Race 11 - Day 18
Crew Diary - Race 11, Day 18
17 May

We have a new mantra. ‘How do we make the boat go faster’!? We ask this question every half hour as the wind has now dropped significantly. I ask myself, should I ease or should I grind the Code 3 sheet when calling the trim and it’s collapsing? Until now I have been simply doing as instructed, but now I know to check if the wind is fore or aft of the main sail. Every day is a school day on Qingdao!

On a more serious note, we had a medical evacuation last evening. We had a rendezvous with a Mexican naval vessel. As none of us speak Spanish, communication with the boat was sketchy at best. We had already taken the Code 3 down, and as the boat came close, Chris decided it would be best to take down the main as well. We put some fenders over the side and opened the gate. Di was there ready with her bags. Anyway in the end it was all very quick. Chris kept a steady course as the naval vessel moved in. Suddenly it was up against Qingdao and their crew reached out and Di was onboard in a flash followed rapidly by her bags! She made a valiant attempt to repatriate her life jacket but the vessel had already moved away. Good luck Di. We miss you and hope to see you back soon.