can we help
+44(0)1983 296060
+1 757-788-8872
tell me moreJoin a rally

Menu

Lydia - Leg 2 Day 13 - So Near Yet So Far



Yesterday's champagne, delicious though it was, might have been premature.
After a rather slow, wallowy day where progress has generally been at 5 kts
or under we have put another bottle of champagne in the fridge - whether for
celebration or to treat the Sargasso Lassitude that can afflict mariners in
our situation, the bottle's fate is sealed.

The fleet is even more spread out today. Some yachts failed to respond to
the radio roundup because they have already arrived in St Lucia and are no
longer interested, and others simply because they could not hear the net
controller. Still, it has been a nice ritual to keep going through as part
of our daily routine. The midday position email tells us what we need to
know, which is generally that we're doing OK. There a few yachts that have
significantly higher VMGs and its clear that they have resorted to using
their engines. No sign of cracking in Lydia though and similar sentiments
seem to prevail in GAIA, who has maintained close company with us for a
further 24 hrs. After some really quite close quarters ding dong stuff
overnight she has settled about 3 miles astern of us.

Tuning through the AM dial of a portable radio this morning we were
entertained by some Caribbean Christmas music that sounded like it was being
broadcast from someone's garage. This evening an airliner was spotted
overhead and - breaking news - we've just heard an 'All Ships' routine
broadcast in French from Martinique on Channel 16 of the VHF . There really
is civilisation out there. It's just that we can't quite see it yet.

There are few significant high spots to share other than the developing
plots in our respective books. The St Lucia courtesy and ARC+ flags are up
and we can report one small success. The bilge has been bailed for hopefully
the final time and the Mk IV diesel weep catcher has proven to be completely
successful with everything now being captured via a tube into a plastic
bottle. How exciting is that?!

The scores are in. You're live so please do not swear and all that. The
finish time guesstimates were recorded at lunchtime today. The field is
bracketed by the ever optimistic Matthew at 0545 and by the pessimistic
realist, Richard, at 0805. Time will tell ......... but with hindsight it
might have been important to specify the day!


Previous | Next