Race 3 - Day 21
Crew Diary - Race 3 Day 21: Cape Town to Fremantle
21 November

Are We Nearly There Yet? - S38;02.37 E102.32.031 UTC +8

It's the question on every crew members lips each time we wake for the next shift or pass the Nav or Helm station: "How far have we got left to go?" 700NM is the answer.

Next question: "What's our boat speed?" then we all begin computing our own ideal arrival times, based on us travelling into a slight head wind again healed over at 35 degrees , once again climbing around the boat, with a massive wind hole looming off the West coast of Australia... it's an ever changing computation (Thursday afternoon for me!).

Currently, we are all hoping for a day time arrival as our last two finishes have been at night. This makes for a complicated preparation to parade after we cross the finish line before we can dock. Typically that involves me running around looking for the banners and sponsors flags wondering, "Where did I leave them?", making customs clearance flags out of dish clothes or such like, and other stuff that has to be hoisted, including the all important ensign. Next, dropping flaking sails and covers on. You can imagine at the end of a long passage it's not what we feel like doing late or at the end of your day and in the dark. After crossing about five thousands miles of ocean, marvelling at the stars and galaxies far away each night watch, it is quite surprising how excited we get about first sight of the urban light pollution of land, but it's always great to round the harbour arm then see our faithful Clipper Race supporters, crew and family waiting whatever time of day or night it is.

So today, we have another major time shift as we have headed due east for the past week. Dawn arrived at 3.10am for us this morning, which is never great when we get off watch to sleep at four o'clock in brilliant sunshine. I felt this morning that it was the kind dawn I would only want to arrive that early if I had found myself at a hippy rave that was showing no signs of ending for days!

Today, Thomas & Bernd (who make a lovely couple) are Mothers, with the instruction that lunch (sausage, powdered egg and hopefully beans) is to be prepared one hour early. We are on a shorter 5 hour shift and the oncoming watch are going to be on the same straight after us in order that we correct the daylight hours. If we have our calculations right, we should be on Eastern Australian time when we make land. Sounds simple maybe if you have access to Google, but it's not so simple out here. We are still flying a kite, which is a pleasant surprise that we have managed to keep it up for the last 24 hours without any mishaps, damage or screams for “blow the Tack, all hands on deck for the drop” as it begins to wrap around the forestay - so long may this spinnaker session last! Unfortunately it does leave five or six on deck crew stretched. With a constant rotation necessary, it can be a bit tedious after days of it . Ah but on the plus side, we are currently trying to get the skipper to wake, get out of his bunk and up on deck to helm, which is a comedy task. It normally involved his phone alarm playing “Bitter Sweet Symphony” for ages until someone attempts to wake him. My preferred method for this is hand him a cup of water and see if he drops back to sleep (LOL) hence why they don't normally get me to wake him. Puppeteering with Skippers hands whilst he is unconscious is also comedy gold but it's not for the faint-hearted and a little bit like poking a bear.

Up on deck, it's sunny but still cold now we have travelled slightly North towards 32 degrees South of Fremantle. It's beginning to feel a bit like we are actually going to Australia and not the South Pole. We have all now scaled back on our layers of clothing, and dry suits are now only seen on night watch. The waves are still large rolling astern and we have a fairly dry deck for a change. It won't be long now 'til it's shorts, barbies & flip flops!

I long and look forward to an Eskie full of stubbies, dusty land, dry boots and a toilet that has a fully automated lever flush. Wishing my love to my family and friends and my three special little ones Nina, Lani and Annie. It's great to know that whilst we are now on the other side of our world, that the people in our lives at home are still avidly following our race.

See U ya for a walkabout Sport - Al Jay x