Holland proved to be a popular stopover for many of the boats, but for 3 of our crew members it was a bit special - Hans, Frankie and Minke all Dutch nationals had a special smile as we crossed the finish line ahead of Hull. Most crew managed at least one day in Amsterdam, the day we visited the Dutch football team were doing the city tour, not on an open top bus as we would in London, but a flotilla of boats down the canals!! After the usual window shopping and taking in the sights we returned back to the boat to prepare for the final race.
The morning of race day found us rocking around in a force 8 gale and driving rain in the marina although we are due to slip lines at 16.00 with the race starting at 19.00hrs. The forecast suggested that the strong winds were to continue into the night maybe getting lighter through the night, so again a rough crossing was in store for all crews and those who over indulged the previous night would surely suffer.
Cork departed 2 hours before the rest of the fleet and we eventually slipped lines at about 16.30hrs, as we departed the comfort of the harbour breakwater we were hit by a substantial swell and approx 35 knots of wind!! We were to remain in this "holding area" for approx 2 hours, not too bad until disaster stuck once again. This time in the form of a complete tear in our main sail just below the 2nd reefing point! This meant that we would have to complete the whole race with 2 reefs in our main sail, a bit like doing the Isle of Man TT race on a push bike since we had considerably less canvas than anyother boat in the fleet. This would surely give Cape Breton the opportunity to overtake us for the coveted 2nd place overall, only time would tell.
Race start was once again in the Le Mans format and once again we got off to our usual flyer leading the fleet for the first two miles, once the fleet realised that the wind was actually decreasing rather than building, then they all shook out the reefs and went to full main and effectively left us for dead. We really had no control of our destiny, yes we were on the podium whatever, but we wanted to collect the 2nd place overall!
The wind did eventually build but by then the damage was done, we were in last place with Cape Breton climbing through the fleet as they scented a gilt edged opportunity to leap frog us into second place. The seas continued to build and we had a pretty rough crossing, as predicted some of our crew were feeling somewhat green afetr the excesses of the previous night. We needed the winds to build since that would be the only way that the other boats would reduce the amount of canvas that they were flying and give us a chance of catching them. Sure enough, we caught and overtook California as they had a very conservative sail plan and we set our sights on Edinburgh and maintained our focus on staying ahead of California. The news that we were getting on the boat suggested that Cape Breton were now in third place in this race and were looking to take the Australian boat - nail biting stuff on Team Finland!! What none of us had factored in was the "Cork factor" and their handicap, they were actually leading the race with Ull & Umber in second place, Australia in third and Cape Breton in fourth!!
And that my friends was how this race result finished, with Team Finland in 9th place and California in 10th, this gave us a cushion of 1.3 points over Cape Breton after 35,000 miles across the worlds oceans!!
Wednesday, 21 July 2010
Thursday, 15 July 2010
Cork to Ijmuiden Holland
I suppose one benefit of sprinting across the Atlantic was that we are able to spend more time in Kinsale
and savour the delights of this wonderful place, the downside of course, is that we have all spent a
fortune on the fine food and accomodation!!
For me, I had the opportunity to fly back to the UK to attend Hazels funeral - an event that I thought I
might miss. At very short notice I managed to get a flight and met Anna at Stansted airport and drove to
the service. I was really pleased that I was able to do this and support Phil at this very sad time in his
life.
Having got back to Kinsale Anna and friends arrived and to my surprise both Tommy & Jack turned up - which
was great, Charlie of course, was somewhere in South America but he was missed.
The presentation in Cork was great as Team Finland collected the coveted winners pennant in front of 1000's
of people.
And so we move on to the next race from Cork to Ijmuiden in Holland, race day brought rain but this didn't
seem to dampen the spirits of the Irish as we departed Cork, there is a real feeling now that we nearing
the end of this adventure and return to our normal lifes - whatever they are!!
The start was at Weavers point and the wind was gusting up to 25 knots and the rain as usual meant that
everything and everybody was soaked through before the race had started.
At the gun, we crossed the line in 6th place but by the first mark we were slightly ahead and making great
speeds just ahead of Hull & Humber and Australia, disaster struck as one of the Yankee sheets broke and the
huge head sail flogged heavily in the huge swell and growing winds - we had no option but to tack away from
the fleet and surrender our 1st place whilst we made the appropriate repairs.
The very rough conditions continue as 6 crew go down with seasickness and we push on the retrieve lost
ground on the fleet.
Numerous headsail changes are required and for those of us on the bow we are forever under water as huge
waves crash over the bow and activate our life jackets.
Day 2 saw a shift in the weather as the wind calmed and we sent up the medium weight spinnaker to take
advantage of the down wind conditions. Great sailing conditions until disaster struck again when we
destroyed the spinnaker and moved back into 7th position.
AS we move past the Lizard point we can see most of the fleet (ahead of us) and we decide to make a move,
amazingly we move from 7th to 1st in the space of 2 hours!! There is now a real feeling that maybe we could
do the double and win this one as well, we start shedding water from the on board water tanks to reduce
weight as we try to increase boat speed and keep ahead.
Day 3 seea the fleet compress as we all hit light wind conditions and there is a constant change in race
order as all boats try to keep the boats moving forward in the light wind conditions but also have to
contend with the tide that races down the Straits of Dover.
A really busy night as we fight with Australia for the lead, both boats are trying to keep the light weight
spinnakers flying but both kites keep collapsing in the non exsistant winds. Somehow we manage to wriggle
out of the wind hole and put some miles between us and the rest of the fleet, surely this is the decisive
moment in this race as we dodge super tankers, ferries and all shape and sizes of boats in the busy
shipping lanes of the English Channel.
Day 4
We push on and failing some sort of disaster we now feel that we have this one in the bag and cross the
finish line in Holland only 10 mins ahead of Hull & Humber to take another 10 points in our bid for the
overall 2nd place. Australia come in 5th and claim the overall prize, worthy winners given the conditions
but what might have been had we not lost our mast???
Our three Dutch on board are very happy as they enter their "home port" first to make up for the
disappointment for the Dutch losing in the World Cup Final.
Now we are looking for the hat trick on the last race across the North Sea home as we are now the boat that
has the most wins in this series of races - bring it on !!
and savour the delights of this wonderful place, the downside of course, is that we have all spent a
fortune on the fine food and accomodation!!
For me, I had the opportunity to fly back to the UK to attend Hazels funeral - an event that I thought I
might miss. At very short notice I managed to get a flight and met Anna at Stansted airport and drove to
the service. I was really pleased that I was able to do this and support Phil at this very sad time in his
life.
Having got back to Kinsale Anna and friends arrived and to my surprise both Tommy & Jack turned up - which
was great, Charlie of course, was somewhere in South America but he was missed.
The presentation in Cork was great as Team Finland collected the coveted winners pennant in front of 1000's
of people.
And so we move on to the next race from Cork to Ijmuiden in Holland, race day brought rain but this didn't
seem to dampen the spirits of the Irish as we departed Cork, there is a real feeling now that we nearing
the end of this adventure and return to our normal lifes - whatever they are!!
The start was at Weavers point and the wind was gusting up to 25 knots and the rain as usual meant that
everything and everybody was soaked through before the race had started.
At the gun, we crossed the line in 6th place but by the first mark we were slightly ahead and making great
speeds just ahead of Hull & Humber and Australia, disaster struck as one of the Yankee sheets broke and the
huge head sail flogged heavily in the huge swell and growing winds - we had no option but to tack away from
the fleet and surrender our 1st place whilst we made the appropriate repairs.
The very rough conditions continue as 6 crew go down with seasickness and we push on the retrieve lost
ground on the fleet.
Numerous headsail changes are required and for those of us on the bow we are forever under water as huge
waves crash over the bow and activate our life jackets.
Day 2 saw a shift in the weather as the wind calmed and we sent up the medium weight spinnaker to take
advantage of the down wind conditions. Great sailing conditions until disaster struck again when we
destroyed the spinnaker and moved back into 7th position.
AS we move past the Lizard point we can see most of the fleet (ahead of us) and we decide to make a move,
amazingly we move from 7th to 1st in the space of 2 hours!! There is now a real feeling that maybe we could
do the double and win this one as well, we start shedding water from the on board water tanks to reduce
weight as we try to increase boat speed and keep ahead.
