21.12.2008
http://media.pumaoceanracing.com
The Crap Shoot has begun.
The Malacca Straits are doing what they were meant to do, narrowing the
fleet down into a funnel and slowing us down, generally making life as
frustrating and unpredictable as possible. Done deal.
The leg has progressed and I have to admit that I’m really pleased with
how we have chipped back after an average (at best) first half of our Bay
of Bengal trip. Coming into the corner of Sumatra we created a plan and
followed E3 around the corner in fourth. As day broke we were greeted
with a very wide tide line and as much bizarre stuff in the water as I
have ever seen. One black cloud came through and I am not sure if it was
the cloud that got E3 or stuff in the water but we put them back pretty
nicely to move into third. Chipping away. We kept working hard to get to
the north and paid for that mileage early, but later in the day the
strategy paid as well. Telefonica Blue tacked out of their southern
position to come all the way out to us and tacked on our line only three
miles away. Again, we were pretty pleased since about three days earlier
they were about 60 miles away.
The team pressed hard through last night and the expected breeze built and
big right shift finally came through. We squeaked past T-Blue into second
and put some serious miles on the rest of the fleet. Let’s go get E4!
And that is where the fairy tail came to a (hopefully temporary)
screeching halt. We have parked about 30 miles off the Malaysian coast
and watched the boats sail up behind us including E3 who is about a mile
away. T-Blue got back around us and we are completely drifting as we
speak. Amazingly, E4 never has really gotten reeled in by their own
personal "glass off" of no wind, not yet anyway. My guess is that all of
our times will come at some point...
So now we roll some craps. Who will get the little zephyr first to launch
them away from the pack? Who can sustain just a hair more wind-pressure
then the others? Many times it is in the hands of the wind gods. But you
have to make your own luck and it is time that "il mostro" made some light
air luck.
On board spirits are generally good. The "Great Plastic Fork Ordeal" has
run its course and we are down to our last four and even they are in dire
straights. But somehow we will survive.
We keep getting great notes from our families who have arrived in
Singapore, all saying that we will love it there. A bit of a break for
weary bones I can tell you that. My daughter Tory already sent me a "to
do" list that is supposedly "partial". Big plans for us she said. Well I
can speak for the entire team that we can't wait to get to shore,
hopefully with a hard earned solid result in our pocket as well. That
would make for a much more enjoyable Christmas that’s for sure.
- Kenny
For more information on Puma Ocean Racing, please contact:
Bridgid Murphy or Kate Fairclough
PUMA Ocean Racing
Tel: +1 978 996 5155 or +44 7827 277 517
bridgid.murphy@puma.com or kate.fairclough@puma.com
|
