Hello Punta supporters,
We are finally making it! We are so happy to be close to Oban. Although it’s been really hard to keep up with the leaders and we are currently sitting behind them, it’s been fantastic sailing - Yankee 1 conditions, and since yesterday, a tight Windseeker. I believe that yesterday night the other guys hoisted theirs first and that was the difference you can see now. It’s not over until we cross the Finish Line, so we are now working on some attacks to try to sneak between them. We are entering Irish waters, sailing through the Rockall trough. This brings back memories from my last Atlantic crossing, with Punta 1 team and the very special people when we were rounding Rockall (that is a rock in the middle of the ocean, basically) with force 11 wind, enormous breaking waves and doing 25 knots. I’m so glad this passage has been kind, and we are gently moving towards our destination.
The end of the race promises to be a tight one, so stay tuned to see what happens. The crew are already asking too many questions about the arrival, which is understandable, but I always answer the same: “keep your head in the boat, focus!” And that’s how I keep everyone back in the moment. The crew have been spectacular, giving it their all. Simone showed great pilot skills at the helm, Lucia is loving this style of sailing and puts on her foulies with Crocs inside, Nico is happy Argentina is in the final (no comments from me as Uruguay lost with our Parceros Colombianos), Will is helming super straight and making his everyday notes in his diary, Flo keeps finding 0.1knts of making us faster, Laura’s chilled style demonstrates her confidence and experience, Victor is now Victor Dicaprio and finalist of the Euro, Barel is really positive and brought amazing Music, Sergio is a Echale Cojones machine pushing everyone to be better and he is very happy he can now feel confidence in the helm, Dave asked me a thousand questions already and is so eager to learn, always with a smile and characteristic American accent, Liz is using her trimming experience to go faster to her family waiting for her with a special bottle, Cloe keeps sailing amazing and keeping everyone on pace in the galley, Steve is immerse in the nav art and making very intelligent observations and tactical suggestions, Stephane is straighter than ever at the helm and been coaching everyone how to fly, Mac is running his watch amazingly and he has done this last couple of days some very impressive helming, Angus has rigged a manual engine morse control command and has been enjoying the sailing a lot, and local hero Mike Ferguson is showing us the way to his motherlands with great leadership, bowman skills and weird Gaelic names and accents. It’s gonna be hard for a Uruguayan to understand a weird English these next few days, but it won’t be the first time or the last one. Have a great day, wish us speeds inside the islands where we will have great chances to do well!
Nano, Angus and the Punta Riders