First Class Sailing

Horta – Arrival and Departure

The Crew of Challenger 2 are making way again and headed for UK waters - next stop, Falmouth!   Arrival at last! So in the early hours of the morning (UT) we finally got a glimpse of salvation. The bright lights of Horta lured us in the last few miles. Along the...

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Land Sickness – Looking Forward to Horta

Today's blog sees the crew's moral increase, along with the speed of Challenger 2, as they start to contemplate their arrival and all the pros and cons of terra firma. 21/01/20 A shift in momentum. First things first; weather. Less of it. Finally. Today saw a massive...

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Beating, Spirits and the Cool Jazz Sounds

In today's blog, the crew are sailing upwind and tacking (also known as beating) towards the Azores. It's hard work and slow-going, but their spirits remain high. The blog goes on to vividly and accurately describe the sounds and the feel of being at sea in these...

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Rough weather, high boat speeds and Jambalaya for supper

Excitment is building on Challenger 2 as they close in on the Azores.  Life on board has been challenging in the rough weather they have had.  Crew member Matt gives us a snapshot of the last 48 hours or so. 17th January 2020 During the 21.00 to midnight watch, 25...

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Bouncing the stars – night sailing

Luke gives us an update from yesterday.  They are soon expecting 40+ knots and have carried out heavy weather preparations. Night sailing is generally pleasant when the sky is clear You can pick a star to steer by and bounce it between the shrouds on the windward...

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An alfresco feast at halfway point to the Azores

Challenger 2 are now over halfway to the Azores and feeling like Champions as this update from Stephen suggests. Our second Motherwatch successfully completed today. Boat swept and mopped, surfaces cleaned, grey water tank pumped and 16 people fed – none of whom...

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Too Much Fun

We haven't had a blog back from the crew today, but I do have the Skipper's Log from Sue for the past 2 days for you. It sounds like the wind picked up nicely after the Doldrums and the crew are sailing again.     Tuesday 14th Jan, 2020 Time : 1522 GMT (1220...

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