26.12.2007
Temenos II won’t be the only boat in Wellington
After Temenos II, we learnt this morning that Hugo Boss will also be forced to
make a stopover in Wellington with rudder problems. Even though nothing is
signed and delivered for any of the racers at the midway mark in the race,
including for the leader Paprec Virbac 2, this stop by Hugo Boss, which can be
no less than 48 hours as stipulated in the rules, will deprive the race of this
formidable duel the two leaders have been involved in for the past ten days or
so.
Aboard Temenos II, the front has finally arrived and though Michèle and
Dominique would doubtless have wished that it would accompany them for longer as
they head towards Wellington, they are preparing for stronger winds between now
and tomorrow as Michèle explained to us in a message sent today.
“It has been a windy night with gusts of 37 knots and messy seas. We have put in
a 3rd reef to avoid overpowering the boat and despite that we’ve had a few great
surfs. The front ended up dropping in on top of us, but it has become
commonplace for them to take forever to come and then pass over very quickly.
Today the barometer is climbing like the price of petrol and the sun is shining
in fairly clear skies.
We’re not complaining, quite the contrary in fact. It should ease off initially
and then we're expecting a new depression for 27th December, which is set to
leave us to the SW of New Zealand.
On starboard tack, the damaged part of the keel is no longer visible, we’re
getting used to it as we don’t really have any other choice, even though it’s
true that we’d like to have control of all that visually.
As regards temperature at 47° South, we have well and truly left the cold behind
us. The water is at 11° and we're managing to get 15° down below. We have opened
up the boat in the hope that this ‘heat’ will be enough to dry out the
condensation a little. There's so much of it that everything is soaked down
below.
Today I decided to replace my ‘dirty and salty’ layers of fleece. Since the
start I’ve only used 3 sets of clean clothes. We’re careful not to make too many
changes, 'economising' with a mind to the rest of the race and having the
minimum of comfort during the Atlantic climb after 70 days at sea, but there's a
point where a change of clothes becomes a necessity.
Right, this is where I leave you to go and prepare my little sachet of powder.
Yes, Christmas and its foie gras, fillet of duck breast and chocolates are over.
We’ve pretty much wolfed all that down but boy was it good! And fortunately
there is another bag of food for New Year's Eve. How many days away is that?
Michèle”
Kate Jennings
Expression.
P.O. Box 26,
Dartmouth,
DEVON.
TQ6 0YG
United Kingdom
+44 (0)7795 116699
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