Day 3 seea the fleet compress as we all hit light wind conditions and there is a constant change in race
order as all boats try to keep the boats moving forward in the light wind conditions but also have to
contend with the tide that races down the Straits of Dover.
A really busy night as we fight with Australia for the lead, both boats are trying to keep the light weight
spinnakers flying but both kites keep collapsing in the non exsistant winds. Somehow we manage to wriggle
out of the wind hole and put some miles between us and the rest of the fleet, surely this is the decisive
moment in this race as we dodge super tankers, ferries and all shape and sizes of boats in the busy
shipping lanes of the English Channel.
Day 4
We push on and failing some sort of disaster we now feel that we have this one in the bag and cross the
finish line in Holland only 10 mins ahead of Hull & Humber to take another 10 points in our bid for the
overall 2nd place. Australia come in 5th and claim the overall prize, worthy winners given the conditions
but what might have been had we not lost our mast???
Our three Dutch on board are very happy as they enter their "home port" first to make up for the
disappointment for the Dutch losing in the World Cup Final.
Now we are looking for the hat trick on the last race across the North Sea home as we are now the boat that
has the most wins in this series of races - bring it on !!
Thursday, 8 July 2010
Day 4
The downwind sailing conditions continue as we eat up the miles in our bid to be the first boat across the Atlantic, we are consistantly posting 200+ miles over a 24hour period which will have us in Kinsale within 8 days.
More damage has been reported amongst the fleet as we push on relentlessly, on Team Finland we have suffered some damage to the main sheet traveller, a temporary repair has been effected but we will need to replace this once we get into port. Other boats are reporting spinaker pole tracks coming adrift from the mast and more kites have ended up in many pieces.
We see that we are in 8th position in this race and the mood on board becomes slightly more despondant, once again we are taking a different route than the rest of the fleet, we are taking a more southerly route trying to keep on the southerly edge of a low pressure system that is generating 30 knots of wind. The northern route appears to be generating more wind (upwards of 40 knots) but this could expose the boat (and crew) to more damage, the only course open to us then would be to reduce the amount of sail that we are flying and thus reducing speed. This could be the biggest tactical decision of this particular race.
Day 5
The very cold, damp conditions persist as the Labrador current continues to bring cold air from the Artic, this means that most crew are now wearing base & midlayers with the foulies over the top although I cannot remember the last time we donned some many layers - Pacific I suspect. It all comes back now, 10 days of persistant rain left everything soaking wet - boots, socks, foulies and midlayers, oh the joys of putting that lot on at 02.00hrs!
We are looking at the race "scheds" which show that we are slowly climbing up the leader board, we are now in 5th position and the mood is upbeat although we have been in this position before.
Australia report a whale strike, this could be a very dangerous liason as a35 tonne ocean yacht comes into contact with the beast from the deep, thankfully both craft and creature escape seemingly unscathed.
Day 6
We continue to pound on grinding out in excess of 200 miles a day, if this pace continues we will certainly arrive in Kinsale early and it will be one of the fastest crossings across the pond. We were reminded of the potential perils of this particular ocean by Sir RKJ, who recounted a story of the QE2 passenger liner encountering a wave that hit the bridge, if you bear in mind that the bridge is 120 ft above the water line then you get an appreciation of the size of these rogue waves.
We are now deep in this low pressure system and we are experiencing consistant winds of up to and over 40 knots, this allows us to generate over 20 knots of boat speed as we surf down the huge rollers which seem to be well organised in sets of 3 which makes helming slightly easier.
That said, keeping the kite flying and maintaining boat speed is taking it's toll on the boat and the crew. I was off watch in my bunk below when I heard a crash and the boat lurched sideways - no doubt about it, the boat had crash gybed after the preventer had broken. The preventer stops the boom swinging in an uncontrolled manner, when this happens clearly anyone or anything that gets in it's way could be in potential danger. Unfortunately one of our female crew left her head in it's path and got hit by the vang block that is attached to the boom. She wasn't knocked out initially but about a minute post injury she collapsed on deck. Imagine the scene, 40 knots of wind, a rolling deck as we surf down huge waves, the boom doing it's own thing and a "man down". As the boat medic I was summoned on deck and "Taffy" Morgan a retired dentist came on deck to check on the fillings!!
After an initial assessment on deck the casualty was brought down below and neuro observations were commenced over the next 24 hrs, thankfully all transpired to be well and we continued racing, not that we had alot of choice really since we were still just under a 1000 miles from land and expert medical help. As a precaution I asked for the cordless drill to be charged up and made ready!
Australia play their stealth card and go "under the radar" for 24hrs, they are maintaining their northerly position but will they head south? Time will tell.
We continue to take miles out of the fleet and move up to 4th postion, this race is critical for us so that we can consolidate our position and aim for an overall podium position in Hull, not bad considering that we havn't raced in three races due to the Cork rescue and the demasting.
Jamaica are leading this race at this point, they too are really pushing for a win in this race, they are in 4th postion overall and want to be on that podium in Hull.
Day 7
Casualty in reasonable condition although her usual outward persona is somewhat quieter post accident, not surprising really given the trauma that her body has experienced.
800 miles to the Fastnet rock and there is a real buzz on the boat as we all recover from the "head injury incident" and find that we are now up to 3rd postion in this race as we get nearer to the finish and take miles out of the Cork boat.
Jamaica experience problems with the mast track and have to reduce the amount of canvas that they are flying as any additional pressure on the track could rip it off altogether.
Australia come out of stealth and we continue to pull ahead of them - great news.
Wind is now blowing force 9 and we decide that this is the moment to play our own stealth card and go under the radar.
Life on board continues as usual, on watch, off watch, mother watch producing the usual mix of pasta, rice and pulses with the occassional treat of spam or corned beef thrown into the mix!
Day 8
Out of Stealth and we are in the lead, we are pushing this boat as hard as we dare, we have been flying the Yankee 3 due to the wind conditions but the pressure is breaking some of the hanks (brass connectors that connect the sail to the forestay and allow the raising and dropping of the sail) these will need to be replaced "on the move". Still averaging over 11 knots per hour and the sea state is getting a bit more confused.
We need to attach a line to the second reefing point on the main, this means hoisting someone up the mast (me) to do this task. Not easy given the conditions and trying to tie a bowline one handed with the boat pitching and rolling at 21.30 hrs in the semi darkness!! Excitement growing as we near the iconic Fastnet Rock 5 miles ahead of Jamaica and with a favourable tide that should aid our passage.
Cork have arrived into their home port, really pleased for them although they will not win the overall race due to the handicap system. We are told that we have to be across the finish line before 10.00am to beat them.
Our own mast track seems to be coming adrift, this could cause us problems as we approach the "Old Head" at Kinsale since we have to put in a gybe to get around the headland and Jamaica are closing in on us fast, surely we are not going to blow this race as well, are we?
Foredeck crew are ready to manually take the spinaker pole down if we cannot effect the dip pole gybe as we approach the "Old Head" at 04.30hrs and the lead on Jamiaca down to 1 mile. The command goes out from Rob on the helm as the whole boat holds it's breath as we perform perfect gybe and head towards the finish line which is two miles up the estuary.
At just after 5am TF cross the finish line only 8 minutes ahead of Jamaica to land the first podium postion since Australia, long long overdue and the party will be long.
Just to illistrate the importance of getting that gybe right, reflect on the plight of the Hull & Humber boat, lying in 3rd postion with Quindao in 4th they got "that" gybe wrong put the pole through the spinnaker and lost a podium place by just 90 seconds. Never ceases to amaze that after 2000+ miles racing across the ocean that it comes down to 90 seconds to seperate one boat from another!
Breakfast provided at the Kinsale Yacht club washed down with copius quantities of Murphys - life is good!!
Bring on the presentation and the coverted yellow winners pennant that so many of us want as TF are crowned winners of the Transatlantic Race.
