Halfway!
We've now sailed around half the planet. We've crossed oceans and seas, revelling their deep blue beauty, and been left in awe when it froths white with fury. We've been nearly becalmed on flat, windless waters, and other times surfed down massive waves, flying along at over 20 knots of speed. We've watched the GPS read Latitude Zero twice while crossing the equator - first North to South, then South to North.
We've marvelled at every whale and dolphin sighting, but have also been left wondering, when we sail thousands of miles and see none. As we look out across an endless, unbroken horizon, we witness the beauty of glorious sunsets and stunning moonrises, sometimes incredibly on opposite horizons at the same time. And we've been left saddened by the sight of floating plastic waste, hardening our resolve to do better for Mother Earth.
It was bitterly cold in the southern part of the Atlantic and Indian oceans, but we could warm up with a hot drink and bundle into our sleeping bags when our watch ended. Near the equator, we were endlessly sweating, like a cloud dripping rain, with no relief in sight. Climbing into our bunks was almost worse than being on deck under the sun as our little rechargeable fans just basically turned our bunks into convection ovens. Maybe it's the Canadian boy in me - I guess I do better in cold than in heat. My South American crewmates suffered too, but tolerated it a bit better. The tables will likely turn once we are crossing the cold North Pacific.
Ocean racing is not easy. We are working 12 hours out of every 24, no weekends, no rest other than when off watch, and sometimes not even then, as we help each other's watch when the need arises. We have been tested near our limits, all of which can bring out the best in each of us, and sometimes not so much our best. But we are always there for each other. We have met people from so many different countries (and even our own) whom we otherwise would never have gotten to know, and will never forget. Going through these crazy highs and lows together in such extreme conditions, we have forged friendships that will last lifetime.
All this, and we're only halfway there. I can't wait to see what the rest of this adventure has in store.
Marc Drouin
Yacht Club Punta del Este