Sunday, March 20, 2011

CONTINENTAL 31

Boat: CONTINENTAL 31

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SuperCat PlayStation Still Fights out of Doldrums


Author: Playstation Media

Light Winds Frustrating Crew Eager To Resume Chase

Mission Control (UK) 12/01/01 1715 GMT: Having crossed the equator in a 35 kt ITCZ (InterTropicalConvergenceZone - i.e.-The Doldrums) squall at about 0100 GMT last night PlayStation and crew were still fighting their way out of the Doldrums this afternoon - languishing in only 4 kts of wind at last report - as they look forward to resuming the long task of chasing down the three leading boats.

Skipper Steve Fossett was characteristically brief in Friday's short daily message:

    "Now we've been caught in another ITCZ disturbance, so we are still going slow. Notice the 2 lead boats seem to be taking the shortcut across the High. Very interesting. - Steve"

Crewman David Scully summarised the crew's frustration - and life onboard - at rather greater length in his report on the past 24 hrs:

    "Worse and worse. It was a deck pounding, teeth grinding, fist shaking, cursing and swearing, blue skied, beautiful day aboard PS, with no breeze. We crawled along, first East, then West, always slow, and never in the direction we wanted to go.

    Worse still was the certain knowlege that the others were streaking away at over 20 knots, while we sat, powerless, windless, hopeless.

    But this is not a crew who have never before encountered misfortune. We have watched before as the Fates drop their favors on one boat, then the next in the course of a race as long as this one. We know well that the day is always darkest before it goes totally black. So we are not surprised that today is as bad as yesterday, though rainier.

    So the sailing is not good.

    In one of the rare intervals of favorable wind last night, we buzzed across the equator in a black squall. The speedo was hovering around the 26 knot mark. We had all sail set and were riding the fine line between control and chaos, as we dodged from squall to squall. At 0100, PS crossed the Line, and such was our excitement that we had no fitting offering for the local landlord, King Neptune. All we could offer him was a grainy sort of candy bar that is supposed to be better for you than the traditional type, and no-one on board likes. Not only is he punishing us with poor wind, but such is his displeasure that he has not yet visited the boat to extract a forfeit from those on board who are making their first crossing. We pray, we propitiate, we hope.

    Life on board is not without it's lighter side. Nic Maloney, of the recently sprained ankle, has earned himself the pseudonym of Lt. Dan, after the legless character in "Forrest Gump" who howled at the hurricane from the bridge of Forrest's fishing boat. Nic drags himself across the tramp on all fours, genny sheets in his teeth, and in spite of his handicap, still manages to hold a rope. Needless to say, the rest of the crew derive a huge amount of amusement from this.

    Last night, Brian excelled in the galley, producing a re-hydrated macaroni and cheese to die for. The girl who e-mails him 30 times a day does not know her luck!

    Mark is contemplating a trip up the mast, to replace the mast head unit, which is not working. On these trips, the gyrations of the boat give the man in the bosun's chair the look of a yo-yo on a string. It is a wild and challenging trip to the top of this rig!

    Steam has been pouring out of the nav staion, where navigator Stan, and skipper Steve, are working out a way back to the front of the fleet. Would spraying WD-40 in their ears cool the spinning wheels?

    I leave you to get back to this rainy afternoon aboard the super cat PlayStation. I hope I have better news for you tomorrow.

More Information:

  • YachtsandYachting.com The Race Information Page

See also: CONTINENTAL 25 for sale