Race 10 - Seattle to Panama

xHow can two races through the same ocean be so different? The race (Le Mans start) started the day after leaving Seattle at 8pm with a stunning sunset as the backdrop. Since leaving the weather has been kind to us with blue skies, a fair wind and warm temperatures. We are currently in first place with respect to distance to finish and a couple of days ago were the first through the scoring gate so gain an extra three points. Cloughy is still up and down through the hatch like a yo yo and Telemed are only four miles behind us yapping at our heels - so we definitely need to concentrate. Last night we saw the lights of Cabo at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula about twenty miles to the north of us: all exciting stuff when the norm is water and waves. There has even been a distinct lack of wildlife other than the squid that occasionally end up on deck at night. The other evening we were treated to a small portion of fried squid served up by Carla, our Andorran crew mate who happened to be on mother watch at the time. Very tasty!

The Code 1 (largest and lightest spinnaker) has been up for the past four days and we are eating up the miles to the finish with the 'distance to finish' currently at 1968 miles. These distances need to be taken with 'a pinch of salt' as they are based on the race viewer and don't necessarily reflect true distance. The measurement is also in a straight line and considering we are gybing our way south we will be sailing significantly further. Under the tutelage of Cloughy we have learnt to 'peel' the spinnakers when changing from one to the other and when a repair is required it is done with speed. The mood on board is good and we are thoroughly enjoying our position in the fleet, and as 'mother' today I hope to have a chance to write a bit between making bread and baking a cake for Henry's birthday.

Not long after this we dropped the spinnaker, rather too hastily, which resulted in the sail wrapping itself around the starboard rudder. Not good! We did eventually get it back on board, in three separate pieces, only to spend the next 30 hours taping and sewing it together again. It has been briefly flown since and is, apparently, rather lopsided and drunk looking..

So what are my thoughts as I sail south on the penultimate leg of the race? I am starting to think more about home, especially Tom and Becca, and what I am missing in not being there. It is Becca's 21st birthday tomorrow (11th May) and I will miss being able to wish her a Happy Birthday in person. Tom met up with Dave (leg 6) at the end of last week to have a chat about possible job opportunities and I would love to know how he got on. I have been away for nearly nine months and I think that is long enough, though I know the next two and a half will go really quickly, especially once we reach New York and start heading east across the Atlantic.

I believe that, other than circumnavigating the globe, I have achieved most of what I wanted to in taking part in this race. I have been to places never visited before, I have witnessed the power of the planet and am now part of the small band of people who have crossed the Southern and Pacific Oceans in a sailing boat. I have had a lot of time to sit and reflect about life in general though I am no closer to knowing what I want to do when I get back to the UK though I do know that I want to spend more time with family, especially mum who is not getting any younger. A couple of years ago she
suggested that we might go on a cruise together, maybe down one of the European rivers. It wasn't for me at the time but having done this race I can now see us having a holiday together, and maybe a cruise at that. I don't see enough of my brother in Shrewsbury or sister in Tunbridge Wells and I may even visit Andy in some far flung part of Europe as he travels around chasing the wind for paragliding.

I am coming to the end of my 'mothering' day with just clam chowder to make for supper. It has been a good day: pasta bake (made by Trudi), two loaves of bread, birthday cake for Henry, and lots of cups of tea. It has been hot up on deck and with little wind there is no respite from the heat though we are still sailing and racing as fast as we can.

Back to the race itself - the winds are generally light with the occasional squall that sends us scurrying to put in a reef, only to be taking it out again ten minutes later. We gradually go from flying the spinnakers to the windseeker and ultimately to the white sails (yankee and staysail) as the winds become easterly and we are desperately trying to get through the third gate and what, ultimately, will
be the finishing line. It has also been exciting racing LMax and Telemed as they have often been in sight as we gybe down towards Panama.

We were delighted to get the maximum three points for going through the scoring gate first earlier in the race and after a good battle with LMax and Telemed crossed the finishing line in third place and beating Derry to the gate by a few hours. A total of 13 points on this race and two podium places in two races!! We now just have to win a race to have the whole suite of pennants. Crossing the line wasn't easy as we all had to tack back and forth to make the mark - goodness knows what it must have looked like on the race viewer as I am not sure if the marks are put on it.