Financial Crisis- Under a 1000 miles to go 1 November 2011

We just broke through the barrier of the 1000 miles to go to Cape Town, it’s still a lot and the pressure is high, Cessna is 114 miles behind at the last ping but they are giving it all averaging over 12 knots now and curving fast onto the rhumb line. For us, averages over 11 knots are difficult without compromising safety, I lost control of the boat a few times during the night under walls of spray, masthead reaching kite and two reefs on the main on the constant edge of a broach, I guess we have to accept that a new boat has an edge on us in these sort of conditions and we have to make the most in managing the advantage built whilst Cessna dipped south, we expect nothing less than a full attack from Conrad and Hugo and we do not take our lead position for granted by any stretch of
the imagination, we know they won’t hold back.

BSL overtook Campagne de France once they found the right conditions for their boat, and the same applies here.
We have managed to keep our distance from Phesheya constant during the reachy conditions and whilst our left eye is firmly on Cessna our right one is still firmly on the South African duo currently trailing us by 144 miles. They sail an identical boat to ours where boat speed differentials are minimal.

All else is good on board, cold at night, sunny and bearable during the day.

Posted by: First Class Sailing