Down to the wire
The finish of Race 4 was very exciting and extremely close with the top eight teams only separated by just over seven hours after 24 days of hard sailing, and the top two teams separated by just over 30 minutes. Team Finland eventually took line honours ahead of the home team on board Spirit of Australia, a reverse of the scoring gate positions from ten days ago. Jamaica Lightning Bolt claimed the last podium position in a closely fought battle with Cape Breton Island which went to the wire.
All the way towards the finish line the fleet positions were changing as the teams battled through a light wind high pressure system before getting into the steady strong breeze which catapulted the leading eight boats to the finish line during the last 48 hours. It is rare in ocean racing that so many teams finish so close together after such a long race and just goes to show how closely matched the boats and teams are. The smallest mistake will cost you miles and probably lose you a place or two.
Cork and Hull & Humber are further back down the race track after having to return into Cape Town following a start line collision but are both expected to arrive before Christmas.
With four races completed and ten still to go there are still many opportunities for teams to collect points and the leader board could look very different in seven months’ time when the fleet heads back into the Humber in the UK.
Almost there - by Sandy Paskins (Team Finland) - 11 December 2009
It seems hard to believe that I am now on day 20 of my adventure across the Southern Ocean, and that in a few days time (wind willing) we shall arrive in Geraldton, Western Australia. We have all taken part in every aspect of sailing this boat including soaking wet headsail changes, freezing night watches where little activity was called for, trimming the sails to get that extra percentage of boat speed, to cooking, washing up and of course the most sought after of all chores; cleaning the heads!
Today had a different slant to it as it was my turn to present ‘Happy hour’. No, not an abandonment of the vessel to a fictitious pub in the ocean, but to present the fleet rankings as they were at 00.00 UTC this morning, relay the weather forecast (Michael Fish sprang to mind) and also to inject some banter or tell a story to the guaranteed audience.
As we are some 800 miles from Geraldton and Antarctica lies to the South of us, the story of Shackleton’s great but unsuccessful adventure in the Endeavour early in the last century came to mind. I recall reading the book, ‘South’, and I decided I would never complain about the cold again, but I have failed in this respect as some nights and even days on this voyage have been quite testing as far as the temperature goes. The Endeavour was crushed by the pack ice and in the absence of modern technology (no GPS or radio!) Shackleton’s only hope was to cross the Southern Ocean with some of his men to South Georgia where there was a base station. This they did in an open lifeboat but unfortunately they made landfall on the wrong end of the island. The boat was unfit for further sea passage.
Undaunted, they made their way by foot (more like mountaineering) across the island, and as they approached the base station, the thought occurred to Shackleton that there could be women at this base station!
He and his team were unkempt, with torn and dirty clothes and possibly not all smelling of roses!
Now the point of this story is that as we approach Geraldton, we know that many of our friends and family will be there to greet us. For Team Finland, there is no excuse for arriving unkempt. Our master engineer, Hans, has arranged for copious quantities of water to be made and heated, and today I am delighted to report that I have had a hot shower.
I can almost taste those ice cold beers but they will have to wait for just a little bit longer...
Sandy Paskins
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