Yesterday is among the top five toughest days of this Volvo Ocean Race. Maybe not in terms of intesity, but definitely in terms of the power of the sea, and even more so when sailing upwind.
The guys are really tired from the beat up we got in the Bay of Biscay, which will stay in our memories. More than 30 knots, reefs up and down, the J2 fighting the wind like a soldier at the battlefront.
Sometimes we would land badly after a wave and the sails would remain without wind, and as soon as they got filled in again the boat would vibrate incredibly.
The bunk is the best place to be, for on deck, you need to be fully covered and hold on with both hands just to stay put.
Mind you, you also need to hold with one hand when you’re in the bunk because a wave can throw you out.
I felt sick the whole day, with a big headache. These beatings really wear you down at this stage of the race.
From 30 knots and 3 metre waves, we’ve gone down to 25 knots and 2 metre waves, which is the difference between heaven and hell. In 30 knots you can’t even walk, whereas 25 knots allow you to do some things.
The fleet split on its way up. But we know we will all get together again after tacking towards the east.
The pack is tight and MAPFRE is fighting in this harsh sprint.
Vamos MAPFRE!!!
