Race 3 - Day 17
Crew Diary - Race 3 Day 17: Cape Town to Fremantle
17 November

Rose Todd
Rose Todd
Team Qingdao
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One thing about this adventure – nothing is medium!

The wind is either full-on or absent and consequently we are either doing well and rocking it… or wallowing in a wind hole. Our position in the fleet very much reflects this dichotomy as does the level crew inner peace … it is very difficult to feel any inner anything when you are feeling a general sense of malevolence towards the Wind Gods (who seem nothing if not capricious)!

Two days ago we had been sailing our way up the fleet pecking order and then despite the weather synopsis saying otherwise, we continued sailing straight into a wind hole – a 24 hour wind hole! The reputation of the Southern Ocean does not include wind holes!!! We had been sailing hard, we had a strategy planned, and then drifting. You can get a lot of drifting done in 24 hours!

The thing about surviving going nowhere not very fast is to stay positive – to view this interlude as an opportunity to repair the boat, for the crew to recoup some energy and the opportunity for the mothers to knock out that just-a-little-bit-different meal or a treat. Our mothers for the day – Al and Chinese ambassador Jack – pulled culinary rabbits from their hats, with firsts ever for Jack, with freshly baked bread and Al with first ever chocolate brownies (not bad for a guy who turned 50 a couple of months ago!) Guys black magic cooking! The food was excellent too! And so at watch end, we ended the day with heads that we didn't have to climb into and bunks we could adjourn to without the requisite mountaineering usually needed (both it has to be said up-sides).

And so we started yesterday with new hopes for the weather. It was sunny and the weather forecast said the wind would build throughout the day. Why do we always cling to the hope that the weather forecast will be correct? Windseeker hoisted we waited with anticipation… well, it was sunny (and the wind still had a bite)! And we were not disappointed. The wind didn't quite turn up as predicted... but a following wind came and by late afternoon we had the sleigh ride that had been promised (although with gusts of over 25+ knots the windseeker and the spinnakers had long been replaced by yankee sails masquerading as spinnies). Champagne sailing with a surfing best of 23 knots from our watch leader Bernd!

And so to today. Still hopes for that wind since the forecast tells us to expect 20-30 knots of the stuff (clearly we are slow learners!). But today both the wind and the sunshine seem to be shy. It's another difficult day sailing – big swell but little wind which makes keeping the kite filled a difficult option. We are managing 5 knots … which is rather depressingly slow … but all we can do is press on!

You can do nothing about the weather … just trim your sails (and hope that the weather forecast comes good)!