ARC 2016 – Day 2 – Already It’s A Breeze

This is the second blog to arrive from Challenger 3 and is written by Skipper Ricky Chalmers

Well, Monday morning dawned with the lighter winds as forecast. The fleet seems divided how to cope with them. Lots have chosen to stay on or return to a Port Gybe and try and get out of the light winds.

It looks like Challenger 4 has opted for that strategy as she didn’t gybe when we did, and has now dropped off AIS. Challenger 2 is sticking with us and heading West with a smidge off North to keep some apparent wind.

We launched the kite an hour or so ago, but apart from being prettier, it hasn’t done very much to our boat speed.

Today on Challenger 3

Breakfast : Porridge and Cereal,
Lunch : Potato Salad, Crisp Bread and Pate,
Dinner : Beef Curry
Music : Red Hot Chilli Peppers !
Main activity planned : A morning prayer ritual to the power, strength, wholesomeness and awesomeness of the great spinnaker (Oh Mighty One Who Must Be Flown and Flown Well)!!
Sail Faster to get through the light patch to the motherload of wind.

Let’s all fly a kite

The Forecast is Wind Ahead

The forecast promises a shift in wind direction and a gradual building of the wind, so by Wednesday we should be hard pressed in 18 knots on the beam with a larger sea state.

Perfect weather for a Challenger, maybe not so great for the smaller boats who all seem to be high tailing it South. Forecasts – you trust them and they invariably let you down but what else can you race using?

Tony is on Mother Watch today and is coping with the challenges of cooking for 16 and keeping on top of our mountain of fruit and veg and keeping it all in good order. We need to eat down the weight of potatoes to help the boat speed, so come on guys eat up !

Ricky Chalmers, Skipper Challenger 3 – First Class Sailing
Monday 21st November – ARC Day 2

Boat Stats:

Date : Monday 21 Nov 2016
Time : 12:00 GMT (10:00 Boat Time)
Position : 26.22.9 N 16.30.75 W
Position : 97 Miles due South of Tenerife
Destination : St Lucia (The Rum Line)
ETA : 23 Dec 2016, my birthday ! (according to GPS)
DTF : 2597, miles done 149
Fuel : 3 full, 1 in use
Water : 3 full, 1 in use (Watermaker working). Showers being encouraged!
Gas : 3 full, 1 in use, 1 Empty
Temperature at the chart table : 30.2 C

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Posted by: First Class Sailing