LEG 5 SO FAR

Leg 4 has changed the race completely. Vandal has extended its lead to
24 hrs. We have confirmed our 2nd position cause Velocity Girl finished
about 24 hrs after Home of Jazz. The differences are so big that it
looks rather unlikely to change. But you never know in very light airs.
After the start of leg 5 we had good winds until just past Dover. Harry
anchored in a nice spot: just on top of the entrance to the Channel
Tunnel, really close to the shore in 12 meters water, to avoid the
current which would set us backwards. We stayed at the anchor from 11am
to 4pm. In light Werly winds we made it (finally) past Dungeness. During
the night a nice breeze picked up and we rounded Beachy Head early this
morning.
Today again calms weather in the forecast. We cant anchor where we are
now (too deep), so we hope that the breeze will stay for a while.
All well on board of Home of Jazz.

LERWICK TO LOWESTOFT

We started very early in the morning and could hoist the spinaker to make easy meiles to the south. When the wind dropped we knew that it would not soon come back since a big area of high pressure was directly on the race course. The actual wind was often significantly different from the grib files.

Not easy to find the right way through the High. Richard and Sharon decided to go off on a flyer by heading SE to go around the High. They went as far out as the Norwegian coast. This very difficult option did not really work out for them, so we could confirm our 2nd position in the (unofficial) VQ32 class. After several long periods without any wind at all the wind finally went West.

For the final push the tide took us up to great Yarmouth, but the tide turned against us before we could get to Lowesoft. The last 10 miles took almost 6 hours. We had to tack upwind and against the current. To get out of the current as much as possible we went really close to the shore. We went so close that we could speak to the sunseekers on the beach.

This leg has resulted in huge gaps between the competitors. For the fifth and last leg the wheather looks very light again. It will be a tidal game. Play it right and you can win significantly. It will be important to try and not make any major mistakes with the tide and to keep the focus on racing in these very light conditions.

NORTHERLY WIND

The strong northerly wind has gone. Some of our competitors must have
made huge gains in tuff condiions (cold!) The NW-erly that we have had
during the first day of leg 4 is now about to die out and we expect
calms in the afternoon. Tactical this will be a crucial part of the
race. Who will get to the new wind first, and how. Acccoridng to the
routing suggestions by Expedition software, we have taken a slightly
westerly coarse to be in a better position. I will get a new grib file
now to see if there are changes in the forecast.

PICTURES LEG 2 AND 3

In Lerwick we now have a proper network connection and I am now uploading pictures. Hester and Janneke came over to Lerwick. Great! They are staying with Raewyn, Leslies wife. Still a pretty cold stiff breeze from the north. But during the next leg the wind will die out and we will have long calms. Big party in Lerwick!  

LERWICK

The wind veered from SW to W and NW when we rounded Muckle Flugga and picked up to 30-36 knots. This made for spectacular fast sailing around this magnificent headland in bright evening sunshine. After the gybe we were down to 2 reefs and a jib to protect the damaged main a bit. Still we were doing double digits all the time, max 15,6. Really long surfs down to Noss Head where we had to go upwind towards the finishline in Lerwick sound. Rather cold with only 8 degrees and 35 kts on the noze.

In Lerwick the sailmaker (Tommy) has immediately stitched the main. What a great service of Tommy, the same guy that helped us back in 1993.

BARRA

Yesterday we had diner in the Hotel with approx 125 other sailors. Best
day in the year for the hotel I guess. Today: shopping, finalize repair
of mainsail, get a gribfile and prepare for take off tomorrow morning
early. Hopefully I can fit in some time to walk (or bike) around a bit
on this beautiful island. The weather is surprisingly good. Some boats
drifted off the anchor yesterday. rudder damage, pfff. We are lucky to
be on a mooring.
The internet connection in Barra Hotel is not very good. Too slow to
upload any pictures or videos, unfortunately. So that will have to wait
for Lerwick.
Looking ahead this will be a leg with rather light wind for some
periods. Stronger winds to the west will not reach us (as it looks now)
and later on we will have strong northerlies going down from Muckle
Flugga on the eastern shore of Shetland to the finish line.

BARRA

This morning we arrived at the finish line in Barra early in the
morning. Rainy and windy, and rather poor visibility. Found a mooring
(three boats on a mooring!) and went ashore for breakfast. Barra Hotel
has not changed since the last time I was here in 1993.
After the showers I started with the work on the main. There is no
sailmaker in Barra and we will have to repair the sail for the next leg,
starting in 48 hours. Tomorrow I will try to arrange a DHL delivery of
the dacron main to Lerwick.

