Eleanda - Day 16

Monday 5th December 2011   The Skipper – As we approach St Lucia   Late yesterday afternoon, with squalls all round us but none in our path, the wind died. For more than 30 minutes our speed dropped to under 5 knots in a wind from astern of less than 8 knots. The forecast showed that no improvement was likely in the next 24 hours. With only 270 miles to St Lucia, at 18h45 we started the engine. Now we were on penalty time but travelling at close to 10 knots and so through the night and into Monday. Around 11h00 this morning the wind picked up, now from the south east. We stopped the engine, as with this wind direction we can reach with the wind on the beam, managing 6 - 8 knots as the wind fluctuated 8 – 12 knots. How long it will last we don’t know and still. read more...

Eleanda - Day 17

Tuesday 6th December 2011   The Skipper – At last, arrival and this is the final diary   Eleanda is under engine, no sails out, wind speed less than 5 knots SE.   232h40 Monday      ARC Finish Line, this is Eleanda, Over                                  Eleanda, ARC Finish Line, Go ahead, Over                                  ARC Finish Line, Eleanda, 5 miles from Pigeon Island, ETA 00h30 Eleanda, ARC Finish Line, Thank you,. read more...

Eleanda - Day 15

Sunday 4th December 2011   The Skipper – Eleanda overtakes Geronimo, the Swan 651, to go 6th   The ARC office server went off the air yesterday afternoon and no requests for updated position reports were answered.  We were on tenterhooks.  Where were we?  Were we the overtaker or being overtaken?  At last the ARC information woke up at 11h00 GMT today and we were emailed the 08h00 report.  I worked my way down the list.  1st to 5th were unchanged but then, 6th?  It was Eleanda up from 7th, but otherwise down 3 to 35th overall, having overtaken and now one ahead of Geronimo, the Swan 651 we have been chasing for days.  I have tried to calculate our handicap advantage.  For the 2,800 mile ARC distance, Geronimo, a faster longer. read more...

Eleanda - Day 14

Saturday 3rd December 2011   The Skipper – St Lucia on Tuesday, under 450 miles to go   Squalls – now we’ve felt rather than seen one!  Last night at about midnight, with Conor on watch and Bill turning in to be replaced by Antonia, they heard the rain on the water as the wind speed rose to the mid twenties.  As the blinding rain struck, the wind increased further to more than 30 knots, but still from astern.  Conor furled the genoa.  The noise of torrential rain on the cabin roof and on the decks woke the rest of us, rushing to close the hatches.  Within seconds, Conor and Bill were totally soaked.  Twenty minutes later everything was back to normal with the genoa once more unfurled and flying.  Risks?  Tearing a sail. read more...

Eleanda - Day 13

Friday 2nd December 2011   The Skipper – St Lucia in our sights, just over 600 miles to go   200 miles in a day yesterday and a momentary speed record for Eleanda of 14.6 knots last night.  Cap that!  Well yes we can just about, as I can report the distance run from 12h00 1st December GMT -2 to 11h00 2nd December GMT-3 was 203.2, an average speed of 8.47 knots.  So I have not claimed for the hidden hour!  Eleanda only gets into her stride on a run with the wind well over 20 knots and we have had just that for the last two or three days.  What’s more, it looks like continuing to Sunday, although the wind speeds will start to decline slowly.  The no wind hole is moving around.  I have adjusted and shortened our course by turning. read more...