0559hrs 30 Jan 2005 SYD time 49’02”S 175’38”E Map Ref 34 1410nm
Quick burst on strategy – in the southern hemisphere, low pressure systems rotate clockwise and suck air in. The closer to the centre, the windier and rougher it gets, so you try to stay on the outer fringe. Highs rotate anticlockwise and push air out and the closer to the centre, the calmer and, as we found out over the last few days, the foggier and flatter it gets. Again, the outer edge is the place to be. So, at the top of the lows and the bottom of the highs – generally speaking – there are westerly winds in the southern hemisphere. Over the south pacific at this end anyway, more or less between 40 & 50 south is the band where the systems meet and we are trying to run the line that keeps us at the top of the lows and the bottom of the highs. Not easy in a slow old workhorse like Berrimilla because we can’t change latitude fast enough, unlike the big round the world racing sledges that can hunt and even outrun weather systems. We have to try and anticipate changes and get there early.
Further across, probably somewhere beyond 100W, we will have to make a decision to turn hard south to get to 57S, the latitude of the Horn. We hope there will be a nice ridge of high pressure waiting for us over there to sail down into (as there is right now), but given our luck so far, we ain’t taking bets.
Today’s wildlife report. About 30 birds circling us – all sorts. Watching what was probably a small albatross come and look at us, it got a bit close, went into a tight banked turn and extended its airbrakes – two large webbed feet outwards and curled forwards – to slow down. And a few days ago, a small brown seal joined us for half a minute or so. Must have been investigating the nutritional potential of the turbine and did a few dolphin like leaps alongside it.
No predictions any more. Our course over the ground is about 110 Magnetic (137 true adjusted for local variation, or south east if you look in a standard atlas) at about 6kts. The Antipodes Islands are about 100 miles dead ahead, at about 4950S, so we will be looking to turn east or ENE round about there if the current wind holds. Here endeth today’s first homily.