MAINSAIL DAMAGE

This morning when I came out of my bunk I noticed the mail was
badly damaged. It will be difficult to repair on board. We will try to
apply some tape but that will not hold if wet/ Barra has no facilities
and no sailmaker. So this looks like a nasty one.

PREVIEW LEG 2

Leg 2 from Kinsale to Barra could be a shake out, just like in the RBI 1993 when 2/3 of the boats in class 6 did not make it and abandoned. The GRIBs show25 knots from the north. In reality you have to add 5 knots to adjust the gribs and another 5 kts (or more) for the venturi effect near the capes around Ireland. So I think this will be a bumpy ride, at least for the first 2 days or so. We will find out soon how this will work out.

DOWNWIND TO KINSALE

Very nice sailing indeed ! A pity though that this could not last long enough, because the tack was ripped off. I was a bit surprized because there seemed to be no good reason for this to happen. The sail did not collapse or open with a loud bang. It just ripped of under the load in 25-28kts of breeze.



and some more

KINSALE

Yesterday I managed to get the damaged heavy gennaker to the sailmaker in Cork to repair and reinforce the tack. All kind of small jubs had to be done to the boat before the party at the Kinsale yachtclub started. We had diner with a large group. When the Dutch start singing we're in for heavy weather.
Richard (VQ32 Velocity Girl) is still suffering from his back. Woody (VQ32 Vandal) is still stugling with an infection to his ear (small fever, antibiotics, painkillers, pfff). This is to remind that we have to look after ourselves very well.
Today the sailmaker brought us the repaired gennaker. They have been working overnight to repair loads of damaged headsails. So now we can relax a bit.Tonight there will be a bbq. A short nap, and then to the starting line at 02.40.

first leg

after an exciting start where i almost hit the pin end mark, we had a nice beat up to bisshop rock. We arrived there in exactely at the same tima as vandal. Velocity girl was way out in front of us. downwind to ireland in a building breeze with the baro falling. In 25 knots of breeze the tack of the asymetrical suddrnly was blown out without any warning. So we were down to white sails. Speed max 16.6 in a surf gooze winged. Approaching ireland the wind dropped and disappeared completely just a few miles before the finishline. We rowed accross the line at 02.45 just 1,5 mile behind velocity girl who broke their spi pole. 7andal as first in, well done. Gennaker will be repaired by tomorrow midday, so now a will relax abit, clean up and get some more sleep before we will start the next leg upwond to barra.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Today is Harry's birthday! We will cerebrate this evening at the RWYC party. On his birthday I am granting  him al sorts of privileges normally not given to co-skippers. He still threatens to start a co-skippers union though.

THREE IN A ROW

For the first time ever we have the three boats together in a row. Great! Today more jobs again: bought a new V-belt for the second alternator (thank you Woody for giving me a ride to the car parts shop), broken sheave in the organiser, Code0 was delivered after the repair in the afternoon and we went for a short test sail in Plymouth sound. Beatiful weather and everybody is in a good mood.

HARRY FIDDLING DOWNWIND

Even when at sea Harry keeps up his left hand skills. Light as a fether.

IJMUIDEN DARTMOUTH

We were lucky to have a fair breeze from the NE to bring the boat towards Plymouth. The wind was between 25 and 34 knots for over a day. Dead downwind, but still fast enough. At night I had a really terrible watch. Every light I saw was difficult in interpret. On top off that we managed to skirt the unlit windmill park off Margate. It was not on the latest map. Suddenly I saw a huge concrete structure at 90 degrees while sailing over 10 knots downwind. Scary stuff.

JOB LIST

As usual the job list is never ending. Repaired the boom outhaul, Code0 to sailmaker to repair the blown out top, repair and replace port navlight, install a battery bank cross over, buy extra large fenders for Barra anchoring, check ground tackles, protective tape on sails, stow gear, have drinks with everyone, make new friends, again to the chandler. It is good that there will come an end to this at the starting line of the race.

DARTMOUTH FIRE

After having lunch in the Green Dragon, the pub owned by the famous Ostar veteran Peter Crowter, we walked back to Dartmouth and found out that there was a big fire in the towncentre. A number of the oldest buildings of Dartmout completely burned down, including the Thai restaurant where we had dinner the night before. We must have been one of the last customers. There were no personal injuries, but this surely is a big loss for Dartmouth.

READY TO GO

Last few days we have been very busy to get everything ready for the race. We did not pass all safety test in one go, because the anchor chain was not attached to the anchor, and because we did not have an independent power source for the backup navigation lights. We fixed all that now, and we just passed the test today, so we are ready now.