Race 13 - Day 3
Crew Diary - Derry-Londonderry to Liverpool
24 July

Hunting the Pack

As a single-legger, I didn't quite know what to expect from either the Atlantic Crossing, or the final push from Derry-Londonderry to Liverpool. So far, the contrasts between ocean and off- / in-shore racing have been striking. As such, the new experiences – and the learning – continue to flood in (sorry for the pun).

I won't go into detail on the trans-Atlantic race – covered in other blogs – though there were many memorable moments, from the spectacular wildlife on the start line, the Bacchanalian birthday feast of crepes, the heroic efforts of our sail repair team, and some tough, multi-day battles with certain boats. For my part, it was about absorbing as much information as possible from our experienced round-the-worlders, pulling my weight – and sometimes more! – both above and below deck, and otherwise learning the ropes (OK, last pun).

By contrast, in this much shorter and more coastal race, it is the fine-tuning of the skills we've all learned, as well as certain key tactical decisions, and a healthy dose of luck, that will win the day. Given we are playing our Joker – which doubles our points – every place we gain means that much more to us as we pursue a potential 1st place overall.

So far, it has been an often thrilling contest, with boats frequently passing, or being passed by, their rivals within hailing distance. Unfortunately for us, it has recently been more of the latter. After a strong start off the line was converted into being 1st around the next waypoint, we've made a handful of mistakes in timing and execution and have felt the impact in this unforgiving competitive set, where we sit in 9th at time of writing.

Looking at the silver lining, this takes the pressure off of being chased by our competitors. Instead, we are freed up to sail our own race – in style, of course – and to try to pick off members of the pack ahead one by one. In the coming days, we hope to be ready to capitalise on any opportunities, whether provided by weather conditions or human error on a rival boat.

That was our formula for success in the Atlantic crossing, as we kept our calm and wore down other boats until we could pass them either through a difference-making tactical decision or by committing fewer errors. There is still plenty of time yet and the weather is an ever-fickle being.

In contrast to the more stable conditions we saw in the LegenDerry crossing, we've seen much more variable winds, with gusts in the 30s followed swiftly by wind dying to only a few knots, and everything in between. Overall, this could play to our advantage, as we are quite an “evolution”-happy boat, changing the sail plan frequently – and usually efficiently – to never miss a window to make up ground or pull away. We'll see what Ireland's west coast will deliver in the next 24 hours.

A final contrast to the Atlantic has to be the almost-constant presence of land, providing both stunning views of verdant clifftops emerging from the Irish fog, as well as extra hazards, which are no doubt prematurely ageing both the Skippers and the Race Office team members. A far cry from the infinite blue of the open ocean.

We'll continue to put constant pressure on the boats in front, and have fun while doing it. Hopefully, positive results will follow. Regardless of outcome, one thing we are certain of is that we'll be proud of the unwavering commitment and effort across the entire team.