Race 12 - Day 11
Skipper Report
07 July
Hello Team,
How are you doing there this “strato cumulus grey” Saturday? Are you still suffering in the heat wave and getting set for a sporting rich Saturday afternoon? This end its grey and has been grey for a number of days. Grey clouds fill the skies, grey water surrounds us, its not “50 Shades of Grey” more like 4 or 5. and its cold. I am now regretting sending my warm heavy weight fleece home with Lorraine from Seattle, we live and learn.
We are sailing along on white sails and now making between 8-10kts after a 24 hour period where we struggled to make 5kts at times. We have kept pace with a weather transition for a long time, causing numerous sail changes and finally appeared to have broken free of it and are now having more consistent winds in terms of strength and direction. Currently getting 15kts from West North West. I must admitted with the developing high pressure to our front and watching the boats to our south scream away from us, if the was a first prize for poor routing on this race I think I would be collecting a large yellow pennant for achieving that. Still the GREAT crew are still plugging away and the miles are slowly, and I mean slowly dropping down, as I write we have 653nm to go to the finish line.
The contrast to the two halves of the race are really noticeable. The first week, sunshine and champagne sailing, with stunning moonlit nights. The second week grey, cold and slow. That is of course the joys of ocean sailing and, sailors are like farmers, the weather is never quite right. Even though this sounds like moaning, we mustn't loose sight we are here on the GREAT Britain boat living our passion. Well its certainly my passion, well till the autumn internationals come along and Wales take to the field once more. Having missed the Six Nations this spring, I am looking forward to watching an international again.
The galley competition seems to being continuing, with Beanie and Nicola, taking meals to a new level today. Nicola produced a choice of lunch dishes, my favourite with a shadow was an amazing vegetable bake, with thick crusty cooked cheese and fresh tomatoes. Then this evening freshly baked brownies for pudding. If this goes on, I think we might have to go around again.
Before I give you the GREAT Britain stats, I would like to wish Maggie and Ian many happy returns and hope their joint birthday party, to celebrate achieving the big eight zero, this evening is a great success. Hopefully we'll meet up soon when I get back, maybe Sunday lunch in Hamble?
So here are the GREAT Britain stats, which could possible get lost in amongst all the other sporting facts that will be put about today. 24Hr distance run. A disappointing low, 172nm, on the positive note 100% of that was distance made good. Jars of Marmite onboard 5 remaining.
Oh did you know, the Milking Tree in Northamptonshire was considered so important in the landscape back in 1790 that a naval report, commissioned by King George III, declared that it musy not be used for shipbuilding. The tree can still be visited today. (But you can go on a day that suits you).
Standing by this Channel-out
Dave