Champagne Hippy - Day 9 - in the trades

Finally on day 9 we start to get in to the trades proper. windspeed is up in the 20's from the NE and the boat speed is getting in to the low teens now, heading pretty much straight down the rhumb line towards St Lucia.We have passed several smaller boats over the past couple of days and wonder if they are the tail enders of the ARC+ fleet or just cruisers making the most of the company to cross to the Caribbean.We are expecting the breeze to increase steadily over the next 24 hours but not too much, so we should have pretty good, fast sailing for the rest of the crossing.Yesterday we were building some more flooring in the crew areas as well as fitting in some AC vents in the cabins and more woodwork.One generator is down. We think the intake is blocked with something so we will wait. read more...

Champagne Hippy - Day 6 - diesel maker almost fixed

Day 6 onboard Champagne Hippy and the work is continuing. we had some shower issues so we have been dealing with them. Nick almost has the diesel maker working now and we hope to have that up and running tonight :-)We cut some floor for the crew cabin and that is now fitted so there is now no longer a big hole in to the bilge to fall into.The weather is getting hot with everyone fighting for some shade under the bimini. The problem is that first thing the sun is low in the sky but still very hot - 1st world problem i guess!We have been making good progress through the fleet after our late start and thoughts are with those in the racing divisions who cannot use their engines and have had to get through the light patch the hard way.Anyway, the icemaker is churning out the ice, the beers. read more...

Champagne Hippy - Day 5 - Flat calm

The weather is being very unseasonal with no sign still of the trade winds. The sun is shining and we are motoring along in 2-5kts of wind. We are hunting for the trades which typically blow a steady 20-25kts day and night to take us all the way to the Caribbean.The grib weather files show there is the beginning of some wind to the south west which is why I am happy being more towards the southern side of the fleet. Looking at the position reports it looks as though most people in the cruising division are motoring at around 7-8 knots. The race is on to find the wind as none of us can motor all the way there.Hopefully by tomorrow night (Friday) we should start to feel the beginning of the trades which should then slowly increase and establish themselves.Life on Champagne Hippy is good.. read more...

Champagne Hippy - Incredible that we even made it to the start

4 days in to the ARC 2019 and it still seems incredible that Champagne Hippy even made it this far.A bit of history for those who don't know about the boat - she was launched in 2014 as Polina Star III. There were issues with the keel right from the start and one year later the bottom of the boat parted company form the hull. The keel matrix had completely failed and the 23 ton keel, complete with the keel stub broke off when the boat was sailing in the Mediterranean. Very quickly the boat capsized and sank in 40m of water where she lay for 3 months.She was salvaged and eventually bought by 4 brothers from Essex who happened to own a boatyard (Essex Marina and Boats.co.uk).One of the brothers, Nick took on the project after buying the hull from the insurers and exactly a year later, with. read more...