A quick update from Hydra. After 5 days of pushing Hydra as much as possible trying to match the boat speed of Earendil we started to feel some play in the steering system. On further inspection we realised that the aft tiller bearings had broken down leaving the assembly loose.
We took the de3cisionto throttle back over night but remain on course for Grenada to give some time to assess the rate of deterioration and upoin a second inspection in the morning we took the difficult decision to turn for the Cape Verdes. Reaching |South East and out of contention of fist place in the class was tough on moral.
We howver used the time wisely and by sat phone and with the help of some great friends we managed to organise the parts we needed to be flown out the very next day. We arrived in port at 7.30am on Friday and by 1300 we had the parts in our hands and got to work.. It is now 1730 and we have just thrown our lines off the dock, hoisted the main and code 5 and sailing at 15 knots for Grenada!!! A pit stop Lewis Hamilton would have been chuffed with!
New bearings, fresh moral and a belly full of pizza we are back in the race. We have a new objective, to hunt down second place 140nm in front of us. With smiling faces we set off into the night and head west!!
Tristan Hydra
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