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Monday, 5 July 2010
FW: Sydney Nova Scotia to Kinsale Ireland
We approach the last great ocean crossing, - The Atlantic, of this adventure with the result from the last race still fresh in our minds. How we managed to lose 4 places in the space of 18 hours to end up a disappointing 6th is hard to believe, however, we must pick ourselves up dust ourselves down and prepare for the next race. We called a crisis meeting so that we could air any concerns and discuss our "battle plans" for the Atlantic, Team Finland have done well on previous crossings and we do not want to let ourselves down again and become the laughing stock of the fleet. We do have a habit of leading many races but end up in the lower half of the leader board as the race progresses.
The day before we were due to leave, I received the news that my brother's wife Hazel had passed away after a short but courageous battle against cancer. Having spoken with Phil and other family members it was decided that I would continue on with the journey and pay my respects when we arrived in the UK, although not entirely happy it seemed to be the best course of action. Would I come to regret this decision later?
So with a slightly heavy heart, I said my goodbyes to Anna & Debbie who were now well and truely "Clipper Groupies" - Anna is even talking about doing the race herself, and set foot on again on the good ship TF for the race start.
The start was to be in the river and would be a traditional line start with all boats jockeying for postion as the canon fired, I say all boats, but two days earlier the Cork boat had departed to complete her passage. Since she is slightly shorter and heavier than the other 68's she is subsequently slower and this presents some issues to the sponsors of Cork since they would rather the home boat didn't come in last again! So a handicap pursuit race was decided with the rest of the fleet hunting down Cork across the Atlantic and final positions being decided against the handicap formula.
Race start and not a lot of wind as we headed out into the river, large crowds lined the river as we waited on the decision regarding the start. Out of nowhere, about 10 knots of wind puffed up from behind and all of a sudden we were going to start a downwind race with the likelihood that all boats would have the spinnakers up - a great sight for the crowds, but a potential nightmare for the boats as we navigate down the narrow channel!
On the gun we were in 2nd place but could not raise the kite since one of the lines had been run incorrectly - school boy error, however we managed to retrieve the situation and maintained 3rd spot as we left the harbour area. Next problem we encountered was to weave our way through 1000's of lobster pots in the bay, thankfully we didn't snag any and made our way out into the Atlantic.
First full day at sea, I find myself on "mother watch" with the JB (John Beattie), not what I would have wanted so early in the passage (mother watch) but a case of getting on with it and providing fuel for the crew of 19 for the 24 hr period.
The sea state was rough and confused but we continued with the downwind sailing conditions and made great miles as we started to eat into Corks lead and reel them back in. The wind was gusting upwards of 40 knots and we had already decided that we were going to push this boat to it's limits to give us a realistic chance of a podium place.
Around us, other boats were dramatically inflicting damage on themselves, we witnessed California "blow up" their medium weight spinnaker as it exploded into pieces!! That day 4 boats in the fleet lost spinnakers, we however, managed to keep ours intact despite pushing very hard but we did manage to damage the end of one of spinnaker poles which rendered that useless for the rest of the trip - we do carry another one but to lose a pole so early could cost us dear later in the race.
Illness seems to be sweeping though the crew on TF, colds, coughs, ear infections and flu type symtoms are presented to the boat medic as we plough on through high seas and high winds, cries of "man up" resonant throughout the boat!
We approach the Grand banks and The Flemish Cap - made famous in the film "A PERFECT STORM", there is a dramatic drop in the temperature and an eerie fog encloses the entire fleet.
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Thursday, 17 June 2010
New York to Nova Scotia
The great thing about the shorter races is that some of the fleet are usually in sight for some, if not, most of the race. This can lead to very exciting racing and keeps most of the crew focused.
The temperature is now dropping as we head north up the eastern seaboard of the USA and we have maintained 2nd position as we push on. The wind is coming from a southerly direction as we hoist spinnakers to maximise our sail area in the lightish winds, we can see Hull & Humber in front and Cape Breton Island, Singapore, California and Australia are behind us although they are only 2 or 3 miles to our stern.
Had the "excitement" of mother watch today, this involves providing food & drinks for the crew of 18. Woken at 05.30 to make breakfast (porridge) and then start to look at what ingredients we have for lunch and dinner.
Lunch - Pasta and tomato sauce
Dinner - Corned Beef Hash
Fresh bread is cooked each day and we (Mark who is mothering with me) excell by baking a cake, all whilst the boat is powered up and often heeled over.
Since Mark and I are both recognised bowmen we are called up on deck to assist in the dropping of the spinnaker and hoisting of the "white sails" (head sails) and then the reverse, this is fairly normal pratice as we try to max out as much speed as we can.
Great excitement today in the dappled morning sun as pilot whales were spotted off the starboard bow, about 5 or 6 were feeding off the vast quantities of squid that proliferate these waters at this time of year, it is a real privilege to see these amazing creatures in their natural habitat.
We should be in on Thursday afternoon with a bit of luck, although the winds are getting a little flukey which does not bode well for us and our previous management of the same - only time will tell!!
We have done it again...., I went off watch at 22.00hrs with TF in 2nd place and was woken at 02.00hrs with us back in 4th!! We gybed the boat straight into another wind hole and lost 7 miles on Australia in 4 hrs, this is becoming SO frustrating to the point where we are starting to question some of the tactics.
We have Cape Breton 50 metres off the starboard qtr as we are both racing neck & neck through the waves at approx 10 knots, constant calls for sail trim are heard and responded to, then they drop their medium weight spinnaker as the wind picks up, we know that they have trashed their heavy weight spinnaker in a previous race so we pull ahead of them, all very exciting stuff.....
More wind holes off the coast of Cape Breton Island have now seen us drop down the fleet to a very very disappointing 6th position, all we want to do now is get in and get off the boat, have a beer and get some sleep - Oh the joys of ocean racing.
Anna & Debbie are on the pontoon as we arrive at about midnight, we clear customs and immigration and head off to the nearest bar to seek some solace.
Hull & Humber win, with Australia 2nd, Cape Breton 3rd, Singapore 4th, California 5th and TF 6th.
Having a great rest in Cape Breton where you can get fresh lobster for $5 in the supermarket and the scenery is spectacular.
Pleased to hear that Peter Johnston is making great progress after "dying" on the 17th at AGC, I knew we let all those medics in for some reason! Pete the original SAG is alive and kicking and I'm sure we will share a beer when I get back.
For now, all well, as we again prepare for another Ocean crossing - the Atlantic and await the craic in Ireland, I wonder if David O'Leary will be there to welcome us in !!!!!!
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The temperature is now dropping as we head north up the eastern seaboard of the USA and we have maintained 2nd position as we push on. The wind is coming from a southerly direction as we hoist spinnakers to maximise our sail area in the lightish winds, we can see Hull & Humber in front and Cape Breton Island, Singapore, California and Australia are behind us although they are only 2 or 3 miles to our stern.
Had the "excitement" of mother watch today, this involves providing food & drinks for the crew of 18. Woken at 05.30 to make breakfast (porridge) and then start to look at what ingredients we have for lunch and dinner.
Lunch - Pasta and tomato sauce
Dinner - Corned Beef Hash
Fresh bread is cooked each day and we (Mark who is mothering with me) excell by baking a cake, all whilst the boat is powered up and often heeled over.
Since Mark and I are both recognised bowmen we are called up on deck to assist in the dropping of the spinnaker and hoisting of the "white sails" (head sails) and then the reverse, this is fairly normal pratice as we try to max out as much speed as we can.
Great excitement today in the dappled morning sun as pilot whales were spotted off the starboard bow, about 5 or 6 were feeding off the vast quantities of squid that proliferate these waters at this time of year, it is a real privilege to see these amazing creatures in their natural habitat.
We should be in on Thursday afternoon with a bit of luck, although the winds are getting a little flukey which does not bode well for us and our previous management of the same - only time will tell!!
We have done it again...., I went off watch at 22.00hrs with TF in 2nd place and was woken at 02.00hrs with us back in 4th!! We gybed the boat straight into another wind hole and lost 7 miles on Australia in 4 hrs, this is becoming SO frustrating to the point where we are starting to question some of the tactics.
We have Cape Breton 50 metres off the starboard qtr as we are both racing neck & neck through the waves at approx 10 knots, constant calls for sail trim are heard and responded to, then they drop their medium weight spinnaker as the wind picks up, we know that they have trashed their heavy weight spinnaker in a previous race so we pull ahead of them, all very exciting stuff.....
