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Celebrate - Half way to Mauritius and Genniker Woes...



We are now past half way, making good speed and a direct track to Mauritius. The sun was out again this morning and bright enough for us to get the gennaker out from its bag.

On Celebrate, as with many boats the gennaker is raised in a long fabric tube with a broad carbon (or plastic) neck at the bottom, which resembles an inverted loo (toilet) seat. This system keeps the sail snuffed until you raise the neck and is appropriately named a snuffer. The hoist went well, and the snuffer raised and out popped our pretty yellow, green and blue sail and we sped along with a few extra knots for almost an hour. Then things got tricky; very quickly the blue skies deserted us, the wind speed increased and changed direction. Time to get the spinnaker down PDQ. As we were dropping the snuffer carbon came together with the aluminum mast. Fortunately both crew and the gennaker are intact and live to rise again, however sadly the loo (toilet) seat did not come off so well and surgery is needed- ouch!!!!

We received a new story from Nexus today. This tale involves the tricky subject of handicaps, boat speed and engine hours. It will be broadcast tonight on the radio net but in pursuit of balance we will give the other two protagonists in the story Alpharatz and Ghost the right to reply.

You may have read in other logs that American Spirit has a problem with their forestay, we will leave them to explain this. The decision by the crew of Follie a Deux and Merlyn of Poole to drop back and stand by to offer assistance explains the great benefit of being part of the World ARC rally and the generosity of spirit of its participants.

Charlie, Cathy and Peter
Originally written in English (with American translations)




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