Race 3 - Day 16
Crew Diary - Race 3 Day 16: Cape Town to Fremantle
16 November

Amsterdam and Saint-Paul

Yesterday we could finally feel the wind from the back of our neck. Upwind no more!! Everyday for the last week, Wendo promised us that the spinnaker would be up within the next 24 hours. She has been wrong everyday, except for the day before yesterday.

The wind turned further west and the spinnaker was sweated up the mast. Not for long, though, as we found out that the wind was not that steady and we had to alter course heading too far north to keep it up. So the kite was dropped but we all hoped it would get back up soon. Reaching is still better/faster than beating, and far more comfortable. No roaring forties yet, but it feels good surfing waves again.

More importantly, yesterday we sailed between the Islands of Amsterdam and Saint-Paul. Those are tiny French islands in the middle of nowhere, but they happened to be on our way crossing the Indian Ocean from Cape Town to Fremantle.

I could hear Catherine who was on watch shouting “Land, land! There is land here!”. I quickly put my life jacket on to go on deck; “France, France” I said (Oui, I am one of the Frenchies on board). Everyone laughed at me: “Is this France?”; not really but I could smell the odour of camembert cheese and other delicate French fragrances while we sailed just few miles from Saint-Paul. Yes, this is French territory, but not France; it made my day anyway.

Saint-Paul is an active volcanic island, whose crater wall partially collapsed years ago leaving an opening for small vessels. “Why don't we stop there?” I asked Wendo. “No” she said, “ there is no penguin on the island!”.

On Amsterdam, our historian told us that a French compagnie took over the island in 1928. They sent seven people in March of 1930 with enough food for few months. They came back in December of 1930 to find out that five of them died from starvation. Very sad story, isn't it?

We won't die from starvation on board of Sanya Serenity Coast, thanks our victualler Jan who does a great job, and as long as we have porridge and toasts for breakfast, we can keep sailing. Our motivation to reach Fremantle quickly (and hopefully ahead of competition) is mostly because of the lack of beer and wine on board.

Need to go now; the windseeker is on deck ready to go up!

Au revoir!

Benoit