Race 12 - Day 15
Skipper Report
05 July

Bob Beggs
Bob Beggs
Team Qingdao
Back to ReportsView Team Page

The great excitement of the day was sighting of land as the rugged west coast of County Donegal Eire appeared out of the morning mist and rain.

This of course heralds the end of the last oceanic crossing of our round the world circumnavigation. As we sailed by Tory Island we could clearly see the white south facing houses on the gentle southern shoreline. This was the was the first glimpse of civilization after 14 days since sailing down the Hudson river past the famous Manhattan skyline.

For the many leggers in the fleet, this will be probably their first and possibly the last ocean crossing they complete. They discovered the Atlantic in one of her calmest moods. As a veteran of seventeen crossings this has been the fastest crossing I have made and the first in which I crossed without putting a reef in the mainsail.

The beat upwind towards Rockall began before the evening dim came on and the Nobeltec routing software suggested starboard tack once rounding Tory Island. With the forecast wind shift appearing on time, we retraced our route back out into the Atlantic off the continental shelf, passing Visit Seattle early this morning as they head inshore to round Tory Island themselves.

But with three or so days still to run the race is far from over and the Atlantic may still have a trick up her sleeve before we arrive for the LegenDerry Derry-Londonderry reception.

Cheers, Bob