Jeremy's First Transatlantic Yacht Race

Yes, we ‘finished’ at 10am local time yesterday.  Just a couple of spinnaker broaches by the skipper as we sat on the rail around the ‘airport island’ then a final brief upwind tack to the line.  Saw the last dawn, which was the best, after a steady night watch with the spinnaker. Lush Green Grenada soon came into sight. I even somehow managed a quick shower before arrival! Greeted by RORC and a very welcome crate of beer! Conclusion? A marathon in warmth and fair winds, so relatively easy, with a max 4m swell (less than imagined), excellent spinnaker training for the helm and a comfortable sized yacht and crew to have the experience with. AND we got along just fine!!  Next? Fastnet. A totally different type of sailing challenge.  Fair winds.  (The blog will continue with highlights of the Grenadines and then volunteering & Mera Peak climb in Nepal.)

  After a steady night watch of two personal helmings with just the stars (and a slither of new moon), I was rudely awoken at 9am by much crashing of feet and ropes above my head near the bow. A wet squall had come in with 30knots and the other watch were rapidly dropping the spinnaker. But the halyard somehow slipped so there was then extra commotion and noise. As we came on deck, I had a first time in the pit to help reset to a poled foresail. This was followed by replacement of the port jib halyard which had frayed, using a fine feeder thread (mousing line) to pull it back through the mast. A rare and enjoyable trip to the foredeck for me. The poled forseail is working well with the variable 20-28 knots we have had this unusually cloudy morning after the squall. (These often occur in the early morning with the changes in air pressure.) Our watch's young lad then broke the speed record surfing a gust of wind at 12.79 knots, much to his delight. The hot sun is out again as o...

  It's 4pm GMT (1pm local) and it's hot, hot, hot! Too hot to lie in my cabin, so sat comfortably in central leather suite with sweated forehead. The other watch is sat in full sun with polyester UV protective hoodies (my preference) or sun creamed to the hilt with hat and just a lifejacket. All day the two watches have been competing for fastest surfing speed (around 12knots) on the moderate swell with a steady broad reach wind of 20-25knots. I managed 11.4 and ten lots of 10 knots in 30 minutes which I thoroughly enjoyed, AND all in the right direction! We are on a more southerly gybe all day to keep South of Barbados tomorrow and to spare us a gybe in the dark tonight (we'll gybe at dusk). All remain well and happy. Grenada feels within touching distance - 2 more nights and less than 48 hours away. Last night was another warm night of moonless darkness with some clouds and minor squalls which kept us all on our toes when helming, and two gybes. The spinnaker sheet ...

  At last we started moving again yesterday, covering 156 miles in 24 hours compared to typically 120 the previous 3 days. And wind is due build further tomorrow to a satisfying 18-20 knots to hopefully blow us home for Wednesday morning. We have also gone from 5th to 4th! It's 5am now, and we just had the rare experience of a vortex under a big cloud. This caused sudden strong anti-clockwise winds blowing us further and further to port (left) until we had turned about 300 degrees and faced North, and then more gradually further round to our previous Westerly course. We are only 4 degrees North of Grenada now as we follow the trade wind and equatorial current to the Caribbean. It has been very hot in the afternoon but today brought much more light cloud with associated relief in the direct heat of the sun. Our watch now rises at dawn (because we have stayed with GMT as we cross)  so we have a very pleasant morning before the strength of the sun kicks in. Porridge includ...

  2.30am here. It's been a v slow day with desperation for the pick up in wind: hoped for tomorrow lunchtime. But we did have the pleasure of dolphins all morning, with a few really high jumps! And a few white tailed boobies. Yes, the real name of a sea bird. Won a chess game vs computer at 1500 on Jasper's phone, more by luck than skill. Lunch was a bowl of Spanish omelette, and supper vegetable chow mein and rice, tho tinned fruit and cream for desserts has now appeared. Snack box now lacking so each dipping into and sharing our reserves e.g. biscuits! Porridge yesterday with a little Biscoff and honey was a great change for breakfast. And have discovered Biscoff butties as back up 'snack!! Am sleeping well and not tired generally. Bunk is comfortable tho now a little hot, but not stifling, and we open the vents in the daytime since so sedentary. We just close them for gybing. No moon now, new moon due. We rise just after dawn which is a lovely cool time of day w...

  I wish I could say that we were cruising with SPEED but sadly, although contradictorally  enjoyably so, we are cruising in the pleasure boat sense!! We have continued a steady but very slow 5-6 knots, grinding our way gradually nearer to Grenada (1174 miles) but also gradually further South too into warm tropical weather, trying  to find the higher trade winds. At least we have a knot of tide too! The warmth is confusing at night on deck; it seems difficult to get the clothing right when sitting for 4 hours! And it is a bit sticky down below, certainly T shirt only in bunk, or less, but not yet unpleasantly hot, other than in full sun at midday, but our UV protection gear works well and we all strive to maintain our hydration. We have lots of spare fresh water, so off loaded some of its weight by having very welcome, on deck, cold showers yesterday!! Felt great to be clean again with fluffy non itchy hair! And, of course, all good fun. Followed by lovely 'me time'...

  Unusually I haven't slept this afternoon; enjoying instead, to my surprise, listening to Deborah  Meaden on Desert Island Discs, and her message of enjoying all that you have: not money ( of which she has many million)  but the special people in your life. I am very fortunate in that regard too. We finally have the ( largest) spinnaker up again since dawn yesterday, as the squalls and choppy heavier wind settles. Sadly we also have only light winds of 10knots so are only doing 6knots, and 140 miles per day. With Grenada 1400 miles away! But it is forecast to pick up in 2-3 days and then with luck we'll race home. Probably in fifth and last place but that isn't really an issue for any of us. Our handicap might just lift us up the order a bit. Still, lots practice of handling a spinnaker in light winds, which is great experience and it becomes more intuitive. Also easier to rest, sleep, and enjoy the now rising temperatures without rain, jumpers and shoes! Last of the fre...

