Thanks to a late start and slow progress at sea, the Yellowshirt team here in Nanny Cay has had time to explore Tortola more than usual. Prior to our hike up the gut yesterday, Mia and I had an opportunity to take a taxi into Road Town for a walk around and a visit to the smoothie guy. Afterwards we trekked to the big and very well-stocked Riteway supermarket just opposite the Moorings charter base for some breakfast and lunch fixins to hold us over for the week.
Meanwhile at sea, the fleet is still trudging along. Aboard Crazy Horse, the crew has been writing about their frustrating progress.
“Here we are at the under 200 mile mark,” wrote Crazy Horse. “These last couple hundred miles have been very frustrating thanks to the wind. It is constantly on our nose-precisely where we want to go! Southeast southeast! No matter what we do - put up sails, sail to the east, sail to the west, take sails down - no progress is made. One hour we made 2 miles. So finally we have decided to motor sail with one reef in the mainsail. We feel like we are clawing our way uphill to the finish line.”
But despite the slow progress, spirits still remain high, if the logs are any indication.
Club Carp, for one, is still having fun with their daily dog quote: “Dog quote of the day #8: ‘Dogs like to ride in the back of pick-ups.’” Thanks for that Club Carp! They continued to write about their time onboard the boat (sans dog).
“Over to the daily meal recap (really all we do out here is sail, drink, and eat...that is when the Captain doesn't have us checking items off his NEVER-ending to-do list -- poor Susie can confirm), the "Cooke" whipped up a Mahi flambe with a cognac reduction last night coupled with brown basmati rice and baked beans (I did mention he was a Brit, right?). Finally, our spirits we given a warm boost by yet another rainbow amidst the daily squalls.”
Aboard Tom Tom, the shiny new Oyster 54, the crew is settled into life at sea and enjoying a proper ocean sail.
“This is what ocean rallying is all about - a wonderful night of sailing. After yesterday's thunderstorms, with its 45-knot gusts, conditions are now as close to perfect as they could be - small puffy clouds highlighted by the waning moon - calmer seas, and 10-15 knots of breeze. After beating to the east, we've picked up a south easterly breez, a little off the nose, but the boat is beautifully balanced and running well as we enjoy the occasional lifts from the wind moving to the east and then the forecast north east trades as we approach Tortola.”
By late tonight we hope to welcome Falcon to the dock, who’s now officially beaten the trimaran Lucky Strike, and offer up the first rum punches of this year’s Caribbean 1500. Lucky Strike was earlier today forced to divert to Puerto Rico to attend to an ill crewmember, but are otherwise A-Ok.
Due to the slow progress and the delayed start, the program in Nanny Cay will be modified this week to accommodate the stragglers. But don’t worry, every boat will still get their obligatory rum punch on arrival!
