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After hoisting the storm jib, we spent 36 hours hammering into torrential rain and up to 40kts of wind. It was at this point that I realised that this was why I came on the race. I finally felt like the second part of my race was in fact a challenge after all. Seemingly, I’m not happy unless things are tough – must try to avoid that approach in life generally – more evidence of my inability to enjoy things for their own sake and my instinct for making life tougher than needs be… It’s amazing the difference 36 hrs can make though, because over that time we changed up and up until we finally had a heavyweight spinnaker up with 30+ kts of breeze. We faced a different kind of challenge as the kite took on a life of its own and seemed to be intent on screaming the boat up to windward with the ensuing risk of broach. Of course, Mark’s careful monitoring of the situation meant that we have changed back and forth between a poled-out headsail and a spinnaker, so that we maintain speed but stay safe. So I get to enjoy day after day of my favourite point of sail. The change in the atmosphere on the boat and the mood amongst the crew is palpable now that we are downwind!
The first few days of this latest race found me searching for inspiration. The relentlessness of light airs sailing was beginning to get the better of me when the wind increased and things changed dramatically. 24 hours after drifting almost windless we had 42 kts apparent wind on the nose and the storm jib needed to go on. I found myself instinctively grabbing the sail and chirping ‘I’ll go!’. Koh and I began to crawl to the foredeck being washed back and slammed against the shrouds at least twice in the process. Upon arriving at the forestay I felt a momentary wave of fear before we both instinctively roared laughing and then spent the next 40 minutes standing on the pulpit being battered by waves, whooping with joy every time we attached another hank. Sail successfully hoisted, we eventually dragged ourselves back to the cockpit beaming with pride and satisfaction. Inspiration found!
Race start took place in a wind hole….A recurring feature of this half of the race, it seems. At one point H&H were actually pointing 180 degrees in the wrong direction. Happily, we are becoming very swift at sail changes so after 6 hours of continual changes we and NY seemed to separate from the fleet just as the wind picked up. What has followed has been 48 hours of the most challenging sailing I have done so far. Bitterly cold battering to windward in 30kts, fog & rain with just occasional glimpses of NY as we changed lead. It looked like all was finally going to go our way until, you guessed it, we found a wind hole, allowing WA and Qingdao to pass. Typical. After showing our ability to sail faster than the others it is absolutely infuriating that once again we are about to drop back due to lack of wind. Perhaps we are actually Uniquely unlucky? Oh well, 128 miles to go unless 1200UTC comes first. Looks like yet another lengthy motor in. Not sure we have enough diesel.
Apologies for the delay in updating the blog. As always there has been an enormous amount of difficulty in using the onboard email system, which is highly unreliable.
Currently in New York enjoying two days rest before setting off for Canada for our final stopover before the final ocean crossing.
The journey here was nothing short of eventful. Full of emotional highs and lows it really did have everything. The re-start after two days of motoring to find wind was a Le Mans start. The requires every boat to line up a few boat lengths apart and after a count down there is a race to hoist headsails and set off. We had a blistering start and were doing terrifically well. Once again I was on the foredeck calling the trim and to my absolute delight, although New York (one of the fastest and most successful boats) was just a few boats lengths behind us on the port quarter, they simply couldn’t catch us. The same goes for Hull and Humber. We spent the first four hours trimming continually and gradually catching WA who was on the port beam and about to be overtaken when I went below off watch.
The wind had been steadily increasing and the number 2 Yankee was ready to go when I left. What followed in my off-watch was a simple mistake that was to cost us crucial miles and, ultimately, any chance of a podium finish.
As the wind speed increases we have a chart showing the correct sail plan for the wind speed and direction; a simple human error in reading off the wrong sail meant that the storm jib was hoisted instead of the number 3. This meant that the other boats had more sail up whereas we did not have enough, causing them to accelerate away and gain a lead of around 5 miles over 4 hours.
We were devastated. By the time I came up for my next off watch NY and WA and the rest of the leading boats were all well ahead. A few hours later the wind dropped but eventually the inevitable happened and a squall picked up the boats that were ahead, leaving us to watch them get smaller and small until they were so far ahead that they were out of sight. Of course then the wind died completely making it almost impossible to catch up. We were in 8th place and then 9th place and drifting for two days.
It takes a lot to find positive mental attitude in that situation. Obviously it could have been worse, we could have been 10th but that was small comfort.
With the loss of wind came speculation about the finish of the race. The stopovers have been shortened since Hawaii and we could see that unless the race director called an early finish allowing us to make 8kts under engine we would have less than a day in New York. We are a positive and happy crew but when there are individuals who have made plans to meet loved ones who are flying from the UK to spend precious time with them, there is a risk of low morale of they fear that they will miss the chance to spend time together.
Happily, this time Clipper did make a reasonably timely decision. We were given 12 hours notice of the race finish so we threw everything into making up at least one place
H&H were about a mile ahead on our starboard bow. Over the next 4 hours we systematically crept up and ahead overtaking them and leaving them 2 miles behind four hours later. Same sails, same wind; just out0sailing H&H. An amazing feeling. We can sail just as fast as the ‘faster’ boats. To their credit as the race ended Danny radioed Mark and congratulated us on beating them and the entire crew of H&H cheered us over the radio. Good spirit indeed.
Let us please have some good luck and no mistakes on this next leg so that we can be up there on the podium.
