Race 7 - Day 23
Crew Diary - Race 7 Day 23: Whitsundays to Sanya
22 February
Just called for “Last Orders” and closed the Bord Bistro, now just winding down in the “Brain” of the boat (aka Nav Station writing to you all.
First to all of my foodies, a little update from the Bistro. Bacon, eggs, beans and toast for breakfast and that is always good as you get a good start in the day as the crew loves it. Special COTF (Clean Out The Fridge) wraps for lunch with an assorted mix of brie, chorizo, ham, chickpea and green beans and a classic for dinner: Mac and Cheese Ration Packs with some tinned fruits as dessert. I do have to say I love this day - food is indeed my passion, and cooking, seeing most of the other watch for a bit longer than a few minutes and catch up on the board talks and chit chat ;)
We are currently under 200 nautical miles from Sanya, with the arrival time changing based on the current weather and wind conditions influencing the mood a little bit. The faster the boat the happier the crew it seems and so the talks on the decks are about trimming (not so much, but we are doing a decent speed), what to do first in port, shower seems on top of the list, (a little bit more) and what cold drink or meal to order first (seems to be one of the main topics). What makes the race finish even more interesting is that there is a good chance of catching up on other boats, currently being in proximity (AIS Range) of HotelPlanner.com and Garmin. This is definitely a booster and I would never have thought that after hundreds and hundreds of miles at sea it will be such a close finish, just hope it is as exciting for you back home as it is on the boat. I do look forward to being back on deck tomorrow racing to the finish.
In terms of life on board we are constantly adapting. At the moment the watermaker and generator are not working so everyone is “water wise” and careful with this resource and phones, tablets, speakers, etc. have to wait till in Port to get fully charged again. In terms of sails we had another sail to repair, this time it was the Code 1 (our lightweight spinnaker) that got twisted, had to be taken down and got repaired overnight by Jeremy, Alanna and Sarah. Thanks to everyone it is now flying again, so it is sort of like another day at the office, making sure nobody gets bored and will have a little bit of more work to do in Sanya preparing the boat for the next race.
This for now. “Carissimi saluti” to all of you, my friends and loved ones. Looking forward to catch up in Sanya soon.
Till next time, take care
Matthias