AZAB 2007 - Web Diary - Leg Two
Southerly 110 - "Star Dancer"
14 June
Chilling out in Ponta Delgada
Thursday morning and we have had four nights in Ponta Delgada. A few boats are still to arrive having been pushed way east and are fighting a head-wind to get here. We feel for them big-time. Jenny managed to change flights and flew out on Tuesday direct from Gatwick. She will be here for a week which is great. Robert flew back to Holland yesterday - a great friend and crewmate - we have some really great memories. Looking forward to John arriving Sunday. The Clube Naval de Ponta Delgada have been amazing hosts. They have kept a 24 hour watch from the clubhouse for every finisher and met them in a RIB and hooted whatever the hour as they cross the finish line. We have eaten very well at various restaurants - great food and the beers and wine are very cheap. Worried about fitness for the return leg! We have got to know many of the crews - from 'professional' racers to those who are cruising with race attitude. There is a great spirit across the boats in port. Some of the boats have repairs to make. One new J Boat (J122) has cracks around the keel resulting in factory engineers flying out tomorrow - we hope they can be repaired and ready in time for the Tuesday start. (Postscript – she had to be shipped home)
18 June
Ponta Delgada - Prize Giving and preparations for tomorrow
John flew in to join the boat yesterday and we all went to the dinner and prize giving last night. Race Briefing for the return leg took place at noon today and after a week of wind (and quite a lot of rain) the high pressure looks to be setting in with light winds for the start and the two following days! A slow start looks probable. Prize giving was fun and we were surprised to receive a good looking plaque from Clube Naval for coming 2nd in Class 3 on the Falmouth to Ponta Delgada leg! Fresh food shopping at the market this morning and a few things to sort this afternoon. Jenny is on a 0615 flight to Gatwick tomorrow morning and then race starts at 1300 UTC tomorrow.
20 June
38:26.14N 25:22.98W @1200UTC - A slow 24hrs
John and I are sweltering under a baking sun and no wind! We can still see San Miguel astern. The start went ok - beat to a mark to the East just over a mile from the start line. Most boats, including us, then turned towards the West end of the island. Shorter distance and less chance of a wind shadow under the Island Mountains in the East - BUT - it turned out to be a slow tough beat and then the NW wind died in the evening and we eventually cleared the island at 2300 hrs. We sailed well out from the Island but the boats on the inside did much better! So we are a bit frustrated and down and think the lighter boats are well ahead - Star Dancer needs good wind to get her going! We have 1104 n miles to our waypoint at the Lizard.
21 June
40:15.55N 23:35.77W @1200UTC - Put the kettle on!
Blogger John today -great 24 hrs spinnaker to make up for yesterday - 163 miles logged, poor visibility, cold and wet at times but wind. The beans do work - thanks for the tip all you landlubbers! Dolphins and a humpback at times to keep us company, otherwise highlights of day communications home and my catering so its still a Long and Winding Road…. tra la dee dee 955 miles to our Lizard waypoint.
22 June
41:53.09N 21:28.38W @ 1200 UTC – Spinnaker, spinnaker
Have a cosy group of yachts around us. Tamarind and Raparee are just astern - we have been keeping pace with Tamarind for the last two days. Then there is Carte Blanche just ahead and another unidentified yacht way over on our port beam. We flew the spinnaker for 34 hours up to dusk last night when the wind made us go to Genoa to keep the northern side of the direct course between Azores and Lizard Point. Overnight was nasty fog - as was yesterday - and radar watch was needed. We have had the spinnaker back up since 0630 this morning and making 5/6 knots. We have sailed 418 n miles and have 817 to go to our Lizard waypoint. More dolphins around the boat this morning - special moments.
23 June
43:39.30N 19:23.46W @1200 UTC - Still under spinnaker!
The boys are going well. Last 30 hours have been under out big red/gold spinnaker and she is becoming a friendly face - but she can always bite you if you don't treat her right! We are well north of the Rhumb line and have a number of boats around us for company.
We have sailed 554 miles after our four days at sea and have 688 to go to waypoint Lizard. We are well into our routines and neither of us are sure whether we prefer the 9pm - midnight and 3am - 6am or the midnight to 3am watch. We swap about each day. During the day we simply sail, eat and sleep with few worries in the world.
24 June
45:08.63N 016:32.65W @1200 UTC - A whale of a time
Whales everywhere this morning. Out for a Sunday stroll? One massive sperm whale was travelling at right angles to us and crossed our bow about 50/100 metres ahead. The big fella seemed to be unconcerned and just sent up spouts of water as he gracefully went on his way. The first one I saw was just a spout - half a mile away and a large spray whipped away by the wind. There was a squall line of clouds just ahead and the strange cloud of water made me put some reefing rolls in the genoa quick - to add to the 2 reefs already in the main. Only then did I realise it was a whale - still we needed the reef! We are beating hard to windward in 25knots of a northerly wind. Waiting and hoping it will go NW soon. We are pleased to be on the north side of the course. Gives us much better angles to sail if this keeps up and backs as predicted. Getting around the boat is difficult at these angles - but the sun is out and we are headed towards Falmouth at 6/7 knots. Our log for the 24 hrs to noon is 172 n miles. We have 540 to go to waypoint Lizard.
