By Brian Hancock
Pen Duick VI is putting the pedal to the metal and have taken off the hand brake. They are in a good groove and rocketing along in search of more wind. Marie Tabarly has her father’s blood in her veins and is using that juice to get well ahead on the second leg of the McIntyre Ocean Globe race. A strong southwesterly wind is helping, and for now I see nothing but good times ahead, both for Marie and her crew, and also for Translated 9 who are leading in the Flyer Class and Triana who are leading in the Adventure Class. So far it’s all good. And not to put to much of a fine point on it but something must have piss*ed off Ms Tabarly off because she is going all hell bent for leather. I hope that her beautiful boat can manage her mood and the conditions. That’s a joke by the way. I know that they are up for it.
The outlaws on Outlaw seem to have some decent wind albeit a little less than what the rest of the fleet are experiencing, but things change quickly in that part of the world. Very quickly. There are squalls that come that in are like your grandmother on a Sunday afternoon after a few glasses of wine (I loved both my grandmothers. Never met or knew my grandfathers. I think that they were one and done and hit the road), but I digress (ADHD). It’s a bit like yacht racing. You takes your chances, and well here I am and I’m happy.
Maiden seem to have found some good breeze and hit a new top speed of 20.6 knots with their onboard Doctor Kate at the helm. I thought that doctors were supposed to be cautious in general, but I guess that I was wrong. Go Maiden; that’s the best way to eat up the miles and win a race.
There is a great race going on mid-fleet which we/I often forget (and I am sorry about that) between Galiana WithSecure, Outlaw and Erika. Only 25 miles separate them. And they are all in good wind and just trucking along getting the job done.
Neptune has arrived in Port Elizabeth and will be sorting their rudder problems and hopefully will soon be on their way (fingers crossed while the South Africans on Sterna are buggering around just south of Cape Agulhas after a delayed start out of Cape Town. I think that they were just hanging back to enjoy the fun a festivities of the Rugby World Cup (Ok that’s my last reference to rugby – but it was a great win for SA).
I don’t see too many potholes in the way for the rest of the fleet. Galiana WithSecure and Outlaw are, in my opinion which is worth less than a moldy cheese sandwich on a hot afternoon, are set up for a good ride, but they must be getting soaked from that southerly wind that is blowing directly off Antarctica. Fun times, and that’s coming from me writing this in a very chilly Massachusetts, but at least I am dry, and warm.
