Azores and Back Yacht Race 2011

After Sam White and Richard Raistricks efforts on the race to the Azores the race home will see Sam's first solo ocean race. The competion comprises some of the finest sailors in the UK and thanks to a great race here Sam is still well within sight of a podium finish. This is Yacht racing at its best and of course anything could happen in the next 1250 miles.

Sunday, 20 June 2010

The miles tick down quickly in the first day...

With the help of a 20 kts breeze up the chuff and a large swell from
the storms over on the norwegian coast the first day of leg 3 has been
quick and painless.
The intitial 100 miles was achieved in 12 hours from starting and
although the wind dropped off for a while this afternoon it is now
back up and we are enjoying the sailing. But not the constant drizzle!
Imagine the North sea on the bleakest day in winter, add 10 or 12
degrees to the temperature and that's the North sea in summer! Lovely!
Having said that we were guided along our way by a whale roughly a
third if the size of the boat earlier who seemed to be smiling at me!
Didn't know whales smiled but it seems they do when looking at a
soaking wet human looking back! Also the puffins make me laugh, they
look a little like a floating opposite of that gangly football player
Peter Crouch they are as misshaped as him but in the opposite sense!
Not to mention that when they realise we are headed for them at 10 kts
they flap everthing completly out of sequence to get out to the way!
(very Peter Crouch like!)

On the racing side I have no idea how we are doing, we seemed to have
had a great first few hours and appeared to gain loads on the other
boats near us at the start, but I have fallen into the trap of
thinking we were ahead if the fleet in the past, and we weren't! If
only we had access to the tracker!!

It would be nice if this wind would stay just about long enough to see
us to Lowestoft....

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