  We are in a tropical wave (apparently). Falling pressure (1030 to 1023 but now climbing again). Hence the consistently high wind speeds 20-30 knots, peaking at 37, and rather disturbed sea state. Should pass by tomorrow, our half way day mark which is already raising spirits. Not that they are low; everyone is remarkably upbeat and happy.  Highlights of past 48hrs: two flying fish in cockpit, rapidly tossed back. Pancakes with lemon juice/Biscoff. Egg and bacon sandwiches (my cooking!). Tiny (dead) baby squid on deck. Sam going even faster at 11.8 knots. Emails reaching the blog! Sleeping well and enjoying Desert Island Discs, from my new JLab GO Air Sport wireless headphones from Gatwick for £25, as a 2pm treat! Lows? Small cut to thumb (mine) from squashing a can. Almost dropping headtorch down loo ('heads') - me again. Some back pain last night from stooping at the helm I think, fortunately eased v quickly. Temperature is slowly rising though still jumper and waterp...

  It is hard to believe it is Friday already! We have 2032 miles to go, and are predicted to arrive on Tuesday 24th. It certainly feels like a marathon. We are firmly into our routines, which everyone seems to have adjusted to. Our shift rises at 10am to the pleasure of sunlight and breakfast. The warmth is perfect and the sea is kind with a rolling swell of 2 metres. The wind is steady now at 20-25knots which pushes us along at a steady 8knots and permits enjoyable but not taxing helming. We have lunch then enjoy a rest 2-5pm without a compulsion to sleep. Arising again at 5pm we have a shared 2 hours of both watches so that we socialise, play games and share supper as the sun sets. The evening watch is very dark now as the moon rises about 10pm, which creates more challenging helming. We have 30 minute turns during our watch of 5 of us. We then try to sleep 10-2 in preparation for the tiring shift from 2-6am, though that gets easier each night. The past two nights have seen s...

(Delay in posting due to communication issue)   72 hours in. After a very calm day yesterday with light winds and struggling to reach 5 knots, the wind built in the night to mid 20's. We managed to broach twice before changing the spinaker to a poled foresail. Broaching tests the nerves since the wind catches the main sail side on and risks rolling the boat. This is eased by urgently releasing the vang which pulls the boom down tight; this action dumps the wind out of the main sail ( which is also held in place by a preventer to prevent the boom swinging wildly across the cockpit). We are now comfortably sailing downwind in 17-20 knots at 7-8 knots with some beautiful ocean swell of about 4m depth at times; we get a little bit of surfing from this but we are still quite heavy. It concentrates the mind at the helm since it can throw the stern sideways but the experience and satisfaction is very enjoyable. The sea is glistening and a very deep blue with a few white horses but no ...

Copied from an email from Jeremy to me today having not received any news since day 2. However I have followed the race by going to the RORC site and following the link to the race 'RORC Transatlantic race 2023.'   All good here. Lovely morning of two helmings including 10knots, tasty wrap lunch and first wet wipes wash in 6 days ! Feels like a long way but half way is within sight. 48hrs away. Same sail set up with no spinnaker cos wind rarely below 20knots and swell kicking us around. Helming improving: I was even given responsibility for helming, in pitch black, through a gybe with skipper on foredeck moving the pole for the foresail. Really quite tricky. 

 32hrs in: last 4G signal as we pass La Palma! Enjoyed views of Tenerife’s high snow topped volcano all day as we calmly passed at 8kts quite heavily laden in pleasant  sunshine. Steady start behind the awesome trimarans with a few gybes between the islands. Sleeping well, with a great pillow, between the shifts. Lots of expert-guided helming as I learn to fly the spinnaker (kite) at sea. All very happy! 

 

After a relaxing day yesterday we head for our start at 2.10pm. No more showers for 16 days. 2 litres of fresh water each. Hot bunking with our alternating four hour shifts and a shared shift 4-8pm to congregate and mix.  We feel a good group. I wonder how we will manage the heat and the squalls. It seems unlikely we will see a storm or low pressure since the westerly trade winds are so set in their ways.  24hrs to clear the Canary Islands then Go West! 

We 10, as it turns out, are a varied bunch from 23 to 58yrs: A young Irish skipper, with three accomplices of varying experience (all doing their Ocean Yacht-master course), five more paying crew & a free-riding very experienced guest. 6:4 male:female. And British other than an Irishman, Canadian, German and an American! It’s been a very social two days with bars, meals out, a RORC’ cheese & wine gathering and boat housekeeping. It’s a balmy sunny 23o with cool evenings. Sailing tomorrow….

  The race starts this Sunday, 8th January 2023 from Lanzarote. As I fly away from the wintry weather, strikes & NHS crises I feel privileged to have this time escaping to the wilds of nature. I feel fit & prepared having trained for the Weymouth half Ironman in September & just recovered from one of the lousy viruses circulating amongst us all.  Saying goodbye to loved ones heavily reinforces ‘being safe’, which any sailor knows is rule number 1. Check your life jacket. Clip on. And check others are clipped on too.  Throwing 10-12 unknown to each other, sleep deprived, amateurs together in a confined moving wet hot space for 18 days is the next challenge! We will vary hugely in experience & to some degree agendas; I have previously found the multinationalism very interesting and inspiring.  We all meet for the first time tonight, though I have spoken to and arranged good value local shared accommodation with a Canadian osteopath and a German business...