VQ Ocean Update Race Team Update 3
Saturday, Nov. 30th 2013 - Last night, we had a real Old Man and the Sea moment when we hit a violent squall that hit us late evening and we were left battling huge winds and feisty sails forcing the whole crew on deck to take down the main jib in high seas...life jackets and clipping to the rails were no longer a nice to have as the sails flapped and snapped in the winds, feet struggled to gain purchase on the roller coaster, slippery deck, tempers frayed and some of us shook our fists at the driving rain. The respite below deck was tempered by soaking wet sailing gear and the continual thumping of the hull as it crashed against wave after wave. Thank God for the professional crew Mark and Clint, two voices of calm and studied experience surrounded by a VQ team of gentlemen amateurs and poor sail folders.
Morning broke and the squal passed and we spent our time picking up the pieces, clearing up the cabin (Ludo, Rupert and Ed even got their hands dirty cleaning out the heads - otherwise known as the loos to landlubbers),
and drying out wet gear.
An undramatic morning drifted by as the storm passed and we headed westward, looking to break out of the low pressure that has been dogging us for days. Fishing failed to provide us with the Mahi Mahi sashimi we enjoyed a couple of days before and there was a mild panic the stereo was the next thing out of action as it got drenched in the storm the previous night (fortunately we have our tunes back).
There were calls to recommence shooting for the naked calendar we plan to compile for the trip but all these fell by the way side when a particular drop in wind led to calls for a mid-atlantic dip. Ben, Ludo, Tom, Rupert, Lucas and Alice stepped up to the plate and jumped into the Big Blue, which was surprisingly warm and we spent a short while diving off the boat and trying not lose the underwater camera above one of the deepest ocean water trenches in the Atlantic. The main benefit being we had our first proper wash for 6 days - what joy.
Racing resumed shortly after and we are now back in the groove, heading directly for St. Lucia in a steady firm breeze. The winds are good but the
sea is still choppy so cabin life (generally lived at a permanent 30 degree angle) is a bit like sitting in a rally car with no suspension driving at speed across the world's largest never-ending ploughed field - ie very uncomfortable.
Mark keeps saying we are now in the home straight but we are still 1,600 miles from the finishing line so it will be some time before we are home for tea and medals.