1200 PDT 7/20/24 -
OK so we're in the middle of the ocean and still can't escape IT issues. If this note posts to our blog timely, then the issues are solved. (Forgive if a few notes previously written post out of sequence at some future time.)
SUMMARY
All good.
Really nice family send-off. With participation by Traci/Eric's daughter Hadley and Brooke/David's sons Jack and Jamie, we honored ancient Polynesian traditions of: - tea leaf mounted on bow as aid to navigation. It is said that the tea leaf knows its way home to the Islands. Mounted on the bow, with the rest of the boat following it, this takes performance pressure off of David in the role of navigator. - salt from the Islands sprinkled on deck to ward off evil spirits. So we're all set now, with the evil spirits.
We won the starting! Tracy took the pin (South) end of the line, hitting it on time at speed, with clean air and freedom of movement. It was beautiful! We proceeded from the line on port tack towards the Golden Gate Bridge. We were higher and faster than Med Viking, who soon dropped back into our exhaust and faded behind. The only other boat of focus off the line was Translated 9, which started 25% down the line from us in had clean air with room. We had height and they had speed, so we both clung to the same ladder rung, climbing into the wind but with gauge opening. It was really fun to be in a two boat race right away with them. With growing separation and a waterline edge, they eeked just ahead and made it to the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge just before us. After the North tower, they tacked first and crossed us. We tacked to starboard before running out of sea-room, and have been on starboard ever since,a few days now.
Since exiting the protected waters of Bay we've had decent wind. We saw a handful of whales not far from land. Fortunately, we did not have to endure a near shore "glass off" of light air that occurs near land when evening brings cooler temperatures. Instead, we got offshore in good breeze that has held pretty consistently. By now, we've seen 9-25 knots, waves to maybe 6', now 3'. For the most part, it has been in the low teens.
After getting off shore under the jib, we moved into the code zero as the wind veered on us. We flew the code zero both with the jib partially furled as staysail, as well as with it fully furled. That code zero is a fantastic sail! Unfortunately, there came a point at which its halyard cover broke at the clutch. Good news is the sail stayed up as the core survived. Once down, Tracy fixed it, so we're not down a halyard, and will be using it as the last choice, if needed.
As we've continued, we've worked our way South of the rhumbline to avoid a higher pressure zone, and its lighter winds. We see by position reports and Yellow Brick that our division and many others are taking the same strategy.
For a few hours yesterday afternoon we had a traffic jam. Normally we have an uninterrupted 360* horizon, be during this traffic jam we could see three other competitors at the same time. It's motivating to see boats nearby. We saw a bird today.
With progress away from land, the wind has veered right, moving further behind us. At 0345 PDT 7/19/24 we put up the A2 spinnaker. It's on a pole set low that is backed by reaching strut with a 2:1 afterguy for mechanical advantage pulling pole outboard and aft. We've got a twing on, as well as preventer with a sacrificial fuse of light-weight line.
The watch schedule is, well, like clockwork. Eric and Tracy have discussed top 50 movies in every category, Craig has diagnosed and solved a bit of play in the starboard steering wheel. David has a solid process as navigator, which takes performance pressure off of the tea leaf. He's also got individual performance metrics stirring some internal competition to help keep everyone on task - and notes that nobody can hide from these KPIs as they are drawn directly from the boat's performance and correlate by time to our shifts at helm.
Just now @ 1340 PDT we completed with David at the helm, Tracy Craig and me: dowsed jib, removed battens, flaked, bagged and stacked jib, hoisted spinnaker net. The cycle took approximately :45. Eric is most recently off watch so is catching some sleep.
Menu highlights so far include: - Cindy's blueberry scones (always amazing thank you) - ginger, carrot soup with a chicken/veggie rice dish - asparagus gazpacho with chicken enchiladas - egg cheese sausage muffins - coffee at sunrise (nirvana)
If this message goes out, then we've solved our IT issues and you might expect a higher frequency of updates!
- - Jeremy - -
