01.12.2008
A gentle entry into the 'roaring' forties
Not too cold, not too much wind and not too big a sea yet, the entry into
the 'roaring' forties is proving rather gentle. The fleet has made its way
into the southern seas and the pace is picking up. With the downwind
conditions dishing up in excess of 25 knots of breeze, the speedos are
rising again, with the surf pushing them along at top speeds of over 20
knots.
Even though the first boats have escaped the high pressure of Saint Helena,
its shadow still looms. As such, whilst the first half of the fleet is now
making headway along 40 degrees south, just a shade further north the zone
of high pressure is shifting eastwards with the boats, forcing them to
plunge southwards to escape the windless latitudes. Naturally this is
proving to be a real dilemma for the skippers as this tack to the south into
stronger wind, is taking them away from the course which leads to the ice
gate beneath the Cape of Good Hope.
Contacted at 1630 hours, the skipper had just put in a gybe which was
"fairly sporty in 23 knots of wind". As the wind fills, Dominique admitted
that he was having to secure manoeuvres now. "A big swell has kicked up and
there's no doubt you can feel the presence of the south now". Another
distinctive sign of the southern seas which is very familiar to sailors is
the "heavier, denser" wind. This is a sensation substantiated by Dominique:
"The air is denser; the wind speed that the instruments are indicating is a
little above the reality, which can be explained by the density of the air,
the pressure per square millimetre of the air mass being higher in these
very cold zones."
In the skies above the boats, the birds, which are numerous along these
latitudes, have put in an appearance again. "I've seen a fair amount of
small petrels and three albatross, which haven't attached themselves to the
boat, so I don't yet have my appointed companions for the time being."
Since yesterday, the boats have been putting in a series of gybes,
benefiting from the slight rotations in the wind to try to make gains along
the course. "The small band of air in which we're sailing at the moment, is
evacuating northwards. I'm going to try to follow it for a little while to
avoid getting caught by the large, windless centre of the low further south.
From tomorrow onwards we should have less wind, but those out the front
should hang onto it for longer. A low is forecast mid-week, which is likely
to enable us to make up a bit of ground. We can also expect a series of
concertinaing of the fleet as each of the lows home in on us. It's forecast
to be quite blowy so I've opted to be fairly north so I don't get trapped
beneath the ice gate as the wind drops down."
Late this afternoon, Dominique was able to contact Thomas Coville who is
currently attempting a round the world record aboard his multihull. Skippers
sailing in the same zone passed within around twenty miles without seeing
each other. And for those who wonder what two skippers can say to each other
in the forties: "it was nice to hear Thomas. He sounded in good shape and we
talked about the Saint Helena High which has caused him to lose quite a lot
of time too."
Translated by Kate Jennings - Expression
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