Race 10 - Day 4
Crew Diary - Thursday 24 March
24 March
Why is it that the first blog had to be written by the only French man on board?
Well, already five days at sea since leaving Subic Bay, making our way toward the departure line at the top of Luzon island for our race across the North Pacific.
You may think this first stretch would have been more a cruise than crewing a racing yacht - not exactly, it has been quite a busy time, operating the normal watch system and performing all the drills that would be necessary during our crossing.
For our families and friends eager to have more details of our daily life, the watch system is the way we organise ourselves so that the boat can be operated at her maximum 24/7, whilst still providing some rest for the crew. We are divided into two watch teams: one on deck, hopefully making the boat go fast, while the other team tries to get some sleep below despite all the noises, bounces and laughter created by the crew on deck. We alternate every six hours during daylight, and every four hours during night time, so that over two days each team would have had equal working time and rest. This means that, although on average we are getting our 8hrs sleep a day, this is broken in many chunks. Still thinking this is a cruise?
With such activity, the comfort of Subic Bay seems already a distant memory, and the temperature has not dropped by being far offshore. We are grilled on deck, and sweltering below deck. Definitely not a cruise, more like a floating sauna!
But we would not have it differently - we are all getting on very well together, and we are sailing a very happy ship. Some say that this is the best way to go fast, and to arrive as soon as possible on the other side to reunite with our loved ones and with the promised and still distanced cold beers. I will let you guess in which order I rank the two.
It is my first time that I have sailed so far from Europe, and it is nice to see for real the white clouds mushrooming above the sea, the light turning orange during sunset, and the flying fish jumping from wave to wave out of the boat’s way. No dolphins or whales yet, but I’m sure they will greet us when we arrive in the cooler waters of the North Pacific.
Being called for the next manoeuvre, so I need to get on deck. Great as I was starting to turn green looking at the screen while the vessel bounces away…
The race starts at 12 o’clock today, I need to be at my best, therefore, Ciao and kisses to you all!
Fred