can we help
+44(0)1983 296060
+1 757-788-8872
tell me moreJoin a rally

Menu

Windleblo - The Start



Luna cast us off at 11:45 am local time and thousands of spectators cheered us on as we departed Las Palmas harbor, with a brass band adding atmosphere.

At the start line, the committee boat was hard to miss. It was a large Spanish navy gunboat! We hove to for a brief lunch, then edged toward the starting line with dozens and dozens of boat jockeying for position. We crossed as the start gun sounded under a broad reach. A squall then enveloped us, cheating us out of our last glimpse of land as the clouds thickened.

All the boats are now slowly spreading out, with two groups apparent as darkness gathered. Group 1 is starting to head west around the bottom of the island and Group 2 (the one we're in) is heading south to avoid the island's wind shadow. The forecast calls for 20 knot winds for the next day or two, then a problematic calm patch north of the Cape Verde islands. The boat is in tip top shape and the crew is in good spirits. Our toast to Neptune implored a safe passage.

So far, so good.


Previous | Next