Hopefully, our last week on the high seas as the race is starting to take its toll on me. My hands are ruined, covered in small cuts, got a really sore one, just under my thumb on my left hand, being constantly wet in salt water, it won\u2019t heal and with every evolution (change of sail plan) it opens again and stings. I am not sure if it\u2019s the lack of salts in the water, (we make our own water on the boat, another blog maybe) but every time my hands are in contact with either salt or fresh water, they instantly turn into prunes, like I\u2019ve been sitting in a bath for 4 hours, it would be nice to sit in a hot bath for 4 hours, that\u2019s for sure. The endurance of this race, is basically staying fit, well and dry!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keeping dry is near impossible, I had a good wash yesterday, put on a clean set of clothes, was on deck for an hour or so, went to drop a couple of layers and skipper wants an immediate sail change, don\u2019t have time to put my wet weather gear on, go up on the foredeck and got blasted by a massive wave, everything soaked again. Sitting in salty wet clothes has given me nappy rash, and it\u2019s a bugger, really uncomfortable and there\u2019s nowhere comfortable to sit, it\u2019s starting to affect my sleep, welcome to sailing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We broke our Code 3 spinnaker earlier today, one of the strops on the clew, randomly snapped, not sure how, as I\u2019d just come off watch, all hell lets loose, all available hands on deck, trying to letterbox drop the kite under some sort of control and of course we damaged the bloody thing, that\u2019s all our kites damaged now. Luckily, it looks like is only a small part of the luff near the clew. Kerry and Sarah, straight on it and repaired, ready for the next evolution. We\u2019re now 80 odd miles up on GOSH, but as we drop under 1,000 to the finish, it\u2019s all to play for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sailing through the oil fields off Brazil last night. Like little island cities, and they\u2019re everywhere. We\u2019ve been gybing around them all night in fairly heavy seas and a brisk wind, a real workout on the helm. The helm is probably the most comfortable place to be with a sore ass, as you’re standing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the wind begins to drop, GOSH have closed the gap, it looks like around 60 miles, which is good enough, if it stays like that. It\u2019s becoming a bit of a drag race to the finish, with both boats being so similar, it\u2019s the little things that\u2019s going to make the difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The winds have been a bit fluky and been difficult to maintain a constant sail plan, we\u2019ve had the Yankee 2 up, then the Yankee 1 up, then the Spinnaker code 1 up, it\u2019s exhausting and with large rolling seas, lots of wash over the bow, which adds to the time to take up and put down the sails. We\u2019ve also discovered a lot of tiny holes\/rips in our Yankee 2, luckily discovered early. We\u2019re not 100% sure how it\u2019s happened, but looks like Hank damage, the pulls on the hanks are slightly knurled, and feel rough to touch and whilst sailing through the oil fields with big swells, the Yankee was collapsing as we raced down the waves, and we think, this has caused it. The guys, immediately taped the tears up, but after another 24 hours, the tape has come off, so we need to tape the tears again and hand stitch the tape. The Yankee 2 is our go to sail, and we need to look after it. We probably should have over sheeted more, but all these things are learnings that we can take forward in the race. We\u2019ve also lost one of our heavy spinnaker sheets, we think that when the strop broke on our code 3 spinnaker, in all the confusion the stropped end it had obviously fallen into the water when it broke and had pulled itself off the boat. We do carry other sheets on board, but another lesson learned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many of us, use \u201cCrocs\u201d as our go to deck shoe, it\u2019s amazing how many different models we have within the crew and of all the shoes and boots I\u2019ve tried, they have had the best grip. I tend to wear them without socks, but occasionally, I\u2019ve worn \u201cSealskin\u201d dry socks, which work well. Now that we\u2019re back into colder climates, I\u2019ve reverted to my Musto boots, but I\u2019ve also been a salt rash on the top of my foot which was getting sore. I use medical Crocs as they don\u2019t have holes in, but I\u2019ve had them a while and the button holding on the strap has been having a charmed life. It has popped off half a dozen times, it\u2019s the size of a 5 pence piece, yet it\u2019s been found on the deck every time. Others have not been so lucky! One of Charlie\u2019s buttons has been lost in the cause, so a cable tie is now holding his strap on. Petra, has lost one of hers overboard and yesterday, whilst doing a racing headsail change, we had to hold proceedings as Ollie got his Croc, caught up in the side netting on the bow. It has become a bit of a joke within the crew, with various \u201cCroc\u201d charms going missing. Clare has lost a \u201cwhale\u201d, given to her by a nephew, Kerry has lost a \u201c5\u201d as part of his LBS 25.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s been a busy shift today, starting with the Yankee 1, which had been strapped on the high side, had dropped to the low side, and the sail & sail bag full of water, the 2nd time in as many days, where sails have not been secured properly on deck and have had to be revisited, we need to be so much better at these small things. Massive effort from the team pulling it back on the high side and securing it, soaked again. Sure enough, Yankee 1 down below, then Code 1 up and Yankee 2 down, flaked and ready for repair. Then spent my long watch, emery clothing the hanks that ripped the Yankee 2, I mean these things were sharp, and I can\u2019t believe that a sailmaker would have supplied the hanks like this, will need further discussion when we get to Punta. Then helped Kerry sew the new patches over the tears. The wind isn\u2019t the best again, struggling to get the boat moving and the statuesque with GOSH continues, we\u2019re still ahead by approx 60 nautical miles, and as we are both following the same wind, we get good wind, they get poor wind and then it reverses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Back on watch today, and we\u2019ve had a good night putting