Ocean Globe Race: Dec 11 - Avoid the Potholes - Brian Hancock Daily Blog #90

by Brian Hancock 11 Dec 2023 20:13 NZDT 10 December 2023

The Ocean Globe race is a no technology crewed race around the world sailing the the traditional four leg Whitbread Round the World Race course. It celebrates 50 years of Whitbread Round the World Races, boats and sailors. Brian Hancock, a noted Round the World sailor and writer is providing a daily blog for the Ocean Globe Race. Here's the December 11 edition - #90 in the series:

It's a Patchy Groundfog kind of day here in Massachusetts. Who remembers that horse? I do, and I also remember the Horse with no Name. OK, I'm stalling for time while listening to our fearless leader Don McIntyre give us updates on the YB Tracker, but things look pretty good all around the fleet.

The thing about sailboats is this; they need wind and looking at Windy (by the way that was my late uncle's nickname after a good curry lunch).

But I digress. Looking at Windy most of the fleet are in some decent breeze and making tracks towards Auckland. Translated 9 is very close to rounding Cape Reinga on the northern tip of New Zealand [S-W: and expected to arrive around noon on Tuesday]. They have extended their lead over Pen Duick VI by about 15 miles in the last 24-hours, but the east side of New Zealand can be tricky. Lots of potholes, if you know what I mean.

[Translate 9 is one of five Whitbread Boats competing in the Flyer division. As ADC Accutrac, the Swan 65 competed in the 1977/78 Whitbread Race, and was skippered by Clare Francis MBE.]

Good news is that Sterna seem to have managed to fix their steering situation (quite important on a sailboat 2,000 miles from the closest land sailing in the Southern Ocean). They did zig and zag there for a bit, but now they are moving along at a pretty healthy 7 knots with a fairly decent southwesterly breeze coming in over the starboard side. Same with Explorer with Mark Sinclair guiding his team. (Captain Coconut to his friends). They are doing 7.6 knots but there is a lot of ocean ahead for both of those boats.

Yea, "it's all good," as they say in South Africa. As my late, great Dad used to say, "it's all good so long as you are looking down on the daisies, not looking up at them."

This will be a short update because we have gale force winds forecast for later today and I need to batten the hatches, bring the cat in and all that stuff. I do have a very nice reindeer and sleigh that my lovely wife Sally bought. It came with lights...:) I was going to put it out and pin it to the ground but I worry that it might take off over our roof along with the blow-up Santa from up the street and then every little child's dream will come true.

Take care all you awesome sailors in the McIntyre Ocean Globe Race. Sail safe, enjoy the Sunday roast and a few bottles of Chianti and make sure that you stay clipped on. That coming from me who has sailed across the Atlantic a few times single-handed and never bothered to clip on once.

Gotta go; the wind is picking up. Time to reef the cat.

About the author: Brian Hancock (RSA) is a sailmaker, racing yacht sailor and writer. He has sailed more than 250,000nm; competed in many transoceanic events including three Whitbread Round the World Races - 1981 Alaska Eagle (U.S.A.); 1985 Drum (United Kingdom); and 1989, Fazisi (Soviet Union); he is a writer on sailing topics. For The Ocean Globe Race Ocean Globe Race Brian is writing a day by day account based on his previous experiences in the Whitbread Round the World Race and other events, often related to the current position of the lead competitors on the Ocean Globe Race course.

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