Race 1 - Day 29
Crew Diary - Race 1 Day 29: Liverpool to Punta del Este
18 September

“What is your favourite dessert?” - oh no, not again I think...Greg Schey is back on deck and with a big smile as he asks his questions related to the luxuries in life we are currently not having. I explain him in detail again about the superb apple pie made by my mum and I can see he would like to try a piece. Besides the absence of those special treats, the crew is doing great, especially since yesterday, when Chef Erich Bernscherer managed to cook a meal without using any tinned food - it was lovely.

IMAGE: Bastiaan Don happy following a drop on Qingdao.

Until yesterday evening everything was running very smoothly and with the sun down the sailing in the dark under kite is always a bit of a challenge. The wind picked up and during midnight, we had our first broach. With Q (Chris Grant) and me behind the helm, we almost managed to get the boat back on track. In general, broaching means that the sail is pulling the boat too hard into the wind, and we tried to get it back on track. After trying a few tricks (ease the active sheet of the kite, ease the main sheet, dump the fang) we still were not able to get the boat back on track, leaving no other option to dump the tack and get the kite down into the boat through the letterbox drop. This all went very well and soon after we hoisted the yankee to continue our journey. Of course, with a bit less speed, but with stronger winds this was definitely a better option. Another valuable experience for the crew, all of us are in good health and no material was damaged. It's just great to see how we work together as one team despite the watch system, especially during such occasions. The yankee was quickly on deck, another part of the crew was already almost done wooling the kite down below, and the remaining crew kept the boat on course on deck.

Now it's a new day, we're back on the radar after Stealth Mode, and we are focusing on the end of the race. The finish is getting closer and closer and we are more then ready for it, still aiming for the highest position possible. Warm wishes from the Qingdao Crew to all our followers! Bastiaan - off deck.