Race 1 - Day 22
Crew Diary - Race 1 Day 22: Liverpool to Punte del Este
11 September
Crew on board Sanya Serenity Coast had a busy day yesterday hence the lack of diary entry sorry.
Sanya Serenity Coast crossed the Equator at 05:55 yesterday morning, Starboard Watch on deck (me included) and Port Watch below decks just finishing breakfast. The cheer went up, Benoit Ansart was helming and executed the countdown, quite the moment. We are now officially in the Southern Hemisphere. Our equator crossing ceremony has been postponed until the boat is flatter.
Catherine North and Benoit entered the sail locker yesterday for a Yankee 2 (sail) sail bag repair. Three hours later they emerged. Catherine, quite overcome by the experience of having to manage the ever-moving boat, in all directions, up down, side to side. And the fact that the boat is now permanently heeled over between 30 & 45 degrees, an industrial weight sewing machine and added variables such as the needle broke, the bobbin broke and the housing that holds the bobbin broke. The three seams did get mended, thank you Catherine that was no mean feat.
Keith Cox and Jake Koster were on Mother Watch yesterday and came up with two new cake ideas and a new bread idea, stunning. We had a coffee Maderia Cake and a Victoria Sandwich with peanut butter and raspberry jam filling (yes Jake hails from the US), they were delicious. Keith added cinnamon and raisins to the breakfast loaf and that was yummy as well. Small variations of the staples really make a difference as we now enter the final stage of this leg we are having very ‘samey’ meals. All good but mostly and pasta and rice based so anything a bit unusual is greeted with much appreciation.
We had to alter course slightly in the night as no one wanted the cry to go up of land ahead. Dead ahead was the islands of Arquipelago de Fernando, I missed that as having taken to my bunk with a code red (literally) yachty botty issue that needed attention. Various members of starboard watch are now afflicted and with only one tube of sudocream in the boat only those in the direst need get the easing ointment. Conversation has become littered with pressing matters such as, I now have had to use my week four pants early, I have had to put my only dry pair of shorts on (that's the horror moment ..me..), I have broken into my shore pants (is that only me..) as the key to alleviation is dry conditions.. hmmm. You may notice I have reached the point of no return on the dry pants. Those of you who have had to deal with babies with nappy rash will know that by removing the nappy and letting air get to the problem usually works. Sanya Serenity Coast have not got that desperate yet, but Punta del Este is about ten days away, and the sudocream is dangerously low, oh dear
Tom resorted to sitting on the low side and adopting the anti-fit Levi jeans trend of exposing the upper half of your nether regions, to try and dry out. Even in the face of adversity much hysterical laughing spontaneously occurred. Buoyed by that he then adopted a forwarding facing downward dog yoga pose to get more air there. He was immediately made to stop, it was a step too far we still have to maintain some form of civilised behaviour. Tom what were you thinking...
Cheers everyone, hope that leaves you with some not too disturbing images to content with, you should be sitting (or not) where I am
Jen