Paul Cayard's Whitbread Log
Leg 6: São Sebastião to Ft. Lauderdale
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While watching a 20-mile lead turn into a 15 mile deficit is not fun, in the big picture, we are still having a good race. Our two primary competitors for the Round the World Race are Merit Cup and
Swedish Match, who are still behind us.
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Day 14 - March 27, 1998
Report #1
0208 GMT
20° 52'N, 066° 48'W
Place: 2nd; distance behind of 1st-place boat: 13.4 miles
Miles to Ft. Lauderdale: 798
From: Paul Cayard, Skipper, EF Language
Sorry that the writing has been a bit sparse, but we have had our
hands full the last 24 hours. Between not having a Sat B, so no
weather model information, and dealing with the constantly changing
winds, I have had no time to even sleep.
It was a frustrating 24 hours. In a nutshell, we set up to the
left going into Barbuda because the forecast was for the wind to
go right and getting lighter, so we did not want to have to run in
there with light wind. Well, we did not have to worry about that.
The wind went left 20 degrees and increased 10 knots, so we came into
Barbuda with a reacher on while Silk and the others, who got up
high on the rhumb line, were able to carry spinnakers all the way.
Further, those behind got the shift first.
Now, we are running in decent breeze, 22 knots, and Silk seems to
be a bit faster. Could be that the right side is still better.
We are trying to work our way over there.
While watching a 20-mile lead turn into a 15 mile deficit is not
fun, in the big picture, we are still having a good race. Our two
primary competitors for the Round the World Race are Merit Cup and
Swedish Match, who are still behind us. If we beat them on this
leg, that will be a big gain in the overall picture . . . more
points to us and one more leg gone.
Onboard, life is a little better now that it is spring time up
here in the Caribbean. Fall in Brazil was hot and "Summer" at the
equator was extremely hot. So, the sleeping is better and I just
got 6 hours in, so I am good for a while.
