23 January 2008
Under spinnaker once more
It’s been a long time since the large spinnaker has been hauled out of the sail
locker aboard Temenos II. However, the series of helming sessions during the
descent of the Atlantic, with Michèle and Dominique transformed into helming
metronomes, are still in the back of our minds. The scene is repeating itself
now and under large spinnaker since this morning, the two co-skippers are
shortening their watches in order to link together some demanding helming
sessions with as much freshness as possible.
Still battling hard with Mutua Madrilena, Dominique was hoping during today's
radio session, to find a way out a little sooner than their Spanish homologue
thanks to their E'ly separation. However, for the time being, it isn’t the exit
but rather the entry into this high pressure which the sailors are more
concerned about. From tomorrow the situation will become more complicated. Like
Hugo Boss ahead of them, the two boats will encounter light winds, which will
slow their progress, making things far from restful as Dominique explains. “The
wind is easing and the barometer is climbing so we’re gradually going to stumble
in the high pressure. We hope to be able to get out of it as quickly as possible
by passing to the East of it. We should reindex under spinnaker in the light
winds but there is likely to be a fair number of manoeuvres and trimming in
store so conditions won’t be exactly relaxing.”
Contacted later this afternoon, Michèle confirmed this: “The wind has continued
to shift round and we made a number of sail changes overnight, ending up sailing
under spinnaker. The wind is gusting to 25 knots so we are having to reindex on
our guard with so much sail aloft. The seas are fairly organised, which is
enabling us to do a spot of surfing, but they are also fairly short and the boat
is burying into the waves quite a lot, which isn't too pleasant.
The further up the Atlantic we go, the less wind we’ll have, the breeze
beginning to ease off from this evening.
We have said goodbye to the forties and the albatross and today three little new
birds came to see us! There are lots of little prawns in the cockpit, the
largest measuring 5 millimetres. I was clearing a bit of space amongst the
sheets when I spotted one, which was really struggling for life and I simply had
to pick it up very delicately and put it back in the sea.
In a corner of the cockpit we still have a mass of seaweed, which we freed from
the rudders in the fifties and I may well bring it back as a souvenir. We’re
keeping it in case we are lacking food over the last days of the race as we can
always make a salad out of it.” (laughs)
Message from Michèle
Temenos II is really enjoying itself today in what is a rather bottle green sea,
which contrasts with the limpid blue sky, which a few clouds are only now
beginning to mask.
Aboard we’re making pretty good speed, racking up an average of over 17 knots at
the latest ranking. Our steed is showing off its full potential and providing us
with training along the way.
We’re linking together the helming and the sheets as the waves are picking up.
As we’re getting in a bit of northing, the waves are abeam of us now, disrupting
the regular schedule we had at the start of the day a little. With each wave
Temenos II inevitably ends up on her side, which is why we’re clinging onto the
sheets, ready to ease them and haul them back on again if one of the wild surfs
looks like it's going to wipe us out: the boat is in command and we simply
obey...
We’ve already made two sail changes this morning, not to mention shaking out and
putting in reefs… After the more ‘tranquil’ days of late, it feels like a Monday
today and we are back at work after a long weekend beside the sea…
Cape Horn is far behind but still in our minds. I already think of the Deep
South with an air of nostalgia... how incorrigible we are!!
I had thought about bringing back a bottle of sea water from this magical place
in order to give my friends 'little glasses' of it. I forgot all about it
though, which is doubtless a sign. You can't bring snow back from Everest,
particularly in a plastic bottle. I'm ashamed of myself to have had such a
thought!
I don’t know how many days we’ve been away now. Time has stopped ticking by like
it does on earth, with its mass of calendars, timetables and other meetings, and
so much the better.
We’re continuing our race, trying to make as good speed as possible, not letting
a mere tenth of a knot slip by unnoticed and the finish line still firmly in our
sights. On the other hand though, I don't really want this to end. I'll have to
tune myself up and take a step back and assess all of this... it’s not easy
taking a step back though when you only have 18 metres to play with!"
Kate Jennings
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