Captain's Log 03.40.000S 29.03.000W

Suzie Too - Western Caribbean
David & Suzanne Chappell
Thu 10 Dec 2009 14:27
Today, Thu our course is looking good we are running down the rhumb line between 00:00N/S 28:00W and WP4 07:30S 30:00W with 15kts making 8,0kts and the current still setting west, but the wind has backed a little so we are going well and are heading 205 degrees. Yesterday we seem to have made up 4 places to 11, but the front 3 boats we won't catch, cos they are 200M ahead and we have only 850M to run, so I need to go 25% faster than the other guys which isn't possible, but we shall see what happens when we wind drops near the coast of Brazil and we hit the north bound current - Oh yea, that's right everyone puts their engine on.

Not that I've loaded all the data into a Excel - Oh no, I've made an Access database and can crunch the numbers and reports that are useful, well I'm not much of a reader, more a numbers guy. Tonight at dinner we will be 2/3 of the way, after 1,400M, and should be in 15 Dec, but if the wind eases it may be 16 Dec, hope we can still get a turkey and some cranberry sauce - what about putting those little crosses in the brussel sprouts - hmm.. life's a worry.

You guys can see better than me on the web, but over the next few days we should take Enez Mimosa today, Fidelio tomorrow and Cigale and Quand Meme III on Saturday, then we have our work cut out to catch the others - but a top five finish would be very respectable. Flying Kefi has dropped out for this year and will pick up the Rallye next year in Mindelo, and it seems most RIDS boats have lost contact with each other - 800M from land there in NOTHING, no ships, dolphins, fish, birds other yachts NOTHING.

But it's OK no one onboard is bothered, the boat is going well, but yesterday when I lost the Iridium signal for about 3 mins and had to reboot the phone I felt a little perturbed - then we would really have been out of contact with everyone. BTW if you come this way don't bother with SSB Radio, it just isn't working in the fleet - all except 3 of us have Iridium and it's great for weather charts, GRIB files, email and you can even call your mother every Sunday after she has been to church.

Best Regards

David & Suzanne

Moody 49 CC "Suzie Too"
Transat Race Team

Iridium: 00881 631 570 846
Web Blog: www.mailasail.com - Click "Diary" Click "Suzie Too"

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