an extra 2 miles between GOSH and ourselves, even though we\u2019ve had a spell of low winds, which we expect to strengthen and back, the code 1 is still up and sea state moderate, lots of little jobs been done on board. Our main out hall has been damaged by a bolt that was really too long, we\u2019ve just removed the bolt for the moment and will replace properly when we get to Punta. One of the screws on the forward head door has come out (well it\u2019s not a door so much, more of a heavy weight zipped curtain) so that\u2019s re-drilled and screwed, then there seems the constant job of putting the tools back. I don\u2019t know how many times I\u2019ve had to put the tools back that others have taken out. In fact, I\u2019ve stopped putting them back until today, Gavin has mentioned it, I doubt if it will make much difference, but we will see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ve gone into the night watch with a full main sail and code 1 with 20 knots of wind. Fingers crossed all goes to plan, and we make some more gains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Very frustrating day, got up for watch and as expected our code 3 spinnaker was flying (since we knackered our code 2, we\u2019ve been using our code 3 at night and our code 1 during the day) but we couldn\u2019t take our code 3 down as the rope lining had split on the Starboard spinnaker halyard. We\u2019ve also had an issue with our Port spinnaker halyard and as such we were unable to drop our code 3! Bugger. Zoe, was then sent up the mast, not an easy thing in a marina, but in the South Atlantic a different challenge altogether. We changed out both halyards, hoisted out stay sail (to de-power the code 3), dropped the spinnaker. Attached the code 1 spinnaker and made way. But the time we\u2019ve lost will have really hurt our time advantage over GOSH. The winds have now dropped giving GOSH another opportunity to catch up, we can only hope for some strong winds, to help get us over the line. It will be extremely difficult for GOSH to beat us over the line, but with our time penalty, they have it all to play for. But that\u2019s ocean racing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Visited by three different pods of dolphins during the day, it’s as if they have their own WhatsApp messaging system, we could see the pods racing towards us, playing around the boat for 30 minutes or so, then disappear. We\u2019ve also had a smaller pod around the boat this evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the last 24 hours of the race, and it\u2019s still going to be a close run thing. We\u2019ve left our code 1 up tonight, last chance to get some distance from GOSH, but the wind still isn\u2019t that strong, so we won\u2019t really know what\u2019s up until we get to Punta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yet again the wind gods are not on our side, slight winds all night and GOSH have closed in, we\u2019ve gybed to cover off GOSH and with about 3 hours to the finish line we should have enough distance ahead of GOSH, approximately 9.5 nautical miles, to secure 1st over the finish line, which is a moral victory and one that we and our supporters on the dock will appreciate. But there can still be a twist to these things, we\u2019ve just got to raise the Yankee 1, get a clean kite drop and that will hopefully do it, but there is a bit of nervous tension on the boat as it\u2019s still too close to call. I\u2019ve decided not to go to bed and be woken up, to drop the kite, to be fair, I probably wouldn\u2019t sleep anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As we head towards the last mark into Punta, the last big rock into Punta, we sail past the big Lighthouse on Sea Lion Island (apparently there are thousands of sea lions living on the island).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As we turn the corner, all hands on deck, and we set about dropping the kite, our best one yet, to everybody\u2019s relief. We round up and head for the finishing line, just a mile or so away, we can see lots of boats on the water, the Punta lifeboat is out to greet us, we know we\u2019ve got line honours and whilst a little deflated that GOSH, unless something drastic happens, will finish 1st due to our harsh time penalty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The finish line runs perpendicular to the marina breakwater and is full of supporters, and we can hear them cheer as we come in hot to the line. The horns go off and we\u2019ve done it. We\u2019ve finished our 1st leg, two races, our 1st ocean crossing, our first equator crossing, our 1st Doldrums and our 1st podium and six weeks at sea. There are tears on board from a few, it\u2019s difficult to explain how emotional this race can be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After crossing the line, we immediately drop our sails and sweep back along the marina breakwater and soak up the atmosphere of family, friends and large numbers of locals from Punta. What a satisfying feeling, the majority of the folk watching from the shore only know we\u2019ve crossed the line 1st after some 6,000 miles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We head out into the bay to tidy up the boat, put up our racing banners. And get ready to enter the marina, but before we head in, we stay out to welcome GOSH into 2nd over the line and gave them three cheers before we head into the marina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What a reception, a few thousand people were on the marina to welcome the 1st boat in. We had local dignitaries, Punta yacht club members, and Clipper staff handing out various bits of stash and eventually a few cold beers. It just felt so right. The Punta yacht club then opened their club with a free bar and food for a couple of hours. After 6 weeks at sea, fresh ham sandwich\u2019s and beer just went up another notch. A great ending to a great race with so many amazing achievements, time to relax for a few days and enjoy our achievements.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Saltwater Scars Hopefully, our last week on the high seas as the race is starting to take its toll on me. My hands are ruined, covered in small cuts, got a really sore one, just under my thumb on my left hand, being constantly wet in salt water, it won\u2019t heal and with every evolution […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":507,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-506","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"blocksy_meta":[],"yoast_head":"\n