Jangada - 7 days since race start.
Position: 24.0N 24.5W
Distance sailed: 939nm
Distance made good: 640nm
Average course speed: 3.8kn
7 days since we started and we have finally made it over the top of the
hill and running down to the finish line.
With an average course speed of 3.8kn it's been a long slow climb up
that hill. We normally reckon on around 5.5kn for course speed (average
boat speed + extra distance sailed for optimum routes).
It was 48 hours ago that we made the decision to turn south. The
European weather models that we have been using predicted an opportunity
to pass over the ridge with light northerly winds and no big "park up"
stuck in the middle of a High. The forecast was spot on. The pressure
is now falling and we have an 8kn NE breeze, champagne sailing!
Code 0 flying to speed us south towards the more consistent and stronger
breezes. Our heading due south is 60 degrees off course - a pain we have
to suffer now to pick up those Trade Winds.
Although we are leading IRC Class 2, and the two-handed boats, we are
currently 13th in IRC overall. The wind shadow north of Tenerife was
not kind to us and is reflected in our ranking. However there are still
three boats north of the ridge that need to get south. There is also a
pack of five IRC0/1 boats up to 300nm ahead. With 2,200nm still to go
the race is still on. The IRC0 fleet are probably out of reach now, but
it would be nice to claim a few scalps from the IRC1 fleet.
Time to change spinnakers...
Richard & Rupert
Jangada
