Sailing News

  Ja mon! Well, the ARC is over and you’re probably wondering what the crew have been up to for the past week. As they made great time, the crew of Challenger 4 have been able to spend an extra few days exploring some of the sights and sounds, and certainly rum, of the Carribean… Read more

  It’s all over, congratulations Challenger 4! They’ve run a good race, managing to beat Challenger 3. Rum punch and firm land await them. They’ve earned it!   Monday 10 December Festivities Await After a night of squally clouds, heavy downpours and shifty winds we have made great speed and course towards Rodney Bay, St… Read more

  Saturday 8th December We are still racing to the finish. 389 NM to go and we are neck and neck with Challenger 3. We continue to have interesting squalls rushing at us from behind: the latest measured 36 knots of true wind. Oh, how superb it is to be in this 72’ steel yacht,… Read more

  After a squall blows through, Skipper Ricky and Mate Kirstie have their work cut out for them trying to keep Challenger 4 going in a straight line as the squalls blow through and try to take her offline. The crew have to pull together and it’s all hands on deck helping out. Tiring work,… Read more

  Mate Kirstie’s Log   Once More Unto The Breach Yesterday we had a 20ft-ish whale play alongside us for an hour, broaching several times – once right in front of the boat, as it continuously circled us and surfed waves.  The whole crew watched and many videos (mainly of blue sea!) were captured.  … Read more

  2nd Night Watch Interlude   A good night for shooting stars around Gemini, and whilst no means a meteor shower, included a fizzing ember that lingered for 2 or 3 heartbeats as it streaked the 20 or so degrees from Canis Minor over to Sirius, the Dog Star in the larger sibling. Jim.    … Read more

  Monday 3 December   Today’s main event was the “half-way party” which was the strangest and most wonderful mid-ocean celebration most of us had ever attended. We are celebrating being slightly more than 1,550 nautical miles into this race, with a “short” 1310 Nm left to run. THAT, ladies and gentlemen of the internet,… Read more

  At some point in an Atlantic voyage the romance of the journey will inspire a crew member to put pen to paper and create some poetry. Marsh’s poem didn’t come with a title so our working one is… The Challenge Bruce, our watch leader wants to set me a task, he said: “Marsh –… Read more

This blog also contained a Fruit Flash! The crew are testing bags that preserve fruit and veg. The experiment wasn’t going as well as expected, however it seems some produce fares better than others. Read all about it here: Long Voyage Fruit and Veg preservation Experiment. In this blog the half-way point is on the… Read more