Ocean racers find their feet - Race News

Ocean racers find their feet

27 September 2007

In ocean racing terms you can hardly get a cigarette paper between the yachts of the Clipper fleet at the moment. The boats have spread out across a line running roughly NW-SE and only 80 or so nautical miles separate the leader, Durban 2010 and Beyond, and the team bringing up the rear, Qingdao. When you put that into perspective and realise there is still more than 3,500 nautical miles to cover before they reach Salvador, it is way too early to call a potential winner.

Now that the fleet is into the fifth day of this race the crew will have overcome their early sea sickness and nerves and will be settling down into the routine of ocean life. Jamaica skipper Simon Bradley certainly agrees. “Crew settling in well to the routines of ocean racing - work, eat, sleep, work, eat, sleep and, of course, on Jamaica chillin’ out as well.”

Race Director Joff Bailey says, “For family and friends sitting at home looking at the reports coming in four times a day is exciting. Just imagine being involved with the race on one of the boats, not being able to see your competitors who are just over the horizon, but knowing you must keep pushing on to try to gain an advantage. On board the anticipation of the schedule reports that we send to the boats is electrifying as the skipper reads out the latest positions.”

Having skippered New York Clipper in Clipper 05-06 Joff speaks from first hand experience. “The wind that the fleet is experiencing at the moment is the same for each of the teams and will be for the next day or so,” he explains. “The strength will be between 10 and 15 knots from the NNE and looking at a recent picture from Durban 2010 and Beyond, the sun is shining and the spinnaker is flying. The biggest change to the weather will occur late Friday into Saturday when a depression coming across the Atlantic will change the steady pattern of wind that the fleet is currently enjoying. There could be a big change in positions by Sunday or Monday if the navigators don’t get the tactics correct.”

His successor, Jerry Crew, New York’s skipper for Clipper 07-08, last night said, “The crew is performing as a unit. It’s a great thing to see; people from all walks of life living and working as sailors.”

Hull & Humber appears to have lost a few miles overnight which may indicate a sail problem or just different tactics being employed by the skipper, Danny Watson, but in his report this morning he appears to be chilled out saying, “Smooth steady sailing under beautiful stars and a full moon… it’s good to be alive!”

Qingdao appears to have also slipped a few miles further back overnight, maybe the comment from skipper Marcus Cholerton-Brown may explain, “Slow day but very enjoyable sailing. All OK on Qingdao despite night-time fun and frolics, most of crew quite happy to be out of Biscay. Apple crumble will cure anything.”

At the head of the fleet, crew have been busy on board westernaustralia2011.com. An excerpt from their latest blog reads, “Twenty-four hours on and repairs continue on board westernaustralia2011.com. We still have three of the team busy mending our favourite sail. The good news is even at 0230 in the hands of some very tired repairers the sewing machine still works; manoeuvring the 400m² of cloth makes things slow.  A shift pattern has now developed to make the fastest progress, with Jacks, Lynn, Judy, and Billy (repairers extraordinaire) taking turns.”

On Durban 2010 and Beyond everything is coming up roses – or Guns’n’Roses. Skipper Ricky Chalmers reports in his blog, “Durban 2010 and Beyond had a fantastic day’s sailing, logging 121 miles in a 12-hour period. Most of that was spent surfing with the spinnaker up and Guns’n’Roses sounding out on the deck speakers.

It was all going so well, a fantastic day’s sailing in “Yee ha” conditions, and dinner being prepared by one of the best cooks on board, Anne Dickens. The seas were lively with the occasional 16 knots recorded as we lurched our way from wave top to wave top.

Suddenly there was a loud high pitched scream. Instinctively we all looked up at the kite - had it blown? No the scream was from down below! Was everyone alright?

The disaster which had befallen Durban caused much hilarity. A five-litre jug of tomato and basil sauce intended for supper had lurched its way off the galley worktop, and gravity had done the rest.”