Gentlemen don't go to windward.
Apparently. But if that is the case, how on earth do gentlemen get
back to Cowes, where of course they all start from (the Royal Yacht Squadron,
obviously) in the first place? Putting that thought aside (as if, and
anyway, these days there are lots of answers, eg a gentleman's helicopter or his
friend's Sunseeker (NO. Gentlemen do not have friends who own
Sunseekers - Ed), it is a fact that we have probably only had to go to windward
on this world cruise for less than ten percent of the distance we have
sailed. So the last day or so has been a little bit disconcerting, not to
mention slightly uncomfortable!
Inevitably, Bruce predicted that all this would come to pass. After a
"soft" morning, the wind backed around to the north and freshened.
Soon Cleone was running just below close-hauled, under a doubled reefed genoa
and main, with a single reef in the mizzen. Cleone's rig is beautifully
balanced under these conditions and she steered herself without resorting to the
autopilot. We were still making headway down the rhumb line, but as the
day wore on, the current first became neutral, and then started to flow to the
south. For the last fourteen hours we have been pushed below our course,
and it has been a bouncy ride to boot. Luckily the wind strength has
remained at eighteen knots or so, so we have been able to generate the power to
push through the waves, rather than being stopped by them, as has happened in
the past. We have made better progress than our lighter-weight
friends, who prosper in down-wind or light-air conditions but whose motion is
much more violent and tiring in heavier seas and airs. A total of 149
miles noon-to-noon is not one to be ashamed of. It leaves us with 260 or
so miles to run, so we are still on target for a Wednesday arrival in
Scarborough, Tobago.
Meanwhile, all is well with us, and very best wishes to you all.
James, Paul and Volker