More wind holes off the coast of Cape Breton Island have now seen us drop down the fleet to a very very disappointing 6th position, all we want to do now is get in and get off the boat, have a beer and get some sleep - Oh the joys of ocean racing.
Anna & Debbie are on the pontoon as we arrive at about midnight, we clear customs and immigration and head off to the nearest bar to seek some solace.
Hull & Humber win, with Australia 2nd, Cape Breton 3rd, Singapore 4th, California 5th and TF 6th.
Having a great rest in Cape Breton where you can get fresh lobster for $5 in the supermarket and the scenery is spectacular.
Pleased to hear that Peter Johnston is making great progress after "dying" on the 17th at AGC, I knew we let all those medics in for some reason! Pete the original SAG is alive and kicking and I'm sure we will share a beer when I get back.
For now, all well, as we again prepare for another Ocean crossing - the Atlantic and await the craic in Ireland, I wonder if David O'Leary will be there to welcome us in !!!!!!
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Saturday, 12 June 2010
New York to Cape Breton Island Nova Scotia
Following our memorable stopover in New York the fleet prepared to leave the Big Apple for the sprint up to Nova Scotia, this race had an added significance for the crew on the Cape Breton boat since they were racing into their home port. After the usual Clipper departure where boat songs are played at top volume as each boat slips their lines and boat crews salute the other boats we headed out into the Hudson River and left the Manhattan skyline behind us. After the sail past in fleet formation we headed towards the Statue of Liberty for the usual Clipper picture opportunity in front of this iconic landmark, before heading out to open waters for the race start. The weather was cold and the sea state very lumpy as expected 25-30 knots of wind straight on the bow.
After a few hours of motoring the boats collected at the start point for another Le Mans start, not a problem for us as we generally do very well and usually find ourselves in first postion. The Le Mans start sequence goes something like this - all ten boats are powered by motor with the main sail hoisted. The two headsails are rigged but are packed on the deck ready to be hoisted. We get various time warnings ie 10mins to race start, 5 mins to race start and the tension starts to rise. All the crew on each boat have to be behind the main winch (coffee grinder) and each crew member has a predetermined position - I am one of the two "beasts" ( Emil being the other) that hauls up the Yankee 1 by hand, believe me, no mean feat in a strong headwind with the boat heeled over! We then get the 1 min warning from the race start official (one of the skippers at sea, in this case Hannah Jenner on the Cork boat) and the engines are switched off and the real countdown begins. On the signal of the race start, all the crew leap into action to get the sails up which in turn allows us to power up the boat and hopefully get away from the other boats. For the next 10 mins each boat has to maintain its course before they can peel away and start to plot their way to Nova Scotia.
We had a great start once again and as we were trimming the sails a huge rogue wave hit us and swept a number of crew off their feet, I was standing by the shrouds hanging on the steel cables that hold the mast in place at the time catching my breath after hauling up the Yankee, most of the wave went over my head but the force of the water was unbelievable as my legs were forced forward by the immense power. Nobody escaped the wave, even those at the back of the boat felt the full force, thankfully, everybody was accounted for and we picked ourselves up and continued with our work, soaked to the skin, some a bit shell shocked but everyone fit and well.
All well on Team Finland
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After a few hours of motoring the boats collected at the start point for another Le Mans start, not a problem for us as we generally do very well and usually find ourselves in first postion. The Le Mans start sequence goes something like this - all ten boats are powered by motor with the main sail hoisted. The two headsails are rigged but are packed on the deck ready to be hoisted. We get various time warnings ie 10mins to race start, 5 mins to race start and the tension starts to rise. All the crew on each boat have to be behind the main winch (coffee grinder) and each crew member has a predetermined position - I am one of the two "beasts" ( Emil being the other) that hauls up the Yankee 1 by hand, believe me, no mean feat in a strong headwind with the boat heeled over! We then get the 1 min warning from the race start official (one of the skippers at sea, in this case Hannah Jenner on the Cork boat) and the engines are switched off and the real countdown begins. On the signal of the race start, all the crew leap into action to get the sails up which in turn allows us to power up the boat and hopefully get away from the other boats. For the next 10 mins each boat has to maintain its course before they can peel away and start to plot their way to Nova Scotia.
We had a great start once again and as we were trimming the sails a huge rogue wave hit us and swept a number of crew off their feet, I was standing by the shrouds hanging on the steel cables that hold the mast in place at the time catching my breath after hauling up the Yankee, most of the wave went over my head but the force of the water was unbelievable as my legs were forced forward by the immense power. Nobody escaped the wave, even those at the back of the boat felt the full force, thankfully, everybody was accounted for and we picked ourselves up and continued with our work, soaked to the skin, some a bit shell shocked but everyone fit and well.
All well on Team Finland
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Saturday, 5 June 2010
New York to Cape Breton
The final couple of days into New York found us enveloped in thick fog
and very little wind, however, we managed to hold onto our 7th position
which has placed us in 3rd position overall. There is a rumour going
around that Cape Breton have trashed their heavyweight spinnaker and are
seeking a new one from Clipper, if that is the case then they will be
deducted 3 points from their overall score which will place us back into
2nd position overall - we will have to see if there is any foundations
to this rumour. What is very clear now, is that the battle for 2nd & 3rd
places is becoming very congested.
Thankfully the fog lifted as we motored into New York, the view of the
Manhatten skyline and the Statue of Liberty were truely amazing. The
small North Cove marina is a block away from Ground Zero, building of
the new tower is underway but is someway off completion. You really
sense the scale of the disaster when you look across the site as the
redevelopment takes place.
We leave tomorrow (June 6th) for our short passge to Cape Breton approx
780 miles. We are expecting some rough weather with the wind "on the
nose", this will make for big waves and for those of us on the foredeck,
a very wet few days.
We are all ready for the next challenge and really hope that we can get
into the lead once again and this time, turn it into a podium finish.We
had a head to head "fun race" with Australia during a corporate sail on
the Hudson River, very pleased to say that we beat them!!
All well on Team Finland
and very little wind, however, we managed to hold onto our 7th position
which has placed us in 3rd position overall. There is a rumour going
around that Cape Breton have trashed their heavyweight spinnaker and are
seeking a new one from Clipper, if that is the case then they will be
deducted 3 points from their overall score which will place us back into
2nd position overall - we will have to see if there is any foundations
to this rumour. What is very clear now, is that the battle for 2nd & 3rd
places is becoming very congested.
Thankfully the fog lifted as we motored into New York, the view of the
Manhatten skyline and the Statue of Liberty were truely amazing. The
small North Cove marina is a block away from Ground Zero, building of
the new tower is underway but is someway off completion. You really
sense the scale of the disaster when you look across the site as the
redevelopment takes place.
We leave tomorrow (June 6th) for our short passge to Cape Breton approx
780 miles. We are expecting some rough weather with the wind "on the
nose", this will make for big waves and for those of us on the foredeck,
a very wet few days.
We are all ready for the next challenge and really hope that we can get
into the lead once again and this time, turn it into a podium finish.We
had a head to head "fun race" with Australia during a corporate sail on
the Hudson River, very pleased to say that we beat them!!
All well on Team Finland
Monday, 31 May 2010
Jamaica to New York
We departed from Jamaica in glorius sunshine but very little wind. After
the usual media pictures in the bay and some refresher training for our new
leggers - Nigel, Martin, Anna and Rick ( the new 1st mate) it was back to
the business of serious racing.
We had our usual great start turning 1st around the mark in the bay before
we headed out towards New York approx 1400 NM away.
Conditions on board have been hot and humid and as usual life below decks
has been very uncomfortable. The sun has been shining as we pick our way
through the Bahamas Islands, very tempting to stop off and have a swim on
some of the deserted ones - Acklins Island looked particulary good.
Now into Day 4 and we have had our usual slip down the leader board due to
yet another wind hole that left us becalmed for about 12 hrs before a heavy
squall picked up the boat and fired us forward like a cork that has
been released from a champagne bottle. Unforunately the damage to our
position had already been done and we found ourselves in a disappointing 7th
position. This was a case for not leading into the Islands, those boats that
were 30 odd miles behind us could see that we (and Australia) were not going
anywhere fast and chose to go further east.Although this route added more
miles on to their passage, they managed to pick up consistant winds
which put them 100 miles ahead whilst we bobbed around for hours on end. I'm
sure that if we were in a similar position we would have done exactly the
same. We have been in this postion before and it only needs the leading bunch
to hit a similar weather system and we will start to reel them back in.