25 June
46:38.18N 13:29.11W @1200 UTC - Big seas and good progress
Starry seems to be loving these conditions. She has just sailed 183 n miles in the 24 hrs to 12 noon today. Three reefs in the main and a small genoa with big seas and winds ranging 25 to 35 knots. What is more our course is directly towards the Lizard which now lies 379 miles away. Wind is NNW and is forecast to stay there for the next 24 hrs decreasing slightly this evening. We are bouncing around and have to hold on hard in these seas - part baked baguette with corned beef coming up for lunch shortly - ideal in these conditions! Every so often the combination of waves and Star Dancer's speed sends a large wave soaking the cockpit. I had a big wave down my neck yesterday and got soaked - needed a change so got one of the few washes and change of clothes since we started! That's all for now - hard work this sailing in these conditions but progress is good.
26 June
48:05.49N 10:13.64W @1200UTC - Life at an angle
We have now spent the last two and half days sailing the same course with wind from the NNW and making great miles. New record for our 24 hour run - 186 n miles - beating yesterday! Forecast is for it to continue as a 5/6 backing to the West. We have very good wind - 25/30 knots the whole time and building occasionally more. After oversleeping at 0400 this morning I was greeted by John with "I've been dealing with a tanker and 40 knot wind while you slept!!!"
A more westerly wind would be great - we are not built to live in a washing machine where even the 'simple' tasks of life become a major effort straining muscles as we move about the boat. We seem to be in pretty good shape as far as the other class three boats are concerned. Right now the sun is shining, wind about 25knots and we are making 6/7 knots toward our Lizard waypoint which now stands 212 n miles away. The finish line is about 12 miles after the Lizard at the entrance to Falmouth.
27 June
49:05.90N 007:36.38W @ 0733UTC - Running home
Things are a bit tense here with 108 n miles to run to our Lizard waypoint. We have the genoa poled out in 25 knots of wind and sailing down the track nicely. Plymouth forecast this morning is wind West or South West 4 or 5 increasing 6 or 7 for a time which looks good for a reasonable run in. Much more shipping about and we can see another yacht on our port side - not sure who - might be Growler. We are scratching away to keep boat speed - we look well placed in our class if the AZAB positions of noon yesterday are right. Starting to dream of that shower (really needed - my boots have not been off for 3 days!) and a pint of beer! All being well looking at a finish sometime in the dark tonight.
27 June
49:22.33N 06:42.53W @1200UTC- Are we nearly there?
Going well with poled out genoa and 25/30 knots of westerly wind. 177 miles in 24 hrs to noon. We have got 66 miles to go for the Lizard waypoint and then 12/14 to the finish. If this holds we should arrive sometime tonight!!!! Too windy for the kite - nearly put it up but decided not to and 30mins later squall line came through with gust at 40 knots, heavy rain and Starry had one surf of 11.6 knots down a wave! Anyway we have just picked up Falmouth Coastguard on the VHF so must be somewhere near the right place!!
28 June
50:09.13N 005:03.67W - CROSSED THE FINISH LINE!
It is 0330 and we are too elated to go to bed.
We crossed the finish line at 00.52 and 28 seconds UTC (0152hrs UK time) on Thursday 28th June. A great day with good wind all the way
poled out genoa or broad reaching with quite a big sea in 25/30 knot wind. A couple of squall lines came through with strong gusts and heavy rain. We saw Lands End at 1800 UTC on a beautiful clear sunny evening. The wind dropped and the spinnaker went up at 2000 hrs staying up the whole way until we rounded the Manacles (rocks near Falmouth) just before the finish. The moon was up and it was a magical run to the line on a clear June night. We are now alongside at Port Pendennis Marina and have both had a shower - but need to air the boat a bit in the morning before Jen and Didi arrive at lunchtime!
We have been a dry boat for the eight days - but are about to sit and toast our arrival with a wee small Glenmorangie. More on the race results when we have them. Night night.
29 June
Star Dancer - a winner?
All bar 5 boats have now crossed the finish line. Official results have not yet been published however it looks like Star Dancer has won the Class 3 leg from Ponta Delgada to Falmouth and will also be the overall Class 3 Race winner. I hesitate to write this but the corrected times of boats in contention all look good for Star Dancer as the winner and the other boats are congratulating us! John went back to his busy life yesterday with Didi driving him home whilst he read over his many letters of congratulation for his OBE awarded during the race - a special man who has worked for years raising well over £2m for the charity SENSE - supporting deaf-blind people. We have our friends from Ruffian moored alongside and Monteraz nearby. Ruffian is sailing back to Scarborough and Monteraz to Oban in Scotland which makes our distance back to the Solent seem minor in comparison. Most of the boat crews are meeting at the Royal Cornwall for supper tonight.
Jen is with me and is claiming Starry back after letting me play on her for so long!
02 July
Star Dancer - Overall Class 3 Winner and Leg 2 Class 3 Winner!
Star Dancer is Overall Class 3 winner and Leg 2 Class 3 winner in the AZAB provisional results list. We came 11th in the fleet overall list out of 51 starters. We won the Overall Class 3 by 3 hours in a corrected time of 15 days, 16 hours, 41 minutes and 44 seconds. (Taking account of our IRC endorsed Handicap - 0.939) Our elapsed time for both legs was 16 days, 17 hours and 10 minutes and we are thrilled with that. When we set out we reckoned that 20 days at sea would be going well.
Our beautiful Southerly 110 - was the real star of the show. A big 'thank you' to Northshore for a great boat.
In strong wind conditions she went superbly throughout and proved a real sea boat in the big blow we experienced on the leg out to Ponta Delgada. She surprised a good number of people with her speed and sea-going ability in the heavy sea conditions.
