Infinity of Yar - Infinity of Yar - Blog 4
There is just one day to go, dear readers, and on Sunday at 13.00 GMTwe are starting on our adventure across the Atlantic to St.Lucia. Preparations are complete, everything has been stowed, the boat has been washed (which I managed to avoid to considerable derision from others) and we are ready to go.
In the interests of keeping busy every locker has been packed, unpacked and repacked just to find out if we can do a better job the second time around.
The pontoon is eerily quite this afternoon, almost hushed, as everyone contemplates what tomorrow will bring.
Our Skipper 'Buzz' Davey and your author attended the Skipper's briefing at the wonderfully antiquated Santa Catalina hotel at lunchtime today. With two people attending from each boat almost 400 people gathered and listened intently to a briefing on the sailing instructions including start/finish line procedures.
This was followed by the eagerly anticipated weather briefing from the excellent Chris Tibbs. The news is not good - the forecast is for light winds and the question on everyone's lips is;
" Are you going South "
The problem, without wishing to loose the few readers who are still with me, is that there is a big high pressure out in the Atlantic above the Canaries bringing lovely sunshine and settled weather but little wind. Further south, towards the Cape Verde Islands, on the outskirts of the high pressure,there is no wind at all.
The tradition, as you will read in any manual, is to 'go south until the butter melts' then turn west and the trade winds will blow you over to the Caribbean.
So, do we take the traditional southerly route and risk being becalmed or head west on the more direct northerly route. The north route means, headwinds for two days in potentially 3m waves and then freeing off when we reach the northerly wind the other side of the ridge (and much colder than going south).
To summarise;
South is warm, comfortable and slow.
West (northern route) is cold, uncomfortable and fast.
The race boats are going North, the cruisers South.
We are a competitive cruising boat, so which way to go - what would you do? What will we do? We don't know yet, I will have to let you know tomorrow after we have spoken to 'Vincent'.
Vincent Geake is our secret weapon. Vincent is a yacht racing weather specialist and with three circumnavigations on the Volvo World Races, several trans Atlantic races and numerous Sydney to Hobart races under the belt he knows his stuff. We will consult the oracle and get back to you with the decision.
Tonight was our final sundowner get together and then early to bed for our last night's uninterrupted sleep for three weeks.
So, my long suffering followers the time has come to thank you for your kind interest in my ramblings thus far. Communication will be more intermittent from here until we get to St. Lucia but I hope you might stick with us for the odd short bulletin along the way.
Which way will we go?
Will we be becalmed?
Will six men starve before making it to land?
Who will be seasick?
And most importantly, will Kipper Kearns catch a fish with the industrial quantity of equipment he has stashed away on the boat. Tune in to find out more!
Now, I mentioned earlier the delightfully archaic Santa Catalina hotel where your author resided for a few days early this week. Each evening the wonderfully talented Maria 'tickles the ivories' of a beautiful grand piano late into the night. Her repertoire covers everything from Schubert to the Stones, Beethoven to the Beatles via Billy Joel and Frank Sinatra all without a sheet of music in sight. Maria won't mind me telling you that she is not in the first flush of youth and I think you will understand if I say that a grand piano looks small when she sits down on the stool.
Your author has enjoyed his time here in Las Palmas but it has finally come to an end and as the saying goes:
" It ain't over until the fat lady sings ".
Well she has and it is time to go. Adios readers, wish us well and stay in touch to find out what happens next.
Until then;
" To Infinity & Beyond "
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