Day 7
We now have approx 390 miles to go and the leaders have not found any wind
holes, therefore it is likely that we will stay in this very disappointing
7th position, the leaders are too far ahead and we are now looking forward to
getting to New York where we can regroup and get ready for the next race to
Nova Scotia. We have to be in NY on the 2nd because there are various
corporate sails that we have to provide to Clippers corporate partners, I
think we are scheduled to do 3 or 4 over the course of our stay there. So not
alot of downtime before we head off to Canada.
The results from this race will mean that there is a real dog fight for the
overall 2nd and 3rd positions, we think Cape Breton will leap frog over both
ourselves and Jamaica to claim 2nd position with us dropping back to 3rd
overall.
Weather hot and sunny and we have seen more wildlife, dolphins and sharks and
masses of jelly fish.
All well on Team Finland, frustrated yet again but we carry on sailing and
smiling.
the usual media pictures in the bay and some refresher training for our new
leggers - Nigel, Martin, Anna and Rick ( the new 1st mate) it was back to
the business of serious racing.
We had our usual great start turning 1st around the mark in the bay before
we headed out towards New York approx 1400 NM away.
Conditions on board have been hot and humid and as usual life below decks
has been very uncomfortable. The sun has been shining as we pick our way
through the Bahamas Islands, very tempting to stop off and have a swim on
some of the deserted ones - Acklins Island looked particulary good.
Now into Day 4 and we have had our usual slip down the leader board due to
yet another wind hole that left us becalmed for about 12 hrs before a heavy
squall picked up the boat and fired us forward like a cork that has
been released from a champagne bottle. Unforunately the damage to our
position had already been done and we found ourselves in a disappointing 7th
position. This was a case for not leading into the Islands, those boats that
were 30 odd miles behind us could see that we (and Australia) were not going
anywhere fast and chose to go further east.Although this route added more
miles on to their passage, they managed to pick up consistant winds
which put them 100 miles ahead whilst we bobbed around for hours on end. I'm
sure that if we were in a similar position we would have done exactly the
same. We have been in this postion before and it only needs the leading bunch
to hit a similar weather system and we will start to reel them back in.
Day 7
We now have approx 390 miles to go and the leaders have not found any wind
holes, therefore it is likely that we will stay in this very disappointing
7th position, the leaders are too far ahead and we are now looking forward to
getting to New York where we can regroup and get ready for the next race to
Nova Scotia. We have to be in NY on the 2nd because there are various
corporate sails that we have to provide to Clippers corporate partners, I
think we are scheduled to do 3 or 4 over the course of our stay there. So not
alot of downtime before we head off to Canada.
The results from this race will mean that there is a real dog fight for the
overall 2nd and 3rd positions, we think Cape Breton will leap frog over both
ourselves and Jamaica to claim 2nd position with us dropping back to 3rd
overall.
Weather hot and sunny and we have seen more wildlife, dolphins and sharks and
masses of jelly fish.
All well on Team Finland, frustrated yet again but we carry on sailing and
smiling.
Saturday, 22 May 2010
Panama to Jamaica
As usual in this part of the world things do not always go to plan. We had our transit time throught the canal, but we were delayed on the Pacific side and missed our slot to exit on the Atlantic side. This meant that the three boats - TF, Cape Breton & Singapore who transited together spent a night moored in the Gutan lake. Not so bad really since an impromtu party was started which end in the small hours on the morning. After breakfast we waited for our pilot before entering the locks on the Atlantic side, a significant moment for many since this signaled the start of the return trip home. As the gates opened, some cheered and some had a tear in their eye as a realisation that this great adventure was now entering it's final leg.
After a brief stopover on the Atlantic side we departed for the sprint up to the island of Jamaica. After motoring for several hours (to find wind) all of the boats collected at the designated start point for the race start. Most races our started by the gun through a defined start line, this race was different, in that, we used the "Le Mans" format. All boats motor in line with main sail hoisted and head sails hanked on and prepared for hoisting, all crew are situated behind the "coffee grinder and are only allowed forward on the start signal. On the one minute to start signal, all boats cut the engines and maintain their course, on the start signal there is a frantic race forward to hoist the head sails and power up these monsters. We had a great start moving into the lead and maintaining that position as we hit very bumpy seas with 25 knots on wind on the nose. This made for a very uncomfortable ride and several people suffered with sea sickness.
We had a good ride up until we managed to put a hole in the main sail, this meant dropping this sail down to the third reefing point and repairing the sail.This lost us some vital miles which ultimately affected our final race position. Again, really frustrating that another equipment failure cost us vital points. In the end we entered Port Antonio in Jamaica in 4th position which put us back in 2nd position overall. The Australians continue to pull ahead and we have to put in a concerted effort to catch them.
We say good bye to some leggers, Cathy, Carole, Carolina and Colin, all have contributed to the Team Finland cause and I'm sure that we will see them again somewhere, sometime. We welcome new leggers, Martin, Nigel, Anna and John who are all eager to get going.
Race start to New York is scheduled for Monday at 14.00hrs local time.
All well on Team Finland.
After a brief stopover on the Atlantic side we departed for the sprint up to the island of Jamaica. After motoring for several hours (to find wind) all of the boats collected at the designated start point for the race start. Most races our started by the gun through a defined start line, this race was different, in that, we used the "Le Mans" format. All boats motor in line with main sail hoisted and head sails hanked on and prepared for hoisting, all crew are situated behind the "coffee grinder and are only allowed forward on the start signal. On the one minute to start signal, all boats cut the engines and maintain their course, on the start signal there is a frantic race forward to hoist the head sails and power up these monsters. We had a great start moving into the lead and maintaining that position as we hit very bumpy seas with 25 knots on wind on the nose. This made for a very uncomfortable ride and several people suffered with sea sickness.
We had a good ride up until we managed to put a hole in the main sail, this meant dropping this sail down to the third reefing point and repairing the sail.This lost us some vital miles which ultimately affected our final race position. Again, really frustrating that another equipment failure cost us vital points. In the end we entered Port Antonio in Jamaica in 4th position which put us back in 2nd position overall. The Australians continue to pull ahead and we have to put in a concerted effort to catch them.
We say good bye to some leggers, Cathy, Carole, Carolina and Colin, all have contributed to the Team Finland cause and I'm sure that we will see them again somewhere, sometime. We welcome new leggers, Martin, Nigel, Anna and John who are all eager to get going.
Race start to New York is scheduled for Monday at 14.00hrs local time.
All well on Team Finland.
Wednesday, 12 May 2010
Panama
Alas, the wind gods dealt us another blow when they delivered yet another wind hole as we approached the revised finish line. This made for a very tense few hours as we tried to keep the boat moving in no wind and temperatures in the high 30´s. We felt that we were good for a podium place but in the end we had to settle for 4th place, only 6 mins behind Qingdao in 3rd place after 3000 miles and 19 days of racing!! Cruel but in the end a fair result after the majority of the crew had been at sea for over 50 days without a sustained break to recharge the batteries.
After the finish we waited for Cape Breton and both crews swam in the Pacific - water temperature an unbelievable 34c. We then motored to Panama over the following two days where we hit rough weather with about 25 knots on the nose which made for a very bouncey 48 hours. Arrrived in the Flemenco Marina based on a small island off the mainland at about 21.00hrs where we were welcomed in by the crews of Australia, Jamaica and Cape Breton and the obligatory celebration drinks.
We are awaiting our transit time up the Panama Canal, it looks like it will be sometime tomorrow morning local time, we are told that there is a live webcam so you may even see us go through!! We slip lines at 06.30, so expect to be entering around 08.30, as usual anything can change this schedule!
All well on Team Finland and looking forward to the sprint up to Jamaica.
More to follow
After the finish we waited for Cape Breton and both crews swam in the Pacific - water temperature an unbelievable 34c. We then motored to Panama over the following two days where we hit rough weather with about 25 knots on the nose which made for a very bouncey 48 hours. Arrrived in the Flemenco Marina based on a small island off the mainland at about 21.00hrs where we were welcomed in by the crews of Australia, Jamaica and Cape Breton and the obligatory celebration drinks.
