Aug 09, 2005 - 1845hrs UTC

 1845hrs 09 Aug 2005 UTC 50’30”N 007’07”W

Here we are in unknown territory – we are some way past the point where I got to last time in 1961 in Leopard – scary stuff! Last time, we were in a force 9/10 storm just north of Lands EndIt is the most westerly point of mainland Cornwall and England, about eight miles (13 km) west-southwest of Penzance. and ended up running down with it, with the genoa halyard jammed, the sail still up and every warp we had on the boat streaming behind us to slow us down. We found ourselves south west of the ScilliesAn archipelago off the southwestern tip of the Cornish peninsula of Great Britain. and ran out of time and retired, going back to theHelfordRiver. Quite a contrast – we’ve spent a lot of today in glassy calm with 2-3 knots of wind trying to keep the assyAsymetric spinnaker filled and drawing – we never stopped, but there was no speed registered on the log for a couple of hours – hand steering and fierce concentration.

Now in a 10 knot-- Speed: definition of speed at sea. One knot is one nautical mile per hour. The nautical mile is about 1.15 % longer than the "statute" mile used on land. A knot is about half a metre per second. -- A knot is also the result of winding a rope around itself or another rope to make a join or a loop . NEasterly and doing about 6 knots up the rhumb lineSee wikipedia (Wikipedia). See also Great CircleSee here (Wikipedia).. Woohooa primitive, exultant, gibbon-like call given out by an old geezerDictionaries define a geezer as an old person, generally an eccentric old man. Its origin likely in the word masquerader (colloquially, guiser) from Middle English gysar. Go figure, as the Americans say.; many variations as listed, in order of emphasis: Woohoo Woooohoooa primitive, exultant, gibbon-like call given out by an old geezerDictionaries define a geezer as an old person, generally an eccentric old man. Its origin likely in the word masquerader (colloquially, guiser) from Middle English gysar. Go figure, as the Americans say.; many variations as listed, in order of emphasis: Woohoo Woooohooo WOOOHOOOa primitive, exultant, gibbon-like call given out by an old geezerDictionaries define a geezer as an old person, generally an eccentric old man. Its origin likely in the word masquerader (colloquially, guiser) from Middle English gysar. Go figure, as the Americans say.; many variations as listed, in order of emphasis: Woohoo Woooohooo WOOOHOOO WOOOHOOO! WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOa primitive, exultant, gibbon-like call given out by an old geezerDictionaries define a geezer as an old person, generally an eccentric old man. Its origin likely in the word masquerader (colloquially, guiser) from Middle English gysar. Go figure, as the Americans say.; many variations as listed, in order of emphasis: Woohoo Woooohooo WOOOHOOO WOOOHOOO! WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO!! WOOOHOOOa primitive, exultant, gibbon-like call given out by an old geezerDictionaries define a geezer as an old person, generally an eccentric old man. Its origin likely in the word masquerader (colloquially, guiser) from Middle English gysar. Go figure, as the Americans say.; many variations as listed, in order of emphasis: Woohoo Woooohooo WOOOHOOO WOOOHOOO! WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOa primitive, exultant, gibbon-like call given out by an old geezerDictionaries define a geezer as an old person, generally an eccentric old man. Its origin likely in the word masquerader (colloquially, guiser) from Middle English gysar. Go figure, as the Americans say.; many variations as listed, in order of emphasis: Woohoo Woooohooo WOOOHOOO WOOOHOOO! WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO!!! WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOa primitive, exultant, gibbon-like call given out by an old geezerDictionaries define a geezer as an old person, generally an eccentric old man. Its origin likely in the word masquerader (colloquially, guiser) from Middle English gysar. Go figure, as the Americans say.; many variations as listed, in order of emphasis: Woohoo Woooohooo WOOOHOOO WOOOHOOO! WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO!! WOOOHOOOa primitive, exultant, gibbon-like call given out by an old geezerDictionaries define a geezer as an old person, generally an eccentric old man. Its origin likely in the word masquerader (colloquially, guiser) from Middle English gysar. Go figure, as the Americans say.; many variations as listed, in order of emphasis: Woohoo Woooohooo WOOOHOOO WOOOHOOO! WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOa primitive, exultant, gibbon-like call given out by an old geezerDictionaries define a geezer as an old person, generally an eccentric old man. Its origin likely in the word masquerader (colloquially, guiser) from Middle English gysar. Go figure, as the Americans say.; many variations as listed, in order of emphasis: Woohoo Woooohooo WOOOHOOO WOOOHOOO! WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO!! WOOOHOOOa primitive, exultant, gibbon-like call given out by an old geezerDictionaries define a geezer as an old person, generally an eccentric old man. Its origin likely in the word masquerader (colloquially, guiser) from Middle English gysar. Go figure, as the Americans say.; many variations as listed, in order of emphasis: Woohoo Woooohooo WOOOHOOO WOOOHOOO! WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOa primitive, exultant, gibbon-like call given out by an old geezerDictionaries define a geezer as an old person, generally an eccentric old man. Its origin likely in the word masquerader (colloquially, guiser) from Middle English gysar. Go figure, as the Americans say.; many variations as listed, in order of emphasis: Woohoo Woooohooo WOOOHOOO WOOOHOOO! WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO!!! WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOa primitive, exultant, gibbon-like call given out by an old geezerDictionaries define a geezer as an old person, generally an eccentric old man. Its origin likely in the word masquerader (colloquially, guiser) from Middle English gysar. Go figure, as the Americans say.; many variations as listed, in order of emphasis: Woohoo Woooohooo WOOOHOOO WOOOHOOO! WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO!!! If it holds, we’ll be at the Rock tomorrow evening. It won’t, of course. We have no idea how we are doing – we’ve been close to lots of bigger boats but they all seem to be somewhat recreational so not really a good guide. No skeds, like in a Hobart, so we don’t know where the real competition is. We can see two other boats – both look larger than us but hard to tell.

From Joe S.

Hope all is going well with you on the voyage to the Rock.
I showed you the letter I sent to the RolexRenowned makers of timepieces and sponsors of many sporting events including Sydney-Hobart and FastnetFastnet Race: 608 mile biennial race from Cowes, UK, Isle of Wight, to the Fastnet Rock off Southern Ireland, finishing in Plymouth. Berrimilla took part in 2005 and 2009. Races mob amd asked them when they were aboard “”Hot Ice”” (in front of you at Lymington Yacht Haven) and they told me that it had been passed to whoever does these things to get a bit of coverage for the guys who arn’t always at the front and big. In fact, when we saw you off Hurst, you appeared to be doing bloody well even compared with the Maxis.
You kick arse and have a good trip!! Us plastic stink pots admire you greatly!
All the best, when we come to Sydney, we will give you a shout.

Thanks, Joe Sq, Peter C. and David – got your messages. Joe, we were going really well till your 2 plastic stinkpots went past making a true southern ocean swell just for us – all those heavyweights on board, I suppose. Took us till outside the NeedlesA row of three distinctive stacks of chalk that rise out of the sea off the western extremity of the Isle of Wight, UK. The Needles lighthouse stands at the end of the formation. to recover… Thanks for making the point with the sponsors tho.

Both bearing up well – we’ve both missed out on sleep but when we do sleep, it’s pretty solid. 3 hours on, 3 off works well – we’re effectively sailing singlehanded for our watches and can’t afford to goof off. Get a bit bleary eyed at times. We can pull in the BBC on long wave out here, which helps to pass the time.