Ello folks,
Well, it's funny really. As a boat we prefer to be left to our own devices and sometimes we purposely reroute just to avoid other vessels. We like doing our own thing (most of the time) and on we plod (race - I mean race) round this ball of water we call earth. So we've lost our lead and Luzon seems like a distant memory. We find ourselves surrounded by rival boats - behind, in front and even to the side. This has had a dramatic effect on the crews work rate and efficiency - now when we're completing sail changes the deck is abundant with 'boat voices' (think loud) and orders are echoed as they are repeated. Even Mike Firby is starting to get the hang of this malarkey.
We'd a busy old night shift and Baywatch have done themselves justice, well done. So, for all the boats around us I can say, this time, it's a good thing. Maybe it’s good to have some company from time-to-time?
Song of the day: The day we caught the train - Can someone tell me the artist please? (Comms team - It's Ocean Colour Scene!)
First mate's quote
The best rave party on the South China Sea Yesterday, I went off watch at midday after quite a good watch where we had managed to gain about 1nm in Qingdao, which based on the conditions and our abilities to sail in light wind was quite an achievement.
Now hold my glass of cordial: When I woke up 6 hours later, not only we had stopped moving at all but we had started to move backward due to the current, but we had somehow managed to moonwalk drift faster than Qingdao, who were now seating about 300 meters on our port quarter.
Now it's probably a sign that things are starting to go a bit sideways and the heatstroke we have been experiencing for a month now, perhaps is starting to get us all, but as soon as the last lights of the sun were gone, some strange things started to happen. At the same time as disco lights started to appear on Qingdao mainsail, my watch popped the fog horn to start a monotune litany. Things escalated quickly, and soon enough, speakers, disco lights (great use of your 20kg kit allowance there Jacqueline) and party poppers left from Christmas started to flow on deck.
The drifthalon continues and Qingdao is now less than 2 boat lengths away. After almost 4000nm sailed, here we are, 50 meters from our closest (literally) competitor, bobbing around with zero wind in our sails.
Then a bit of a division happened, the dragons were definitely in a karaoke night mood, grating us with a lovely acapella version of Sweet Caroline, when I had on deck about 10 ppl ragging on hardcore techno wearing all kinds of improvised rave attires and flashing their red torches on the 220bpm drumbeats.
Just as popping some non-alcoholic red wine (also left from Christmas and that I have to inspect why it's still onboard) was starting to be an option, a shy 2.5kts of wind started to fill in and the boats started to move again, like one of those booze cruise you can find in the carribean.
A rave party with no booze or massive loudspeakers... saying that the crew needs to get to shore is an understatement!
Josh, Hugo and the crew of Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam