01.02.2008
Approaching the Fernando de Noronha gateway
It is hard to envisage any big upsets when sailing in an established tradewind
breeze, and this consistency rather seems to have clinched the deal with Michèle
and Dominique. Temenos II has managed to stretch out its lead over Mutua
Madrilena in the past 24 hours, the Spanish boat now some 96 miles astern.
The wind has shifted round again today, the more favourable breeze now enabling
the monohull to lengthen her stride and home in on the gateway of Fernando de
Noronha, which it should reach later this afternoon at this fast pace. The two
co-skippers are paying close attention to the latest evolutions in the Doldrums
and the latter promises to be fairly inactive. Intriguingly, the current
forecast shows a glimpse of a way out.
As Temenos II makes northing, now less than 300 miles from the equator, the heat
is becoming increasingly stifling aboard. With 35°C down below, the little fan
can do little for the two sailors and right now there is little evidence of rain
clouds on the horizon.
“We were slowed for a good while upwind yesterday, but the wind has now become
more favourable and we've been able to ease the sheets again" recounted
Dominique when contacted at the start of the afternoon. “It's straight up now as
far as the Doldrums! We should make it there in 2 days time. Given the current
grib files, it will be fairly easy to get through but all that could still
change. The following climb promises to be complicated with the tradewinds very
far North, which means we won't be able to make a direct course.
We’re baking hot and we can’t get any air running through the boat by opening
the hatch as it’s wet on deck. The seas are well organised but it reindexs a
tradewind sea so it's quite built up. It’s like an oven. Our little fan is
stirring up the hot air, which effectively means that it serves the same purpose
as a hair dryer! When the time comes to charge the batteries, we become
completely liquefied as the engine heats things up a vast amount. It’s a bit
like having a boiler in the middle of the boat. We're drinking 10 litres of
water, which we get from the desalinator each day.”
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