thus far, managed to catch Samsung. Tantalisingly close at dusk yesterday - just a few miles distant - they managed to pull away from us dramatically during the high winds of the early hours. If we are honest with ourselves, only a fairly major mistake on their part is likely to see us pass them at this stage, but as they say, 'it isn't over until it's over!'
We have saved our final Mars bars until today for that extra bit of fuel in these last hard-fought hours of racing and perhaps it will make all the difference! I know for sure that as long as we hold our place there is going to be a huge roar of approval when we cross that line to the relieved shouts of our supporters bounding along in the ribs - Mum I'm on my way!!!!
Thanks to readers for all the kind comments about our logs throughout Leg 1! I am reliably informed that there will be much to see on our team website - www.bpoceanracingteam.com -during the stopover, and we will try to post logs throughout our stay in Buenos Aires. More soon when we head for Cape Horn - but for now it's off to the bar! Watch leader David Pugh ('Cop') may have discovered that he is not as addicted to Stella Artois as he previously thought, but there is still a lot of catching up to do!
Wednesday, November 3, 2004
Leg 1 Day 32 :34' 46S 53' 54W
After five weeks of sailing we are approaching the entrance to the River Plate and the waypoint where all the fleet will converge.
We can smell land over to our right and the first insects since the big locust incident of the 15th and 16th were fluttering around our mast light during the night. There is an excited buzz onboard at the thought of seeing friends and family, who have flown out to meet us in Buenos Aires and there is general chatter at meal times as to what we are going to do when we get there.
BP Explorer is currently in fourth place and during the afternoon we could see BG Spirit on our port quarter. They remained in view until late in the evening when they disappeared over the horizon or into the mist.
Samsung are within our sights at just over six miles away and the thought of stealing third place keeps us working harder. Barclays Adventurer and VAIO are about 23 miles ahead, a comfortable position, but if they have any problems, catching them is quite possible.
The main theme of the day was no cock-ups. We are now so close to the finish that any mistakes could cost us a place or even places and make recovery very difficult. We've managed to get this far (6140 miles) without trashing anything serious and more importantly with no injuries. So we are all taking that extra few seconds or so to check and double-check everything. We are still pushing the yacht and sails to their limit but crew are posted, geared up and prepared to change everything at a moment's notice.
This morning we crossed a final hurdle - a low-pressure trough separating a northeasterly wind from a southerly that should take us to BA. These troughs are quite dramatic. You approach with the kite up and slowly the cloud builds overhead, lightning flashes all around and thunder rumbles. Everybody eyes the kite nervously and is poised for a drop. The idea is to leave the kite drop to the absolute latest moment.
The gust front when it does come, comes quickly. Rain lashes down and the wind rises dramatically, sometimes gusting up to 40 knots. Headsails go up the kite comes down amid urgent shouting and frantic pulling. We are hard on the wind and the breeze has shifted all the way south. It's actually quite a relief to have the headsail up and have a simple bash to windward - kites are fast but stressful. Down below the kite is checked out, minor repairs are made and the thing packed away - until the next time!
Little note at the end of today's log: If sometimes when you go to your computer and my daily log is not there, at that very moment I'm on the foredeck with my watch hoisting or fighting down a spinnaker or headsail. It 's taken several attempts today and I'm sorry if it's a bit late. Naomi's log tomorrow will be the last of this leg so I just wanted to say thank you for all the positive feedback we've received and keep logging on to read the next exciting chapter; Leg 2 - BP Explorer in the Southern Ocean.
We can smell land over to our right and the first insects since the big locust incident of the 15th and 16th were fluttering around our mast light during the night. There is an excited buzz onboard at the thought of seeing friends and family, who have flown out to meet us in Buenos Aires and there is general chatter at meal times as to what we are going to do when we get there.
BP Explorer is currently in fourth place and during the afternoon we could see BG Spirit on our port quarter. They remained in view until late in the evening when they disappeared over the horizon or into the mist.
Samsung are within our sights at just over six miles away and the thought of stealing third place keeps us working harder. Barclays Adventurer and VAIO are about 23 miles ahead, a comfortable position, but if they have any problems, catching them is quite possible.
The main theme of the day was no cock-ups. We are now so close to the finish that any mistakes could cost us a place or even places and make recovery very difficult. We've managed to get this far (6140 miles) without trashing anything serious and more importantly with no injuries. So we are all taking that extra few seconds or so to check and double-check everything. We are still pushing the yacht and sails to their limit but crew are posted, geared up and prepared to change everything at a moment's notice.
