Well, it’s been a tough time on UNICEF. The sailing has been fantastic, with clear blue skies and spinnaker flying - shorts have even made an appearance! But we just haven't been able to match the speeds of the rest of the fleet. Yesterday we were with the main pack chasing down Zhuhai and PSP Logistics, and today we are 35nm behind. During this time, we have had all manners of wind. At one point we had a local shift and increase from 5 to 25KN as the barometer storm alarm went off from the rapid drop in pressure. Once we managed to rassle our wind-seeker back onto deck, thankfully all in one piece, the wind then thoughtfully shut back down leaving us slightly nervous about putting any light wind sails back up for a while.
It also looks like our slightly more northern route hasn't played off, as the southern boats had more current helping them along. Morale on board is high though, as we have seen 20 plus mile leads disappear overnight on previous legs, and there is still a very long way to go. We are 1,000nm miles in and haven't yet reached the Pacific Ocean proper as we are south of Japan in the Shikoku basin at the north end of the Philippine Sea. Once we pass through the next Mandatory Gate on the course, we leave Japan behind and enter the Pacific Ocean. With over 4,000nm to the other side, there is still plenty of time for us to make a comeback.
PS. Since I wrote this blog, we have had a new position report where the main pack had all parked up allowing us to make back some miles. Also, Washington, DC (little Washy) has reappeared on the chart plotter at just over 13nm. So, despite my earlier words, heading north hasn’t been as bad as it first seemed!
Dan, Laura and the UNICEF team