8 days of training, plus days of work to get the boat ready, and put her away, are coming to an end. Most of the crew are now on their way home, and tired muscles are getting a well earned rest. This was a great training session – steady trade winds, warm blue seas, and a crew ready to learn. The data gathering all week, and number crunching every evening, is fine tuning the driving and sail selection so we…
And what a race that was! A lighter than normal race – winds averaging 10 rather than 20 knots, made this a challenge of endurance as well as sailing – at the prize-giving event there were still 15 boats on the race course. For us losing electronics was a challenge to overcome – so we sailed with our heads focussed on wind and waves, not distracted by computer predictions nor readouts of all the data from the various sensors on…
We are approaching Redondo with its “king” in mid afternoon. Light breeze for all and for us is working in our favour so we are closing in on boats ahead. With no electronics we don’t know where we stand. Low on food, water, and snacks, high on morale. Still loving sailing “old school” – this is a race we’ll remember for a long time. Looking forward to being greeted on the dock with a pile of pizzas and Rafa’s pasta.…
The start of the race saw playful humpback whales broaching amongst the race fleet. Last night we sailed past an active volcano. You can’t say this race doesn’t have things to see outside of blue water and green islands. Still sailing old school and if this is a success, may end up removing electronics etc! Maybe a fridge would be nice. No meals for 2 days now – will attack the roti stands when we get in – 1 more…
Feels like an aftermath of a storm! Problems with alternator means we are sailing “old school” – no electronics or watermaker, just steering by feel and the stars at night (which have been spectacular). Very hot on board but spirits are high and the sailing is great.
The sport of sailing is like no other – world famous sailors compete with and against passionate corinthian sailors. Today we ran through the light air combinations, as the race looks like a light wind, not trade wind, challenge. Settings tested for these conditions, and data gathered to work out our optimum route and sail selection. An early tune up with another Cookson 50 helped see the effect of these changes – all positive. New rudder working well. So we’ve…
Success! After a night in a vacuum bag, the carbon had cured ok. Next up was fairing at dawn! This involved smearing filler all over the carbon, letting it set, then sanding it off leaving the filler now on the boatyard team. It was suggested just to cover the team in filler and bypass the rudder, but there were unamused looks.Rudder reinstalled and afloat by 2pm, and out to sea by 2:15 for an afternoon of preparation in the now…
After Sandy was given the keys to the North Sails van, the day went a bit downhill. Tristan diving on the boat to clean the bottom noticed that the tip of the rudder was missing – eaten by a passing shark; torn off with all the recent boatspeed; or like sailors everywhere, just buggered off to the nearest bar. Anyway our 9′ rudder was now a 7′ rudder, and apparently the drivers needed those extra inches, as Sean said, “ever…
Whilst the Formula 1 cars are doing winter testing in Spain, we’re winter testing in Antigua – warm, wet, and sometimes not raining. Today’s work included man-overboard recovery, practiced in the harbour using the system devised by Volvo round the world crews. Excellent system and very quick and easy – in a harbour in daylight, good training though we hope never to use the skills and system. The sea was nice and warm! Afterwards we tried out the new A3…