16.02.2009
http://media.pumaoceanracing.com
PUMA LEG 5 Day 3 - These boats get angry when they go fast
To anyone at Volvo Ocean Race headquarters. Before I get into my daily
ritual I have a request. Could you please consider starting us in a
weather window that doesn't knock our socks off for the first few days of
a 12,300 mile leg? I know this may be a lot to ask, but dear lord, the
last couple days have been stressful. On the minds and the bodies and the
boats! I know, I know, this can't happen but it sounded good anyway.
Now on to the fine ship. I think our average wind speed so far this leg
has been in the mid 20's and we peaked out at 44 knots while reaching
through a small group of islands just south of Japan. That was fun.
Sitting down below staring at the computer making calls through the deck
com system as to what we should expect next with regards to wind strength
and direction all while navigating through a small gap in the islands and
stepping into the Kurishio Current (this part of the worlds Gulf Stream)
which runs at about four knots. Oh yes, in a pitch black night while
travelling at an average boat speed of 25 knots in bad seas! My dear
friend Sidney Gavignet (FRA) came off watch as we were entering the
islands and started to chuckle when he said "being a skipper at times like
these is a lot of fun isn't it?" We made it through and actually made some
nice gains on that three hour sched. Wild. hat period of time will make
it into the memoires some day.
We have a few nicked up bodies. Nothing major. Just some bumps and bruises
dealt by these vicious boats. They get angry when they go fast. And the
fleet has been fast since about five hours after the start.
We had to stop for a bit with steering problems yesterday, but as always
the boys on board got it all up and running again within an hour or so.
The problems included snapping a wheel in half when ploughing into the
bottom of a pretty gnarly wave, and a mechanical issue below decks with
the steering quadrant. A loss of about 15 miles over a couple hours, but a
small price to pay now that we have peace of mind that it is all fixed.
Funny thing with these boats. You build every part and piece as light as
it can be - and sometimes things break...go figure.
And now we are finally out into the Pacific. Sounds nice until you look at
a map and see how large the Pacific Ocean really is. After leaving the
cliffs of Japan we were escorted that morning by a very playful family of
dolphins for quite some time. I guess the romantic in me thinks that is a
sign. That our passage through the Pacific shall be swift and safe.
We shall see. Long way to go.
Kenny
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