Sorry no photographs as this email is being sent via our satellite phone however I will best describe our journey since leaving Las Palmas.

After being told continually by the rally organisers and other participants that this was not a race at the start line nothing could be further from the truth.

There were 11 big catamarans (Out-Rageous is the third smallest) heading to cross a 500m wide start all at exactly 12.45 in amongst were 46 mono hulls awaiting to start 15mins later CHAOS!

Any way we held back reasoning that 200m behind added little to the 860 miles which was the first leg to the Cap Verdes Islands.

 

At the Skippers briefing the day before we were warned of wind acceleration zones that exist between the islands, within 5 miles Out-Rageous was surfing along at 18 knts! I was hoping to do some mackarling on the way down, I would have needed a bag of cement to keep the hooks in the water!

This clearly could not continue as the auto pilot could not cope and things were going to break. The red mist gradually receded and common sense prevailed we left the acceleration zone and settled down to our first night at sea. All boats carry a gadget called AIS it has a range when fitted to yachts of about 15miles and enables us to see each other and transmits course speed etc. this is not the yellow brick tracker that I spoke about in the last blog we have no access to that information although we do rely on daily reports emailed by Clive my Brother.

 

The next day we awoke to an empty sea where had everybody gone? our AIS showed a few boats around but all out of site the wind had died so we enjoyed the trip down however we were soon alarmed at the majority of boats appeared to be doing better than us however we consoled ourselves that it was not a race (except me) and that we would enjoy the trip down. I am pleased to say that that thought only lasted about an hour and I was soon joined by the remaining crew into giving it our best shot.

 

On the third day at 2.45 am Gary was on watch and spotted a flare (a flare sited at sea is generally a sign of distress) he raised everybody and we began to search we radioed a yacht who was closer to the siting who said that he had seen nothing. I contacted Las Palmas MRCC by Sat phone and reported the siting my Spainish is not good and his English even worse( Sarah there will be a large Sat Phone airtime bill this month!) we searched and found nothing we finally carried on. The next day whilst all on deck changing sails all of a sudden a Spanish Hercules Search and rescue was flying alongside us so low that we could see his moustache!

Apparently he had been calling us on the radio but as we were on deck changing sails we could not hear, he then resorted to other means in gaining our attention!

 

 

Well the upshot is after six days we arrived in 8th position and try as we might we could not catch up we were so disappointed as we thought Out-Rageous was supposed to be quick!

Having arrived in Mandela we drank bear and fixed the boat, the marina was not as we know it we lost two lines due to rubbing the Atlantic swell came around the break water and a continuous surge made the stay very unpleasant, there was limited internet however the fleet was beginning to gel.

We were introduced to the local rum different! and various shore activities were organised. Prize giving night came around, Pete thought it a good idea for us all to wear our “ Out-Rageous” shirts, more local rum and food was laid on.

Finally the results were announced for the multi hull class “ and in third place the British Yacht Out-Rageous” we looked at each other and could not believe our ears we came 8th! What we ha not taken into account was the amount of handicap and half of the buggers had used their engines!

Well we were well made up and looked forward to the next leg “the crossing” to which we were going to apply serious effort.

 

Wednesday rapidly approached we again were warned of wind acceleration zones this times crossed the start line exactly where we wanted to be, Penny who had sailed from Mindelo before knew exactly where to place us and get the best from the wind at the bottom of the passage between the two islands we had to turn right to make our course for St Lucia this would then put us in the lee of the mountains island effectively shutting off the wind.   We watched the fleet all making for the same spot “the dead zone” whilst we were heading in another direction, by the end of the first day we were in first place and touch wood still remain on corrected time after the handicap facture has been applied.

 

Our biggest threat is squalls isolated small storms that appear on the horizon as a patch of dark menacing cloud, you can see around and sometimes even through them but when your in them its torrential rain and an increase in wind speed by twenty yachts we know of at least two boats that have had very large expensive down wind sails flying when they were hit by squalls and had them blown out or halyards part.  I guess Monday night was quite scary wind and seas were building all day all from our rear, you feel the boat surge forward as she is picked by the rising waves she starts to surf, she also will start to hum and if you are sensible you don't look back imagine that in the dark? We have on board an EPBIRB its an emergency positioning beacon and can be activated either manually or when immersed, it then sends a distress call with your position and boat name to a satellite which funnily enough is picked up by Falmouth coast Guard who alert local S&R mid Atlantic? I spent all of my 12am to 4am cuddling our EPIRB as if it were Lynn! squall after squall came through we had winds of 37 knots and more I gave up looking and the rain was so torrential I could not see anyway.

The next day different world 30 degs  blue sky beautiful azure blue seas talking of which depth, I wondered this when emptying last nights potato peelings over the side, how long would it take for potato peel to sink 6,000 meters?

 

We are now half way and Gary has been tasked to lay on a half way banquet no wine I'm afraid as we are a dry boat until St Lucia. So far we have travelled 1,098 miles since last Wedneday and are currently 2,734 miles from Coverack as the crow flies. Also today is SHOWER DAY yippee!!!

 

More when we arrive and lots of pics in St Lucia.