Race 1 - Day 32
Crew Diary - Race 1 Day 32: Liverpool to Punta del Este
21 September

Kathi Lind-Mottram
Kathi Lind-Mottram
Team Nasdaq
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Hi all,

Well, It's been 32 days and most of us have not had a bath or shower other than the occasional seawater dousing or, if we are lucky, a fresh rainwater rinse. Baby wipes have for the most part done their job, but we are all anticipating a hot shower and clean clothes. Our hands and fingers are continuously peeling and shedding - a bit like snakes.

The food supplies are becoming a bit limited but our Nasdaq Bistro Cafe was in full operation last night with Alex Weaver and Claire creating amazing creations with whatever ingredients they can find. Alex's muesli/granola is delicious and was in high demand. Chocolate brownies and great bread awaited us for lunch. A few of us on the night watch had to sample them first. Just to be sure they are edible.

All of us seem to be losing weight on the Clipper Race All Carb Diet. Clothes are looking baggy and all of us look like a bunch of vagabonds. It might be the lack of beer and wine, which we will be correcting in Punta del Este. Yes, talk nowadays ends with us discussing what we are going to be eating and drinking first in Punta del Este. It's been a relief to be off our endless carnival ride of upwind sailing and living on an angle and back to our civilised and level world of sailing under a spinnaker. Bunk acrobatics have been reduced. Vincent had been doing impressive reverse pull ups into his bunk below mine, while Ineke and I do Cirque Du Soleil moves over head into our bunks. We gybed after two weeks on one tack which shook our world. We forgot which way was which and found ourselves on portside jammed into our cubbyholes rather than teetering on the precipice of our bunk.

Highlights:

1. Helming at night under the moon and stars over this immense ocean though it took a lot of coaxing from Vincent to get me on the helm last night under the spinnaker. 15 minutes without an incident was a success for me.

2. The sunrise entertainment of watching the aerial skills of the Skua birds diving after the flying fish.

3. Clean clothes after washing them in a bucket of salty water with dish washing liquid and hanging them up to dry on the rail for two days.

Finally!!!!! (because this was typed by Phil who has not been able to go to bed yet... thanks Kathi)

Hi to Scott, family and Ethan and Quinn - I will be back in the 'real world' soon. We are making good speed now and CV31 and all of her spinnakers are intact and flying well.