This is incredibly intense. Tempers are beginning to fray. The other boats were all so close we can almost hear what the crews are saying. Since starting watch five hours ago the entire crew have been working. Started with heavyweight spinnaker. Drop. Hoist Y1. Hoist Staysail. Drop Stay. Drop Y1. Hoist mid-weight. Then 30 minutes of continual trimming as Glasgow approached. Decision to gybe. Expecting land breeze. Gybed. Glasgow plus others pass. Crew dismayed. Breeze started. Hurray. Drop mid-weight. Hoist light weight. Drop LWS. Hoist windseeker. Drop WS. Hoist Y1. Hoist then drop Staysail. Hoist light weight then drop Y1. Add in four gybes of the windseeker and there you have it. Finally we have 5 kts of boat speed and just 7 miles to go. Despite being bitterly disappointed because we will once again be beaten at the finish, I haven’t experienced anything this rewarding for a while. 17 members of a crew all working simultaneously, flat out for 6 hours. Some have gone to bed. I am going to see this through.
Finally we seem to have left the Irish Sea and entered the Caribbean Sea. Hurray! Continuous trimming continues. We can see all of the other boats except WA. There is going to be one almighty dash for the line and we are prepared with not just white sails plus a spinnaker pole prepared, but also the entire crew will be up once we approach the waypoint at the north east corner of the island that will mark the final run in to the finish. A remarkable array of sailing conditions on such a short race. Everyone is exhausted. The boat is in good order and I think that since I finished my last watch 3 hours ago we have moved up the positions. Bargain! Lets see if we can get onto the podium.
A few dramas last night. The knot holding the vang together came free causing the boom to fly upwards suddenly. Repaired in under 5 minutes, though. We also found some alarming chafe on the runner so Graham and I replaced and repaired that today. Happily we found it before we needed to use it and so avoided a sudden failure under load, which would have been interesting. Have to be creative to find a way of preventing a repeat performance. Other than that, Singers plus crew are ready for a rum and coke or two…
The searing heat of the last few weeks came to an abrupt halt last Sunday as we departed in the usual fashion: branded crew gear on (i.e.not a fast-dry fibre amongst us) and oblivious to the carnage that the weather held in store for the next few hours… As we left the harbour gates the sky darkened, the wind picked up and there began an unearthly squall the likes of which I haven’t seen since we were in the Doldrums. I could barely see to helm. The race start took place during a series of long, sustained squalls. I spent two hours holding on to the inner forestay calling trim on the staysail and as a result can tell you nothing about the tactics of the boats during the Le Mans start. I did, however, manage to hold onto a video camera so footage to follow, which I hope will show the incredibly difficult conditions. This is a sprint. We are averaging 4-6 sail changes and numerous reefs per day in full oilies heeled over. Continuous trimming. Battered on the foredeck. Nothing but the heat tells us we are in the Caribbean. Just over a day to go to the finish!
Finally arrived in Panama after a rather testing period of motoring. We are off through the canal at first light tomorrow so here´s looking forward to a good upwind beat to Jamaica later this week. Long Island Iced teas going down a treat.
Within 10 minutes of arrival in a tiny village in Costa Rica (hardly a sprawling metropolis) locals arrived at the boat with items for sale including beer, cigarettes, ice creams, fruit, vegetables, diesel, waste services, an offer of take-away pizza and freshly brewed coffee in thermos jugs. I think this is possibly one of the best examples I have seen of the entrepreneurial spirit I was taught about in A-Level economics. Would this happen in England? I understand that the prices increased as each pair of boats arrived. Hats off to them! Still trying not to keep busy but each time I sit down I think of something else I can do to improve the dinner. Roasted red peppers (from the Costa Ricans) for a start. Relaxing tomorrow, honest!
It was a hollow and, in my view, insincere cheer that greeted Timothy’s request for a ‘cheer for the camera’ as we crossed the line. The last two days of racing were soul destroying. Having battled to first place we were all (I think) extremely disappointed to watch one boat after another overtake us as they sailed south.
We were in a wind hole. We had been deliberating whether to go south with H&H etc but if the race went on past the second gate a move south would be disastrous. The joys of not knowing where the finish is. Thank you Clipper. By the time the finish was announced we simply had no wind and could not change our tactics.
Anyway, what has followed has been almost continuous motoring. The boat has turned into some sort of bus or train. It is in some ways simply a means of getting us to the next race start. As we motor along we have been extremely busy doing continuous maintenance and preventative sail repair etc. The boat is immaculate and we are proud of it. In some ways the very process of being disciplined enough to just proceed to the waypoint and use every minute to make the boat as perfect as possible is very disciplined. Yet to look around the deck one could be forgiven for thinking some are on a cruising holiday as those off-watch lie on deck sunbathing/reading. Far too hot to be below. We heard yesterday that we are going in to Costa Rica today for fuel before arriving at the Panama Canal on 14th. Bring on the next race. It’s going to be hard upwind sailing and I am ready for it. In fact, I think we all are.
I think I always need a goal. Do we all? Not sure. As soon as the race was over I consoled myself with the fact that we could use the time spent motoring to the canal to get the boat ready for the next race. It wasn’t even the fact that this would obviate us having to do it whilst in port. I honestly wouldn’t mind. It was the fact that there were enough jobs to keep us busy that was reassuring. I seemed to be counting the days but planning them out so that they are filled. Slightly bizarre feeling since I usually dream of having even a moment of spare time. I am completely engrossed in racing this boat.
Chatting to the others is instructive. Some are disappointed about the loss of wind but simply because that meant a shortened stopover in Jamaica. I wouldn’t mind if we sailed right past. Not sure why. Having detected my constant need to be busy I wonder whether my permanently busy state in ‘real life’ is in fact self-made? I have therefore recently tried to relax here and just enjoy the journey. My goal for the next week or so is just to enjoy it for its own sake. Not sure if that is possible. I think I’ll go crazy if I have nothing to do. But I think being happy to just ‘be’ is a skill I should learn. Here goes.
