Race 13 - Day 4
Crew Diary - Race 13 Day 4- David Watkins and George Strietmann
22 June

George and I have been bunk ‘buddies’ and co-Mother ‘Watchers’ since Race Start in London and now today we are ‘confined’ to the galley cooking up for the rest of the crew. Meanwhile as I type we are in a reaching spinnaker sparring match with Qingdao. Both boats are presently within a few boat lengths of each other and there is a luffing ‘war’ ongoing. Qingdao is right now on our stern quarter and to leeward of us. Both boats are eyeing each other up and wondering who will blink first! We have 300nm to go and this battle could easily continue right to the finish!

This is the first time I can remember that two boats are match racing so close to one another. It reminds me of my match sailing days in Flying Fifteens at Hayling Island Sailing Club.

We have decided to cook macaroni cheese and mashed potato for lunch – but we are now in a predicament as the current gas bottle is empty and we need to switch bottles! But the bottles are in the stern and the deck is busy match sailing! In a few minutes one of us may have to go on deck and switch the bottles over ourselves. The crew will definitely still need their lunch – particularly the ‘grinders’ who are absolutely busting veins to keep up with the shouts of GRIND when we either luff up or the spinnaker (the ‘thing’) starts any sort of misbehaviour – which is frequent and often unpredictable. Anyway now as I type we appear to have managed to continue match racing and switch gas bottles – so the mac n cheese is back on! I am back to the pot with my trusted and dear friend George – who is minding the ‘fort’ while I perch on the galley couch...

New York here we come! Hopefully in podium position! Over and Out!