This morning we crossed a final hurdle - a low-pressure trough separating a northeasterly wind from a southerly that should take us to BA. These troughs are quite dramatic. You approach with the kite up and slowly the cloud builds overhead, lightning flashes all around and thunder rumbles. Everybody eyes the kite nervously and is poised for a drop. The idea is to leave the kite drop to the absolute latest moment.
The gust front when it does come, comes quickly. Rain lashes down and the wind rises dramatically, sometimes gusting up to 40 knots. Headsails go up the kite comes down amid urgent shouting and frantic pulling. We are hard on the wind and the breeze has shifted all the way south. It's actually quite a relief to have the headsail up and have a simple bash to windward - kites are fast but stressful. Down below the kite is checked out, minor repairs are made and the thing packed away - until the next time!
Little note at the end of today's log: If sometimes when you go to your computer and my daily log is not there, at that very moment I'm on the foredeck with my watch hoisting or fighting down a spinnaker or headsail. It 's taken several attempts today and I'm sorry if it's a bit late. Naomi's log tomorrow will be the last of this leg so I just wanted to say thank you for all the positive feedback we've received and keep logging on to read the next exciting chapter; Leg 2 - BP Explorer in the Southern Ocean.
Tuesday, November 2, 2004
Leg 1 Day 31 :32 02 S 49 36 W
'New boat speed record,' hollers the helm, his voice coming through the gloom of a rapid nightfall in a mixture of exhilaration and fear. 'A phrase which often comes before maximum mess-ups,' adds the skipper wryly - but you can tell that he is relieved to be going fast once again! Yesterday afternoon we watched in dismay as the wind speed faded and faded to practically nothing. For several hours we crept along, tiptoeing about the yacht as the helms nursed her through the water, sniffing out every bit of available breeze.
By this time in fifth position (BG SPIRIT having overtaken us by several miles), we had to re-remind ourselves of what David had told us at our lunchtime meeting - 'The die is not cast for another couple of days, you have to keep going.' Two hours later he came on deck and padded about the decks tweaking here, tweaking there and looking like sleep was the last thing on his mind. 'I really have a feeling that this afternoon could prove to be a crucial watch so please make sure that you are doing everything you can to make the yacht go faster.' It is useful to hear words of encouragement like this but we are all as hungry as each other for a good position. The stops are permanently all pulled out in this neck of the woods! The afternoon did, indeed, turn out to see some significant changes.
As we went from the lightweight kite, to the 1.5 (and later the flanker) with the wind building steadily, the boat accelerated, and accelerated, and accelerated some more.
By watch changeover at 6pm we were storming along. By the next change at 10pm, the watch coming off were taking to their bunks fully dressed and in lifejackets - constantly on the edge of our wind range for each spinnaker, we had to be coiled for action at any time. At some point in the evening we overtook BG SPIRIT and saw that we were now just seven miles from Samsung! As the girls in the snakepit at midnight - Laura and Goldie - belted out 'Surfing USA' as they whooped through the surf aboard what they described as 'our one-horse open sleigh', I think it is fair to say that however conservative we want to be, everyone on BP Explorer is now secretly hoping for something better than fourth.
By this time in fifth position (BG SPIRIT having overtaken us by several miles), we had to re-remind ourselves of what David had told us at our lunchtime meeting - 'The die is not cast for another couple of days, you have to keep going.' Two hours later he came on deck and padded about the decks tweaking here, tweaking there and looking like sleep was the last thing on his mind. 'I really have a feeling that this afternoon could prove to be a crucial watch so please make sure that you are doing everything you can to make the yacht go faster.' It is useful to hear words of encouragement like this but we are all as hungry as each other for a good position. The stops are permanently all pulled out in this neck of the woods! The afternoon did, indeed, turn out to see some significant changes.
As we went from the lightweight kite, to the 1.5 (and later the flanker) with the wind building steadily, the boat accelerated, and accelerated, and accelerated some more.
