Whitbread Log: Leg 6
São Sebastião to Ft. Lauderdale
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It is a minefield out here. Squalls all over the place, wind from 0-25 knots, and from 80-220° M.
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Day 4 - March 17, 1998
1206 GMT
15° 25'S, 036° 02'W
Miles to Ft. Lauderdale: 4,238
Place: 6th; distance behind 1st-place boat: 15.7 miles
From: Paul Cayard, Skipper, EF Language
Sorry for no report yesterday. We have just spent 24 hours
changing sails every hour. It is a minefield out here. Squalls all over the place, wind from 0-25 knots, and from 80-220° M. Anyway, we seemed to have done OK and caught up to Chessie and Toshiba.
Earlier, we were right along side Silk Cut and EFE, and they both
augured into a hole on the windward side of a squall. We
escaped. They were just 2 miles to leeward of us. At night it is
real difficult, because we can't see the non-precipitating clouds
coming. Toshiba, Chessie and ourselves just got caught in one for
about an hour.
It is hot out here! Water temperature is now 88°F or 31°C. Inside
the boat it is real hard to sleep. We have the fans going and all
the hatches (which isn't many) open. It amazes me that there is
actually water that is 88°F in the Ocean.
We have flying fish landing on the deck every once in a while.
Just got the sched. Amazing. While we parked with Toshiba, Merit
and Chessie, everyone else kept rolling. So, now we are 8th along
side the girls and Brunel has gone from last to fourth. Silk Cut
gained 13 miles as well. Like I said, it is a minefield out
here. The distances are not too great, we are still just 15 miles
out of first. Kvaerner seems to be consistently doing well on the
inside. We will see what the next six hours brings. It should be
like this all the way to the equator . . . 950 Miles.
