Sunday 4th December 2011
The Skipper – Eleanda overtakes Geronimo, the Swan 651, to go 6th
The ARC office server went off the air yesterday afternoon and no requests for updated position reports were answered. We were on tenterhooks. Where were we? Were we the overtaker or being overtaken? At last the ARC information woke up at 11h00 GMT today and we were emailed the 08h00 report. I worked my way down the list. 1st to 5th were unchanged but then, 6th? It was Eleanda up from 7th, but otherwise down 3 to 35th overall, having overtaken and now one ahead of Geronimo, the Swan 651 we have been chasing for days. I have tried to calculate our handicap advantage. For the 2,800 mile ARC distance, Geronimo, a faster longer boat, effectively gives Eleanda 179.2 miles. 36 hours previously Eleanda was behind Geronimo by 190 miles, i.e. 11 miles behind on handicap. This morning Eleanda was only 151 miles behind, so, on handicap, 28 miles ahead. At a speed of 7 knots, this is only worth 4 hours. We’re neck and neck! Nevertheless to catch up 39 miles in under two days needs explaining. Perhaps Geronimo has some rig problems. This all makes the decision on when to run the engine even more significant.
The wind has eased off after our three days of champagne sailing. At moments we are down to 5 knots. But then the wind picks up again and we are back to 7 - 8 knots. The 24 hour run to midday today has dropped back to a more usual 166.1 miles, an average of only 6.9 knots. Our overall average since leaving Las Palmas is still 7.3 knots. Currently the wind speed is a mere 10 knots. But it has veered to the south east, putting us on a broad reach, a much faster point of sailing than a dead run, as we have had for the last 1,000 miles. So our speed is still around 7 knots. Some time tomorrow morning we expect the wind to drop further. Hopefully we can delay running the engine for a further 12 hours, which will leave us with just 24 hours of motoring and an arrival time in St Lucia of mid morning on Tuesday. Geronimo complicates this decision. If we motor and they don’t, we will rapidly lose our very tight lead.
With no cruising chute or spinnaker to fly, so white sails only, life on Eleanda is now very relaxed. If the crew are asleep during the day, it can only be to rest before our arrival celebrations in St Lucia, bound to last late into the night. It is no longer due to exhausting sail handling in the middle of the night on a heaving foredeck. Sadly other boat’s adversity is our gain in the race, oops! I mean Rally. Each day we learn on the Radio Net that most of our competitors are also down to their main and genoa only, as various parts of their spinnaker equipment become damaged or torn. In this one department, Eleanda was inadequately prepared for this arduous crossing. Using the cruising chute for 3 hours on a lazy Mediterranean afternoon is no learning school for flogging day after day across the Atlantic. Everything becomes worn out.
Otherwise Eleanda has stood up amazingly well. Nigel’s electronics have not missed a beat either for navigation or communications. We all luxuriate in daily hot showers as the watermaker reliably tops up our water tanks, while the generator chugs quietly away in the background. As to the galley, the legacy of many hours of Heleen’s victualling, shopping and planning has placed Eleanda first on the podium of ARC gourmet cuisine. We are truly a fortunate and comfortable ship.
Today I said farewell as one of our three Radio Net Controllers. I have coaxed our Net onto first name terms, we sing happy birthday whenever a celebration is announced and generally act as a telephone exchange of information. For some reason so many of our sailing neighbours call Eleanda first to discuss the weather, tactics, radio strength and even satellite phone problems. Surely it’s the blind leading the one eyed! But we all look forward to meeting the faces of those voices conveyed through the ether, when we all arrive in St Lucia.
Rum punch is the Caribbean drink. Do they have any white wine? I worriedly ask Miranda. Only in the poshest of hotels she replies and then it’s probably undrinkable! Oh well, I can always resort to bring my chilled Italian Fiano from Puglia in a cool bag.
For the last time at 18h00 this afternoon we have covered 2,509 miles, with 276 miles to go. The usual summary shows –
Monday 21st, 23 hours from the rally start 142.7 nautical miles
Tuesday 22nd 162.0
Wednesday 23rd 194.3
Thursday 24th 185.2
Friday 25th 187.4
Saturday 26th 155.3
Sunday 27th 140.4
Monday 28th 166.2
Tuesday 29th 180.5
Wednesday 30th 177.6
Thursday 1st December 200.0
Friday 2nd 203.2
Saturday 3rd 197.5
Sunday 4th 166.1
STOP PRESS!!! STOP PRESS!!!
It’s happened! At 18:45, with the wind speed under 10 knots almost astern and our SOG (speed over ground) under 5 knots for more than the past 30 minutes, the skipper, with unanimous advice from the crew, started the engine and engaged the propeller. Sadly we are now under engine. But at 1,800 rpm, slightly higher than our usual cruising revs, we are belting along at 10 knots! We normally say that Eleanda cruises under engine at 8.5 knots. Hopefully the extra 1.5 knots will hold us in front of Geronimo.
St Lucia here we come. ETA now 21:00, Monday.
From the Stinkpot Motor Yachties on their Sunseeker
High Speed good wishes
From
Nigel and all the impatient crew.