We are awaiting our transit time up the Panama Canal, it looks like it will be sometime tomorrow morning local time, we are told that there is a live webcam so you may even see us go through!! We slip lines at 06.30, so expect to be entering around 08.30, as usual anything can change this schedule!
All well on Team Finland and looking forward to the sprint up to Jamaica.
More to follow
Friday, 7 May 2010
Temperature is rising.
True to form, the British have both eyes firmly on the weather and we
have now gone to the other extreme of my first leg where the weather
was very wet and freezing, to blazing sunshine and temperatures in the
40s. This presents us with different sorts of problems, the main one
being, keeping our spinakers filled with air as we navigate down the
Mexican coast. We have 3 on board which are flown individually depending
on the wind strength. These bits of cloth that are the size of a tennis
court are very fragile and are prone to damage, on this leg we have
managed to rip the heavyweight in 3 pieces, the middleweight has had to
be repaired twice and the lightweight has also had 2 repairs! Dropping
and raising these monsters keeps us busy and the constant trimming that
is required means that there is always something to do.
Thankfully everyone seems to be keeping their fluids up as dehydration
cannot be ignored, the living accomodation resembles a sauna and some
nerves are becoming a touch frayed, however, we are all collectively
pushing hard to make a big impression on the fleet as we go through our
43rd day at sea without some recovery time.
We are confident of a podium finish in this race and we are really
pushing for the top spot, we are further south than any other vessel and
our course suggests that we are in a great position even though the
clipper figures have us either in 2nd or 3rd position. So keep your
fingers crossed and watch this space!
Day 49 - what a differance a few days can make, as I write this at
02.00hrs we are in our 2nd day of no wind as the rest of the fleet either
extend their lead or catch us up and pass us! The prospect of a podium
finish in this race now looks pretty remote.
we have gone through the 100 degree temperature on deck and we have had
our first casualty of heat exhaustion.
I had the pleasure of being on mother watch later today, this is when two
of the crew have to cook all of the meals for the crew of 19, we measured a
temperature of 44 degrees n the galley, despite drinking 9 litres of fluid I
still could not keep up with the output through the skin!
We are now on Day 53 and the tension on board can be cut with a knife.
We have caught up with the Aussies and the race has been shortened by the
race comittee, so we have a straight drag race of about 100 miles to the new
finish line where anyone of 5 boats could win this race.
We like some of the fleet are currently stuck in a wind hole and we are
doing a massive 1.7 knots!! It's going to be a long and tense night as all
the boats seek some elusive wind that will propel them to the new finish
line and the coverted 10 points.
Watch this space...........
have now gone to the other extreme of my first leg where the weather
was very wet and freezing, to blazing sunshine and temperatures in the
40s. This presents us with different sorts of problems, the main one
being, keeping our spinakers filled with air as we navigate down the
Mexican coast. We have 3 on board which are flown individually depending
on the wind strength. These bits of cloth that are the size of a tennis
court are very fragile and are prone to damage, on this leg we have
managed to rip the heavyweight in 3 pieces, the middleweight has had to
be repaired twice and the lightweight has also had 2 repairs! Dropping
and raising these monsters keeps us busy and the constant trimming that
is required means that there is always something to do.
Thankfully everyone seems to be keeping their fluids up as dehydration
cannot be ignored, the living accomodation resembles a sauna and some
nerves are becoming a touch frayed, however, we are all collectively
pushing hard to make a big impression on the fleet as we go through our
43rd day at sea without some recovery time.
We are confident of a podium finish in this race and we are really
pushing for the top spot, we are further south than any other vessel and
our course suggests that we are in a great position even though the
clipper figures have us either in 2nd or 3rd position. So keep your
fingers crossed and watch this space!
Day 49 - what a differance a few days can make, as I write this at
02.00hrs we are in our 2nd day of no wind as the rest of the fleet either
extend their lead or catch us up and pass us! The prospect of a podium
finish in this race now looks pretty remote.
we have gone through the 100 degree temperature on deck and we have had
our first casualty of heat exhaustion.
I had the pleasure of being on mother watch later today, this is when two
of the crew have to cook all of the meals for the crew of 19, we measured a
temperature of 44 degrees n the galley, despite drinking 9 litres of fluid I
still could not keep up with the output through the skin!
We are now on Day 53 and the tension on board can be cut with a knife.
We have caught up with the Aussies and the race has been shortened by the
race comittee, so we have a straight drag race of about 100 miles to the new
finish line where anyone of 5 boats could win this race.
We like some of the fleet are currently stuck in a wind hole and we are
doing a massive 1.7 knots!! It's going to be a long and tense night as all
the boats seek some elusive wind that will propel them to the new finish
line and the coverted 10 points.
Watch this space...........
Sunday, 25 April 2010
Racing at last
Mother nature threw us a curve ball as we approached San Francisco in
the form of a wind hole, this meant that we were delayed another day
getting into port since we had virtually run out of diesel and the wind
gods had let us down again. Thankfully, Cape Breton put to sea with
emergency supplies - beer, food, cigarettes and of course, the vital fuel
that would propel us under the iconic Golden Gate Bridge.
The race was then on to get into port before the tide changed, if we
missed the tide this would have meant which another 5 hours out in the
bay!! At 05.00hrs on the 19th we
passed under the Golden Gate bridge and docked just before 06.00, Anna
along with other crew relatives were shouting words of welcome from the
breakwater. Once we tied up we waited nearly 3 hours until the immigration
officials arrived. After a few beers we were eventually cleared and
headed off for a well earned shower and a shave. We had given
ourselves the chance of making the race start (18.00hrs on the 20th)
even though we had many jobs to complete before we could sail - water
maker, generator, new main sail etc etc.
And so, on the 20th we prepared ourselves for the start, the sun was
shining but there was a stiff breeze with gusts predicted at 40 knots as
we got out into the bay - no change there then!
As the gun went off, with collective team adrenaline pumping through our
bodies we headed back under the Golden gate bridge for the next
installment of this ultimate white knuckle ride.
There was much debate amongst the rest of the fleet as to how the Team
Finland crew would perform after being at sea for 35 days and without any
"downtime",well, we made our intentions very clear by heading the fleet
after 24 hrs. We have had the predicted battle with Spirit of Australia
for the lead in this race, at the last reported positions they were 4
miles ahead of us as the fleet race towards the scoring gate.
After a few problems with our spinnakers - we ripped 3 of them, we managed
to secure 2nd place through the scoring gate and earn an additional 2
points, unfortunatley the Aussies pipped us and therefore extend their lead,
the good news is that we are well and truely back in the race!
The weather has turned to clear blue skies and light winds which will
present all of the teams with the challenge of keeping these 35 tonne
monsters moving.
Love the comments on the blog, I can only access them when we reach dry land
but keep them coming.
All is well on TF.
the form of a wind hole, this meant that we were delayed another day
getting into port since we had virtually run out of diesel and the wind
gods had let us down again. Thankfully, Cape Breton put to sea with
emergency supplies - beer, food, cigarettes and of course, the vital fuel
that would propel us under the iconic Golden Gate Bridge.
The race was then on to get into port before the tide changed, if we
missed the tide this would have meant which another 5 hours out in the
bay!! At 05.00hrs on the 19th we
passed under the Golden Gate bridge and docked just before 06.00, Anna
along with other crew relatives were shouting words of welcome from the
breakwater. Once we tied up we waited nearly 3 hours until the immigration
officials arrived. After a few beers we were eventually cleared and
headed off for a well earned shower and a shave. We had given
ourselves the chance of making the race start (18.00hrs on the 20th)
even though we had many jobs to complete before we could sail - water
maker, generator, new main sail etc etc.
And so, on the 20th we prepared ourselves for the start, the sun was
shining but there was a stiff breeze with gusts predicted at 40 knots as
we got out into the bay - no change there then!
As the gun went off, with collective team adrenaline pumping through our
bodies we headed back under the Golden gate bridge for the next
installment of this ultimate white knuckle ride.
