Race 2 - Day 1
Crew Diary - Race 2 Day 1
16 September

I’m unable to look up the dictionary definition of ‘a race’ but I’m fairly sure it doesn’t include a description of drifting across the Atlantic at the stately speed of 2.1 knots…

Of course, the whole previous 24 hours since we slipped lines hasn’t been such slow progress; quite the opposite, in fact. Race Start was as thrilling as it could get, with 10 yachts also pursuing similar lines on the starboard tack, whilst it looked like we were going to cut across them all on our port tack, only to change direction at the last moment and nip behind Qingdao and WTC Logistics (much to their chagrin, one suspects) and gain a decent third place. Well done us. Well done Skipper.

The wind at the start was a good deal stronger than anticipated and coming from a WSW direction which kept us on port tack for some hours but sadly it has slowly veered round and died a death so that you now find us bobbing (there really is no other word for it) and developing an unhealthy obsession with barometric pressure and the remaining cinnamon buns that we’re supposed to be keeping for afternoon tea. I wonder if they’ll last that long… Ideas for alternative methods of propulsion include a small pair of oars kept for emergency rowing expeditions, the hairdryer (no-one told me there was a hairdryer on board! Now I’m excited!) and some that probably don’t bear repeating and thoughts of which I will leave you. TTFN.