Eating up the miles

Well, what an adventure we are having sitting in our armchairs watching the exploits of our 2 teams racing their hearts out in the Round Britain & Ireland Race. After 7 years of running Sailing Logic with Philippe Falle, not much phases us - we believe we most probably have seen everything, done everything and quite possibly fixed everything! Well, this race is changing that. I am in awe of Philippe and his crews tenacity and also that of Peter’s crew getting into the thick of it up there with the leaders. This race is certainly mixing it up, as they say!

Overnight,  Visit Malta Puma’s tactic of heading to the west to pick up southerly breeze has worked wonders and they have definitely gained on the rest of the fleet. On leaving Great Yarmouth yesterday they were 100 miles behind tail enders ‘Change of Course’ but now that gap is down to just 34 miles – absolutely brilliant. Philippe’s blog says it all – they are grunting up, getting on with it, and are determined to give it everything, and if they don’t finish on the podium, so be it, but they will still be winners.

Playing Around crew had to contend with a broken cooker yesterday which threatened them with cold food and cold drinks for the rest of the race – not a pleasant prospect. After much sucking of teeth and scratching of heads, and a little seasickness, the cooker is once again part of the team and working well. The constant upwind conditions Playing Around is in, saps your strength and makes the most routine and mundane of jobs much more difficult than usual. Just getting dressed to go on deck, or undressing to visit the heads is a major technical operation, when the yacht is bouncing up and down and water flying everywhere. I remember my round the world race, all I craved for after a week at sea was a bathroom that didn’t move and a bed that wasn’t wet…it looks like things never change!!

The leaders of the race are now passing the top of the Orkney Isles and have slowed down a little but the forecast is showing string Northerly’s for the next 48 hours for them which will bring those Volvo 70’s screeching down the west Coast of Ireland at breakneck speed.

Allie Smith