There was much debate amongst the rest of the fleet as to how the Team
Finland crew would perform after being at sea for 35 days and without any
"downtime",well, we made our intentions very clear by heading the fleet
after 24 hrs. We have had the predicted battle with Spirit of Australia
for the lead in this race, at the last reported positions they were 4
miles ahead of us as the fleet race towards the scoring gate.
After a few problems with our spinnakers - we ripped 3 of them, we managed
to secure 2nd place through the scoring gate and earn an additional 2
points, unfortunatley the Aussies pipped us and therefore extend their lead,
the good news is that we are well and truely back in the race!
The weather has turned to clear blue skies and light winds which will
present all of the teams with the challenge of keeping these 35 tonne
monsters moving.
Love the comments on the blog, I can only access them when we reach dry land
but keep them coming.
All is well on TF.
Friday, 16 April 2010
update
Day 33 into the passage across the mighty North Pacific and we are
getting closer to hot showers, decent food, a good nights sleep and
hooking up with loved ones.
In the end this trip has become more of a test of survival as the
weather and defects in the boat take their toll.WE have less than 400
miles to go and we have the prospect of a really fast turnaround so
that we can make the revised start date for the next race.
Really looking forward to seeing Anna on the pontoon as we arrive but sad
that Charlie and Debbie have had to leave due to our late arrival.
There is alot of work to do on the boat before we set off again - New
Generator and Water Maker need fitting, holes in the main sail need
repairing, boat needs to be deep cleaned and shopping for the next race
needs to be done.
It is very difficult to comprehend the vastness of this ocean, since we
left Yokahama I have not seen another vessel although we were graced
with an escort of whales one night and we have seen dolphins playing
around the bow of the boat - magical moments.
The weather has really played it's part, we have had everything from
driving rain over a number of days when everything is forever wet,
severe winds touching the 50 knots and monster seas where there really
are waves the size of houses.
Seem to be spending along time on the foredeck, this is the high octane
area where it all happens and one often gets airborne whilst being
continually wet as waves break over your head! That said, everyone is
encouraged to take part in all roles, helming this monster at night using
instruments only can be a bit daunting especially when you are crashing
through waves on the bow.
Sleep has been difficult, but it is amazing how much "abuse" your body can
take. Water rationing has meant no washing and the hair is looking good
after 30 days at sea. We all smell but we seem to have become used to the
aroma that drifts around the boat, not sure how people on shore will
react?
Should hit San Fran on the 18th with a bit of luck when we can reflect on
this journey over a beer or two.
getting closer to hot showers, decent food, a good nights sleep and
hooking up with loved ones.
In the end this trip has become more of a test of survival as the
weather and defects in the boat take their toll.WE have less than 400
miles to go and we have the prospect of a really fast turnaround so
that we can make the revised start date for the next race.
Really looking forward to seeing Anna on the pontoon as we arrive but sad
that Charlie and Debbie have had to leave due to our late arrival.
There is alot of work to do on the boat before we set off again - New
Generator and Water Maker need fitting, holes in the main sail need
repairing, boat needs to be deep cleaned and shopping for the next race
needs to be done.
It is very difficult to comprehend the vastness of this ocean, since we
left Yokahama I have not seen another vessel although we were graced
with an escort of whales one night and we have seen dolphins playing
around the bow of the boat - magical moments.
The weather has really played it's part, we have had everything from
driving rain over a number of days when everything is forever wet,
severe winds touching the 50 knots and monster seas where there really
are waves the size of houses.
Seem to be spending along time on the foredeck, this is the high octane
area where it all happens and one often gets airborne whilst being
continually wet as waves break over your head! That said, everyone is
encouraged to take part in all roles, helming this monster at night using
instruments only can be a bit daunting especially when you are crashing
through waves on the bow.
Sleep has been difficult, but it is amazing how much "abuse" your body can
take. Water rationing has meant no washing and the hair is looking good
after 30 days at sea. We all smell but we seem to have become used to the
aroma that drifts around the boat, not sure how people on shore will
react?
Should hit San Fran on the 18th with a bit of luck when we can reflect on
this journey over a beer or two.
Thursday, 8 April 2010
Fwd: news
-- Original message --
From: <ianfarrer.Cv5@SkyFile.com> "ianfarrer"
To: annafarrer@hotmail.co.uk
Date: Friday, 02 April 2010 02:25:40
Subject: news
>Been off line for a bit due to sustaining a head injury, nothing
>serious, just flew across the boat whilst down below at 04.00 and hit my
>cheekbone on a wall! Very sore but no lasting damage thankfully.
>Good 24 hrs, sun is shining and have seen pods of dolphins whilst
>driving and last night at about 02.00 we had 4 whales shadowing us for a
>few miles, they were only 50 metres off the starboard beam and the moon
>was full - great sight.
>With the sunshine we are managing to dry out some of the kit, my boots
>are dry for the first time in 2 weeks.
>Life on board revolves around the watch system - 12 midnight - 04.00 on
>watch, 04.00 - 08.00 off watch, 08.00 - 14.00 on watch, 14.00 - 20.00
>off watch, 20.00 - 24.00 on watch.
>so eat and sleep then back on watch, seems to work once you get used to
>the system.
Since I last wrote the above we have again encountered very heavy
weather, we have been doing our best to avoid hurricane force winds but
we have been beset with driving rain over the last 4 days and the wind
has been a consistant 25 - 30kts from the north, conditions have been
very harsh as we all suffer from freezing wet conditions with no way of
drying kit out.
Generator still out of commision as is the water maker and we have now
run out of wet wipes (our only form of washing) so boat is getting very
smelly.
We still have just under 2000 miles to go but we are all pulling
together to get to SF as quickly as we can for some decent food and rest.
On the food front, we are allocated £3.50 per head per day for the
provision of food, you can imagine that pasta & rice seem to provide the
base for most meals and we add strange things like hot dog sausages to
give it some flavour!!
The race start has been put back to enable us to get there and do repairs
and replenish the boat.
Hope all is well with you and yours, I will send another update in a few
days or so
From: <ianfarrer.Cv5@SkyFile.com> "ianfarrer"
To: annafarrer@hotmail.co.uk
Date: Friday, 02 April 2010 02:25:40
Subject: news
>Been off line for a bit due to sustaining a head injury, nothing
>serious, just flew across the boat whilst down below at 04.00 and hit my
>cheekbone on a wall! Very sore but no lasting damage thankfully.
>Good 24 hrs, sun is shining and have seen pods of dolphins whilst
>driving and last night at about 02.00 we had 4 whales shadowing us for a
>few miles, they were only 50 metres off the starboard beam and the moon
>was full - great sight.
>With the sunshine we are managing to dry out some of the kit, my boots
>are dry for the first time in 2 weeks.
>Life on board revolves around the watch system - 12 midnight - 04.00 on
>watch, 04.00 - 08.00 off watch, 08.00 - 14.00 on watch, 14.00 - 20.00
>off watch, 20.00 - 24.00 on watch.
>so eat and sleep then back on watch, seems to work once you get used to
>the system.
Since I last wrote the above we have again encountered very heavy
weather, we have been doing our best to avoid hurricane force winds but
we have been beset with driving rain over the last 4 days and the wind
has been a consistant 25 - 30kts from the north, conditions have been
very harsh as we all suffer from freezing wet conditions with no way of
drying kit out.
Generator still out of commision as is the water maker and we have now
run out of wet wipes (our only form of washing) so boat is getting very
smelly.
We still have just under 2000 miles to go but we are all pulling
together to get to SF as quickly as we can for some decent food and rest.
On the food front, we are allocated £3.50 per head per day for the
provision of food, you can imagine that pasta & rice seem to provide the
base for most meals and we add strange things like hot dog sausages to
give it some flavour!!
The race start has been put back to enable us to get there and do repairs
and replenish the boat.
Hope all is well with you and yours, I will send another update in a few
days or so
Wednesday, 31 March 2010
Far East tour comers to an end.
Firstly, apologies for the lack of information to date, this was due to
some technical issues this end, hopefully this has now been resolved.
We are now on day 14 of our passage from Qingdao in China to San
Fran, a passage that has not been without incident!!
