Beim Auslaufen werden wir vom Veranstalter und vielen Besuchern herzlich mit Blasmusik und Sirenengeheul verabschiedet. Nach einem Bilderbuchstart um 13.00 Uhr haben wir fast das ganze Feld hinter uns und verabschieden uns von Gran Canaria. Bei leichten NE Winden fahren wir unter Gennaker und Groß Kurs Süd Richtung Kapverden. Unser Ziel ist es baldmöglichst südlich des 20. Breitengrades zu gelangen um dann direkt Kurs auf St. Lucia abzusetzen. Um 16.00 Uhr haben wir bereits ein Problem ? Gennakerfallbruch! Die komplette Crew birgt das Segel unbeschädigt aus dem Wasser ? ein 1. Versuch das Fall zu ersetzen wird wegen der hereinbrechenden Dunkelheit abgebrochen.
The start. We left the marina at Las Palmas to the sound of a brass band and horns from on-lookers. There were people waving goodbye from the petrol pontoon and from the breakwater. Once outside the marina we met the rest of the fleet and other locals on boats who'd come out to watch the start of the ARC from the water and cheer us on. The start came at 1300 hours and we were one of the first boats to cross the line leaving the rest of the fleet behind us. At first the boats with spinnakers began to overtake but we hoisted the gennaker and kept up with them. Disaster struck just three and a half hours later when the gennaker halyard snapped and the sail came floating down into the water. It took all six of us to pull it up from the sea but luckily it was undamaged and was secured until the halyard could be replaced. This left us sailing with the genoa and the main sail, with the aim of getting to the 20o line just north of Cape Verde so that we could then head west to St Lucia. We tried hoisting Wally up the mast that afternoon to replace the broken halyard but darkness was approaching quickly so we decided to leave it until the next day.
Imke and Jen
Beim Auslaufen werden wir vom Veranstalter und vielen Besuchern herzlich mit Blasmusik und Sirenengeheul verabschiedet. Nach einem Bilderbuchstart um 13.00 Uhr haben wir fast das ganze Feld hinter uns und verabschieden uns von Gran Canaria. Bei leichten NE Winden fahren wir unter Gennaker und Groß Kurs Süd Richtung Kapverden. Unser Ziel ist es baldmöglichst südlich des 20. Breitengrades zu gelangen um dann direkt Kurs auf St. Lucia abzusetzen. Um 16.00 Uhr haben wir bereits ein Problem ? Gennakerfallbruch! Die komplette Crew birgt das Segel unbeschädigt aus dem Wasser ? ein 1. Versuch das Fall zu ersetzen wird wegen der hereinbrechenden Dunkelheit abgebrochen. The start. We left the marina at Las Palmas to the sound of a brass band and horns from on-lookers. There were people waving goodbye from the petrol pontoon and from the breakwater. Once outside the marina we met the rest of the fleet and other locals on boats who'd come out to watch the start of the ARC from the water and cheer us on. The start came at 1300 hours and we were one of the first boats to cross the line leaving the rest of the fleet behind us. At first the boats with spinnakers began to overtake but we hoisted the gennaker and kept up with them. Disaster struck just three and a half hours later when the gennaker halyard snapped and the sail came floating down into the water. It took all six of us to pull it up from the sea but luckily it was undamaged and was secured until the halyard could be replaced. This left us sailing with the genoa and the main sail, with the aim of getting to the 20o line just north of Cape Verde so that we could then head west to St Lucia. We tried hoisting Wally up the mast that afternoon to replace the broken halyard but darkness was approaching quickly so we decided to leave it until the next day. Imke and Jen