pristato
Visas laivynas jau džiaugiasi pasatu ir tiesioginiu greitkeliu iki Fernando de Noronha salos. Po kurios laukia tiesus kelias iki Keiptauno. Tačiau dar iki to, visų naujokų (kurie dar nėra kirtę pusiaujo) laukia krikštynos - Neptūnas nubaus visus už jų nuodėmes.
Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing
King Neptune has a new “Shellback” in his Kingdom. I know it’s hard to believe, but somehow I made the cut.
With the Equator trudging towards us with relentless persistence, the threat of my impending punishment and purification inched all the more closer with every skid. Steeped in tradition, the “Crossing the Line” ceremony is traditionally where sailors who have not yet sailed across the Equator (called Pollywogs) are met by King Neptune and his “Court of Shellbacks” on deck and forced to atone for theirs sins.
Being that I was the only one onboard who had not crossed the Equator before and was also American. I had a lot to atone for.
But surmise it to say, I couldn’t have asked for a better group of friends to be inducted by and I’m proud to be counted among their ranks…
… and I’m pretty sure my new haircut improves our aerodynamic performance.
Matt Knighton, OBR
Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing
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Team Brunel
So close, but so far away. We are sailing close to Brazil, not even 300 miles from Rio de Janeiro, the city where scarcely dressed girls stroll around Copacabana.
If they don’t, then the sweet mojitos mess your brain around. In the background, you can hear three Brazilian with a moustache playing “Quantanamera” on a very small guitar.
The only sounds onboard Brunel are the cracks and loads of the winches, and the banging of the hull on the gigantic waves. But that’s music to Bouwe Bekking’s ears! A lot of wind in the nose and shocks in the waves! In the middle of the night he pushed the Brunel boat across the Equator.
Stefan Coppers, OBR
Team Brunel
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MAPFRE
MAPFRE is in fifth place after we were violently hit by the Doldrums, but thankfully the gap with the ones ahead didn’t increase terribly. We entered the doldrums 20nm miles behind the first boat, and came out of it 190 behind.
We are sailing upwind towards Fernando de Noronha but before that, we are going to have some fun with a couple of guys from the crew…. They’ve never crossed the Equator before, so “Neptuno” will make them pay for it. I will film it all, but from afar, since it can get pretty disgusting.
Nicolas Lunven and Anthony Marchand - both are our under 30 crew - will have to go through it. Their rights (none) and sins will be read aloud, and then Neptune’s fury will fall them.
Francisco Vignale, OBR
MAPFRE
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Team Alvimedica
I’d hate to come across as being impossible to please but after days of wanting out of the doldrums, days of struggling with routines, with sleep, with a lack of regularity and consistency to our schedules, and of course—predictability to the weather—we’re “out” and still trying to find it!
It was an abrupt change to the sailing yesterday, so abrupt that it maybe caught some of us off guard. Almost immediately we went from an agreeable 11 knots of upwind sailing to a very confused and uncomfortable 18 knots. Then there was some misunderstanding on deck as to the forecast and the wind quickly built, unexpectedly, to 23 where it has stayed for much of the time since departing the convergence zone.
Since waving goodbye to the big clouds and tormenting lulls we’ve pretty much been bashing upwind with one reef in the main and 30 degrees of heel. It feels a bit like learning to walk again—moving around a boat that’s always on it’s side—especially inside where Tarzan-like swings from handle to handle are required before finding some firm footing to stand on.
Amory Ross, OBR
Team Alvimedica
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Team Vestas Wind
Wow, things couldn’t look or feel more different today. The light winds deceased, the spray on deck omnipresent, reefed mainsail. Yes we are definitely in the trade winds now and finally on a one-way express to Cape Town, hopefully no more stop.
I think we had the privilege of business class for the past couple of days. Flat nights, sleeping a lot, no struggles moving about, making tea was easy, perhaps it was the Gin and Tonic because I fell asleep in business but awoke in cattle class. This no frills trip continues and for a moment there we all enjoyed the break.
The frustration of the Doldrums are over for now and it appears our easterly route didn’t do us any damage, looking at the scheds this morning third out of the convergence zone isn’t bad result. I think the mood is definitely lifted. Our passage through the last couple of days didn’t see results until very late but when they came it was very welcoming.
Brian Carlin, OBR
Team Vestas Wind
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Team SCA
There’s a reason why people keep going back to the Southern Ocean—why people say ‘okay, I’ll do that again.’ But personally, it scares the hell out of me! Perhaps though, that’s just the unknown factor. I can hear people describe the Southern Ocean over and over, but in this case simply describing doesn’t work. I’m still nervous. In the Doldrums I felt tiny and vulnerable; I can only begin to imagine what the Southern Ocean is like once the ocean really comes to life.
But today does correlate with tomorrow—the two almost go hand in hand. We need today’s ceremony, today’s induction, in order to have a safe sail into the waters unknown. The fish guts will wash off but the genuine meaning behind the ceremony will not, and it’s for that reason today is actually an amazing day.
Corinna Halloran, OBR
Team SCA
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