The frustration of no wind

We are now down to a point off Honduras and the heat gets hotter and the wind gets less. For this race the Race Director has set three different finishing lines so that if we all get becalmed in the doldrums and wind holes, he can call a halt to the race and be able to award positions. So how is this done? Well all twelve boats have crossed the first finish line. What they have to do is to take a photograph of the GPS at the moment they cross the latitude set. At the same time the photo will show the actual time. All boats then send in their photos by e-mail to the Clipper Race HQ.

The boats then continue to the next line as quickly as possible and the same operation is undertaken.

Now, the second race led to quite some frustration on our part yesterday.

We were doing everything we could in light winds to get close to the line. We had to gybe several times and then change sails. I and my watch mates came on deck at 10pm last night and the wind immediately died. We could do nothing but sit there and bob about for four hours. We then handed over to the other watch and the wind came up and they crossed the finish line. How frustrating.

We must now wait until the last boat crosses the line before Clipper could announce the result. However the last boat still has about 160 miles to go. It really is strange to know that we will have to wait another day or so before we know the result. But the Race Director may make us go for the third finish line. The key will be whether we can make the Panama Canal for our time to get through.

Apologies for the length of this more technical blog, but I thought that I should explain some of the rules of ocean racing.

I now will get into my bunk and try to seep for 5 hours max. in what can only be described as a sauna.

Best wishes to you all from the Pacific near Central America.

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: In addition to all the fascinating technical news shared here, Malcolm has declared himself an honorary member of the ‘Bilge Suckers and Sludge Pumpers Association’ owing to some of the less glamorous work he’s having to do on the facilities ‘down below’. The very definition of ‘mucking in’! It seems there are no lengths our intrepid sailor won’t go to for his all-important chosen charities.  For those reading this via email update, don't forget to visit the blog at https://malclipper.blogspot.com where you can pledge support through donations to Malcolm's chosen charities via links on the right hand side of the page - the Bobby Moore Fund tackling bowel cancer; the James Whale Fund for kidney cancer; and Prostate Cancer UK. 

Malcolm taking it easy as usual