We were delayed 2 weeks in leaving China due to lack of a mast so we are
now playing catch up with the rest of the fleet. Just after we left
Qingdao we started the brand new water maker only to find that it wasn't
working, our only option was to put into Yokohama and fill up jerry cans
with water - water rationing is now in place and Tony and I have
constructed a rain water collection system out of sail cloth, cable ties
and a funnel - I knew Ray Mears would come up trumps eventually!!
Since then we have had a fire in the generator which has rendered that
useless so we are now relying on the engine to charge up the batteries.
We are taking the crossing with caution since our new rig has not really
been tested and looking at the Californian boat which has been demasted
this would seem to be sensible.
Hull & Humber lost their skipper due to a compound fracture of the Tib &
Fib and one of the crew of California had to be taken off board with a
serious head injury!!
At 02.00 last night we fouled our prop with some old fishing nets so the
engine is now out of acton until we can put someone in the water to laer
the debris!
Apart from these mishaps life continues and spirits are high.
some technical issues this end, hopefully this has now been resolved.
We are now on day 14 of our passage from Qingdao in China to San
Fran, a passage that has not been without incident!!
We were delayed 2 weeks in leaving China due to lack of a mast so we are
now playing catch up with the rest of the fleet. Just after we left
Qingdao we started the brand new water maker only to find that it wasn't
working, our only option was to put into Yokohama and fill up jerry cans
with water - water rationing is now in place and Tony and I have
constructed a rain water collection system out of sail cloth, cable ties
and a funnel - I knew Ray Mears would come up trumps eventually!!
Since then we have had a fire in the generator which has rendered that
useless so we are now relying on the engine to charge up the batteries.
We are taking the crossing with caution since our new rig has not really
been tested and looking at the Californian boat which has been demasted
this would seem to be sensible.
Hull & Humber lost their skipper due to a compound fracture of the Tib &
Fib and one of the crew of California had to be taken off board with a
serious head injury!!
At 02.00 last night we fouled our prop with some old fishing nets so the
engine is now out of acton until we can put someone in the water to laer
the debris!
Apart from these mishaps life continues and spirits are high.
Saturday, 27 March 2010
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
FW: O M G
March 16th and it looks like we could be good to go at 18.00hrs today.
It has been a long and eventful journey so far but should be sailing on
the high seas very soon.The riggers are tensioning all the cables and we should be going out for
a test sail prior to departure to make sure all is well.
Last night we were entertained by the local sailing club where we were
wined and dined and got involved in many drinking games - pleased to say
that TF came out on top!
Left at 17.00 hrs to a smaller send off but we still had the.......got
that far before started feeling lousey again!!
Another two days of sickness but hopefully it may have passed on now.
We are putting into Yokohama so we can pick now water and make our way to
SF.
Things seem to be OK on board everyone getting on - case of having to
really!
Encountered some really heavy winds and seas over the last two days _storm
force 8 and 40ft waves, sat on the edge of the boat loking down a huge
black whole.
Seen a large pod of dolphins which was great and today on Mother watch
cooking for crew - tinned ham glazed withwhatever I can find, red cabbage
and apples, mash and peas.
Still hoping to get to SF on time and the target is to catch
Edinburgh....yea right!!
It has been a long and eventful journey so far but should be sailing on
the high seas very soon.The riggers are tensioning all the cables and we should be going out for
a test sail prior to departure to make sure all is well.
Last night we were entertained by the local sailing club where we were
wined and dined and got involved in many drinking games - pleased to say
that TF came out on top!
Left at 17.00 hrs to a smaller send off but we still had the.......got
that far before started feeling lousey again!!
Another two days of sickness but hopefully it may have passed on now.
We are putting into Yokohama so we can pick now water and make our way to
SF.
Things seem to be OK on board everyone getting on - case of having to
really!
Encountered some really heavy winds and seas over the last two days _storm
force 8 and 40ft waves, sat on the edge of the boat loking down a huge
black whole.
Seen a large pod of dolphins which was great and today on Mother watch
cooking for crew - tinned ham glazed withwhatever I can find, red cabbage
and apples, mash and peas.
Still hoping to get to SF on time and the target is to catch
Edinburgh....yea right!!
Tuesday, 16 March 2010
Monday, 15 March 2010
news from Qingdao via Anna !
I think Ian has nearly sorted out his technical details re the blog just in time before he sets sail hopefully tomorrow!
News to follow if this works xx
News to follow if this works xx
Sunday, 14 February 2010
The days are counting down as the departure date gets ever nearer!
Opened an email from crew mate Baz suggesting that "Technical Boxers" are a must for this trip - best technical boxers that I can think of would be Ali, John Conteh, Sugar Ray Leonard or even Joe Calzaghe, ah, but who could forget the whiff of sweat and vaseline at ringside........now back to the pants!!!!
Breathable underwear.........whatever next, all to reduce the dreaded chafe that can cause so much damage and discomfort on an extended trip where moisture is never far away.
Boats currently heading towards Taiwan and then on to Qingdao in China where they should receive a fantastic reception from the local enthusiasts, this is the centre where all of the sailing events were staged during the Beijing Olympics.
Opened an email from crew mate Baz suggesting that "Technical Boxers" are a must for this trip - best technical boxers that I can think of would be Ali, John Conteh, Sugar Ray Leonard or even Joe Calzaghe, ah, but who could forget the whiff of sweat and vaseline at ringside........now back to the pants!!!!
Breathable underwear.........whatever next, all to reduce the dreaded chafe that can cause so much damage and discomfort on an extended trip where moisture is never far away.
Boats currently heading towards Taiwan and then on to Qingdao in China where they should receive a fantastic reception from the local enthusiasts, this is the centre where all of the sailing events were staged during the Beijing Olympics.
Thursday, 28 January 2010
Tuesday, 12 January 2010
Well it is only a month before i set off on this wild adventure that will see me cross the mighty North Pacific and Atlantic Oceans - one would have been an adequate adventure, but two a huge challenge for this novice sailor!!
So why have I signed up for this trip, I hear you all ask - it's a question that I often ask myself as the feelings of apprehension get stronger as the impending departure date gets nearer. I have done some adventurous things in the past (free fall parachuting and cave diving) and felt the urge to test this middle age frame once again and really put myself outside my comfort zone - hence Ocean Racing. I had never been on an ocean going yacht, my sailing experience is limited to sailing a laser across Coniston with my mate Cozzie - even that was cut short when Cozzie got thirsty.Perceived by many as a sport for the privileged few (due to the astronomical cost in funding a boat) this race allows anyone from any background to really push the boundaries of physical and mental endurance.
This is first and foremost a RACE where 10 identical 68ft ocean racing yachts sponsored by major cities or countries race each other around the world each sailed by one professional skipper and between 18-20 amateur crew.
I have been allocated a berth on the Team Finland boat.
The teams:
Australia
California
Cork - Ireland
Qingdao - China
Team Finland
Hull & Humber
Singapore
Cape Breton Island - Nova Scotia
Jamaica
Edinburgh
The race takes the crews on a journey consisting of 7 legs:
Leg 1 HULL - RIO DE JANERO
Leg 2 RIO - CAPE TOWN
Leg 3 CAPE TOWN - GERALDTON Australia
Leg 4 GERALDTON - QINGDAO China via Singapore
Leg 5 QINGDAO - SAN FRANCISCO
Leg 6 SAN FRANCISCO - JAMAICA via Panama
Leg 7 JAMAICA - HULL via New York, Nova Scotia, Cork, Amsterdam
The race started on the 13th September 2009 in Hull where an estimated crowd of 100,000 saw the boats off and finishes at the same port on the 17th July 2010.
If you thought that this was a "a walk in the park", take a moment to reflect on some of the incidents that have already occured since the race started:
Hull & Humber lose a man overboard in the Southern Ocean, thankfully boat retrieves casualty after 17 minutes and all is well.
California lose steering in Southern Ocean and rig up secondary steering gear to limp into Cape Town.
Team Finland hit a whale in the Southern Ocean
Cork and Hull & Humber involved in start line collision in Cape Town.
Team Finland skipper resigns due to personal family reasons and new skipper appointed for the Australian leg and the rest of the race.
Cork hits a submerged reef and runs aground, crew abandon ship and Team Finland and California provide immediate support and rescue stricken crew. Cork Clipper deemed to be too badly damaged and uneconomical for salvage.
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