Some technical issues onboard MAPFRE made us lose positions. We had to lower the main sail; as we did it, we were 5 miles ahead of Alvimedica, and by the time we finished the repairs, we had fallen 6 miles behind.
We hoisted the main sail as quickly as possible and kept chasing Dongfeng and the Turkish-American boat. But this race can be cruel to you.
We are in the middle of the pack, surfing the waves of the Southern Ocean at 20 to 25 knots speed, in cold 4 hour watches. After today’s windshift we stopped all the crazy gybing and I could finally understand what makes these guys so passionate for the sea.
The Southern Ocean challenge is the biggest there is in offshore sailing, and riding the waves in 30 knots wind at the aft, with the world’s top sailors is just the best.
Feeling the boat vibrating when it starts gliding and watching it cutting the waves – actually feeling it go underwater as the deck gets flooded – then coming out again… You must watch out for it as it can easily knock you down.
We have our eyes firmly on the Cape and we are sailing full speed, we are not going to stop until Brazil!
#vamosMAPFRE
Fran