By watch changeover at 6pm we were storming along. By the next change at 10pm, the watch coming off were taking to their bunks fully dressed and in lifejackets - constantly on the edge of our wind range for each spinnaker, we had to be coiled for action at any time. At some point in the evening we overtook BG SPIRIT and saw that we were now just seven miles from Samsung! As the girls in the snakepit at midnight - Laura and Goldie - belted out 'Surfing USA' as they whooped through the surf aboard what they described as 'our one-horse open sleigh', I think it is fair to say that however conservative we want to be, everyone on BP Explorer is now secretly hoping for something better than fourth.
Monday, November 1, 2004
Leg 1 Day 30 : East of Rio Grande
We all came on watch after Saturday's 24-hour marathon looking very tired. What sleep we did manage to get was often interrupted by noise on deck. Every shout, every clatter of sheets and grinding of the winches echoes through the hull and it's difficult to just count sheep when the next 'everyone on deck' could be moments away. So, tired and physically exhausted we start our watches but throughout the day we all talk about the events of the night before and a strong sense of camaraderie builds. As we recount our individual stories of heroics from helm to foredeck thought of returning to our bunks disappear and we remember why we wanted to do this thing in the first place. It is at these times that the two watches tend to overlap more.
During the day people arrive on deck and muck-in with sail changes whether they are on watch or not and soon we are a dynamic team again and patting each other on the back. Spirits lifted, we view the fleet positions not with a defeated gloom but an optimistic 'right that's the problem - let's try fix it'. The problem is not a small one, we pulled five miles back on Barclays Adventurer in the afternoon only to lose it again during the night and they took 11 miles from us over the 24 hour period. Samsung and VAIO have increased their lead over us by 8 and 20 miles respectively and although we were only 1.8 miles from BG SPIRIT yesterday morning they pulled away too and are now about nine miles in front. We did however take 20 miles from Spirit of Sark. The leading five yachts are quite spread out now with most of them further west than BP Explorer. At the moment we are far enough apart to be experiencing different conditions and trying to match the yachts performance like for like is impossible. The next two and a half days will be very interesting as we all converge on a waypoint at the mouth of the River Plate and aim for a piece of ocean one tenth of a mile wide. The challenge will be to get the best possible position before the waypoint hoping that conditions are better for us further east. After that it's a straight race up the River Plate to the finish.
Halloween brought it's sailing horrors to the deck but during the day a friendly witch by the name of Laura Alexander promised to cast a 'good luck' spell over the chart table. We've no doubt of her abilities in the snake pit let's hope the spell works as well.
During the day people arrive on deck and muck-in with sail changes whether they are on watch or not and soon we are a dynamic team again and patting each other on the back. Spirits lifted, we view the fleet positions not with a defeated gloom but an optimistic 'right that's the problem - let's try fix it'. The problem is not a small one, we pulled five miles back on Barclays Adventurer in the afternoon only to lose it again during the night and they took 11 miles from us over the 24 hour period. Samsung and VAIO have increased their lead over us by 8 and 20 miles respectively and although we were only 1.8 miles from BG SPIRIT yesterday morning they pulled away too and are now about nine miles in front. We did however take 20 miles from Spirit of Sark. The leading five yachts are quite spread out now with most of them further west than BP Explorer. At the moment we are far enough apart to be experiencing different conditions and trying to match the yachts performance like for like is impossible. The next two and a half days will be very interesting as we all converge on a waypoint at the mouth of the River Plate and aim for a piece of ocean one tenth of a mile wide. The challenge will be to get the best possible position before the waypoint hoping that conditions are better for us further east. After that it's a straight race up the River Plate to the finish.
Halloween brought it's sailing horrors to the deck but during the day a friendly witch by the name of Laura Alexander promised to cast a 'good luck' spell over the chart table. We've no doubt of her abilities in the snake pit let's hope the spell works as well.
Sunday, October 31, 2004
Leg 1 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
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
Saturday, October 30, 2004
Leg 1 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.
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.
Friday, October 29, 2004
Leg 1 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.
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.
Thursday, October 28, 2004
Leg 1 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.
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.
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
Leg 1 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!
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!
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Leg 1 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.
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.
Monday, October 25, 2004
Leg 1 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!
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!
Sunday, October 24, 2004
Leg 1 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.
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.
Saturday, October 23, 2004
Leg 1 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.
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.
Friday, October 22, 2004
Leg 1 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.
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.
Thursday, October 21, 2004
Leg 1 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!
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!
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
Leg 1 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!]
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!]
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Leg 1 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.
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.
Monday, October 18, 2004
Leg 1 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!
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!
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