e have some leverage now! Looks like Verne [Kvaerner] and Brunel are still battling the low cell. They are 70 miles north of us now.
Chessie is sailing a real smart race. Hopefully Silk is too far
north too.
The high is ridging in from behind but the trough, with the boat-eating low on it, is moving northeast at only 5-10 knots, and we
are doing 11 knots to the northeast. The trough is slanted
southeast-northwest, so hopefully our southerly position will
allow us to make the most easting as the fleet compresses. The
wind on the north side of the trough is 50-70M, which is basically
the course to North Cape.
This morning it seemed we were slipping
back into the old wind, so we headed south again a bit more to keep
in the wind to the south of the trough, which is more like 90-100M.
The guys who are to the north of the trough are tacking still
while we are fetching right on course. We need this to be the
case for another 20 hours.
We are in a bit of a hole but being optimistic I would say we
do have a chance of bailing our selves out here and salvaging a
decent finish. It is just crazy how we went from the penthouse to
the outhouse so quickly. I guess what matters is how we finish.
On board life is a little harder because we are slamming around a
bit going upwind in 23 knots with a very confused sea. Imagine
that 24 hours ago the wind was blowing 25 knots from 250, now 23
knots from 100, and in between it went through the north. Nothing
that extreme though, no fire hose to report. The water temp is
75F so the Caribbean Cruise continues.
I did not sleep much in the last 24 hours as my anxiety built with
our demise. There is no way for me to drop it from my mind. I
hope we continue to make gains so I can sleep well again.
