TO:
[email protected]SUBJECT:
2016-11-24 14.30 UTC Boat time
TEAM SANYA VO70
The Sanya is running around 18 knots and we are well over one third of the trip. Where shall I start describing the last day and night. Yesterday was beautiful sailing. We were running with the fractional, the J4 and the main hitting trip speed records around 30 knots of boat speed. It was amazing and the boat was showing of her power in nice Atlantic waves and gusty winds. But she was fickle, you really have to pay attention while driving. She will wipe you out if you are slacking on the wheel or main trim. But it was great, running the waves, hearing Sanya zooming and enjoying herself and a happy crew all around though some are starting to feel a little wear and tear as sleeping in a washing machine takes some getting used to. As for the drivers, our captain decided to add an extra challenge. As he puts it, you have to FEEL the boat. Well, this we did. The main processor for all equipment sensors decided to stop working. So a handheld GPS for the speed and an old fashioned
compass for the course is all the info we have outside at the moment since yesterday morning. Towards the evening yesterday some dolphins decided to say hello, which was beautiful as they were jumping next to the leeway side with sun going down in the background for good luck. We also decided that in the dark the setup was a bit too much power without anything but a compass. So around sundown we powered the boat down to a J2 and reefed main to go into the night. This seemed the right decision as later in the night we encountered a lot of showers with strange gusts and huge shifts. Adding to this it was pitch dark and raining. So without the instruments this was as people say "a challenge". We had some near hits with a crash gybe, which all ended ok. Everybody stayed cool, all was solved, no damage, but it is clear that without any instruments it gets hard within these circumstances. And we are looking at another such night, where the different drivers are challenged to kee
p up the speed and keep Sanya running in the game. But there are still laughs all around as one driver, who didn't duck in time, was slapped by a flying fish on the cheek. As you can imagine this leads to jokes the whole day, as today we are enjoying a moment of Caribbean sailing, the sun shines, people are drying out a bit, while the wind is still around 20+ knots and boat speeds around 18 knots. Life on the boat is starting to fall in its rhythm and all the sounds of the boat are getting familiar. The steer wheel is peeping, the water is running against the hull, the winches and the grinders are turning.. and life is beautiful on a VO70.
OBR a.i.
Mariette Koekoek