The five Volvo Ocean 65s are sailing at full steam to Cape Horn and fantastic sailing conditions are propelling us towards the Atlantic Ocean. 30 knots of gusty, strong wind are filling our A3 sail with the power to surf the frozen waves of the Pacific.
The surfs last a long while, burying the bow deeply underwater, as if we were a submarine. A barrel is taking shape under the deck roof! I’m hungry for surfs and waves any time I can, so I stayed below and waited under the rook until the boat dove into a wave. As if by magic, I was in a perfect tube, in the place where I am happier and my mind goes blank, and deep inside a barrel. Today I was like a kid who can ride a bike without his training wheels for the first time.
There is little left to Cape Horn and it’s tight. It’s like a never-ending 100m sprint. It’s explosive, and we must constantly give 100%. We have Alvimedica to windward, and Brunel to leeward – it’s a MAPFRE sandwich.
“When you think it’s tighter than ever, the others push more. It’s never enough,” said Xabi Fernández.
Rounding Cape Horn is a legendary thing to do and we’re keen to get there. It will be the first time for Willy and I and I’m really looking forward to it. After rounding it, I’ll be able to say I’ve sailed and crossed all the oceans in the world. There is some magic in going from the Pacific to the Atlantic, and I hope that same magic will bring us safely to port – and if it’s not too much to ask, at the front of the fleet!
Watches pass by very quickly with only a short break for the helmsmen. Focus is as high as it gets and being so exposed at the helm comes at a very high physical and mental price.
Tomorrow will be a great day and we hope the sun will shine and a good wind will push MAPFRE towards the warm Brazilian land.
#vamosMAPFRE
Fran