From: "Dee White" <dee crinan net>
Date: June 29, 2005 5:22:58 AM EDT
To: "Dianne Cermak" <dspc comcast net>, "Don Morrison" <dfm mv com>,
"Erick Owens" <erick owens tiscali co uk>, "Frances & Bob Hercliffe"
<hercliffe btinternet com>, "Garry Burgess"
<burgess1969 hotmail co uk>, "Jenny Buxton"
<john buxtonhome ntlworld com>, "John & Diane Bullard"
<dyandjohn bullard80 freeserve co uk>
Subject: FW: Newsletter 33
-----Original Message-----
From: Dee White [mailto:dee crinan net]
Sent: 29 June 2005 10:20
To: A BECK; a d godbehere btinternet com; alharris global co za; Andrew
Fearne; andyca avaya com; Anthony Forrester; Birds Bush School
(office birdsbush staffs sch uk)
Subject: Newsletter 33
Hi folks,
I've made a slight miscalculation! In holding up this bit of news from
Nick so that I don't overload you with too much information, it's
actually become rather out of date. Yes - you've guessed it - they've
found another wind hole, slipped back to 12 and have now clawed (or
doggie-paddled) their way back to 11th.
I'd still like to know if anyone is coming down to Portsmouth for the
finish. Most who said they probably would, now find they can't.
Remember
to let me have your mobile number. We still need more messages on the
Pindar site. Thanks to those who have, but come on the others, it
doesn't take long.
This is a great report though, you can almost smell the excitement.
Lets
hope they get some more of the same before La Rochelle.
Best wishes,
Dee
PINDAR NEWS 6.4 - 27th June
Hi Folks
Things have changed somewhat in this racing circle, we're no loner the
back
marker but up with the leaders of the fleet. Don't know whether you're
getting the scheds with the lightening strike putting the race office
out of
action but the fleet are doing their own and last time I looked we were
4th
equal with two other boats - Sark and BP. Actually we are behind both
but by
so little it does not show when rounding the figures to the nearest
10th
mile. Today has probably been the most exciting days racing so far with
other boats so close. At first it was difficult to pick up the
enthusiasm of
those helming as they have all the fun and in some ways it rubs it in
that
you're not the elite. But this racing is so close even a disinterested
spectator would be fired by it. For over three hours Pindar, BP and
Vaio
raced side by side spaced apart by no more than a couple of hundred
feet
and
never more than half a boat length in front of each other. We & BP
changed
kites from 1.5's to our 2.2 flankers (Dee the one you helped pack in
the
multi story carpark in Portsmouth last year!!). BP went for putting up
their
yankee before their drop and rehoist to maintain power, we went for a
speed
change straight from kite to kite. We were so slick our new kite was up
and
popped long before BP's, great feeling gave us a moral boost as well as
helping to close the gap between us. Vaio stuck with their 1.5 and in
winds
of 24kn we waited and waited for it to blow or them to change. They had
their 2.2 ready on deck for the change but keeping it there forward of
the
mast. Unless a change is imminent is against racing rules. We could
have
waited photographed it and protested but Loz doesn't like that sort of
sneaky tactics so we emailed them instead to give them a chance to stow
it.
Quite funny in due course to see their crew scurry forward and
unceremoniously dump it down the forward hatch. We probably saved then
from
being protested by one of the other boats. Watching the boats vying for
the
lead as they surf down the waves is fantastic. One boat catches a wave
and
surges forward half a boat length, the next boat picks up the wave
moments
later surges forward and regains their position and it happens again
and
again. The only thing I can liken it to is the Oxford / Cambridge boat
race
when the rowing boats of are close and the camera is down low following
the
front of the boats. The oars of one boat are dipped and pulling while
to
other is lifting for the next stroke and you see the boats in turn
almost
appear to move forward and backwards as the strokes bight into the
water
in
turn. The difference with us is we are 42 tonne leviathans battling it
out
just like it was when we left the start in Wellington except there are
no
sides or bottom to worry about We're mid Atlantic a1000 miles from
anywhere
and as closer on the heels of each other than we were in Boston seconds
after the start gun was fired. AND WE'RE NOT LAST WE'RE UP WITH THE
BEST!!!!
After some three hours of neck to neck racing, with all three of us
reducing the lead Sark had over us from a mile to a couple of hundred
yards,
we slipped into single file with Sark in the lead followed by BP, Vaio
and
us at the rear. Not for long. As luck would have it I'd just popped to
the
heads so I missed Vaio's kite being blown - starboard seam 95 feet from
top
to bottom that'll take a bit of sewing. They drop behind us as the go
to
find the stowed 2.2 and after hoist we see why they were reluctant to
fly
it. There a two side to side repairs making it a bit of an odd shape so
it
doesn't fly so well. For now they are out of the running and the
contest
is
between us chasing BP and Sark, BP catch the wind badly and have a
severe
broach they role and veer off to starboard across our path losing speed
and
fighting to regain control. Fortunately there is just enough room for
them
to clear our bow without us having to take avoiding action which would
have
probably caused us to broach as well. It surprises me how much sea room
is
needed to steer out of a broach. Poor Dolphins they come to leap in our
bow
waves but perhaps for the first time ever they don't really get the
attention they deserve, BP loses ground and as the watch changes the
lovers on our boat shout their goodbyes to their other halves (puke
puke). We spread out as we make our own decisions on the best course
for
wind to the finish and we go chase BG a couple of miles to the East Nor
East of us.
It's 0440 hours as I write this at the end of my watch so I must get
some
shut eye but before I sign off a few thanks.
To Robin & Judy for taking Dee out for a meal and a break. It helps my
peace
of mind to know people at home are making sure she does not get lonely.
Enjoy the alps and put up some new routes!!
To Kelvin and Pam for phoning.Just try to stop me coming to visit!!!!
To Di Rosemary Martin and Dee for looking after mum without your
support
I
wouldn't be here at all
To all who have sent messages via the Pindar site. These only get sent
to
the boat once a week at the most and even slower if we're in port so
sorry
if I seem a long time replying. Send anything big or for which you
want
quick replies via Dee. But it IS nice to have a high Pindar "hit
rate".
let
'em know someone is out there looking for me!!
Love Nick xxx
28th June (after losing ground and dropping back big time)
A real bummer! You can imagine how down I felt when I came back on
watch
but it turned out to be a full on watch. Put in my first second reef
since before Cape Town. That made up for it a bit - something to do.
Other boats 1/2 mile ahead found the wind we missed. I think too much
time spent looking at computer generated forecasts not enough on deck
or
looking at radar to interpret what's really happening. No forecast is
going to give the sort of detail needed to move half a mile to catch
wind.
Nick