After many days of squalls and rain showers and a one day delay because of high winds ARC 2014 is underway.   The boat was decorated with flags from Gran Canaria and ARC 2014 as well as a courtesy flag for Spain.  We also hoisted flags for each of the crew mambers native countries – Canada, Australia, and the United States.   Fortunately Mike was out getting bread when our neighbor Paul pointed ou that the Australia flag was upside down.  Kevin and I didn’t see the problem.  It would have looked right from ‘Down Under’.

 

We successfully navigated the tricky exit from the harbor ands were ringside to see the racing boat start.   The racing boats started at 10:30, 30 minutes earlier than all boats.

Discretion being the better part of valor we stayed out of the anticipated melee  at the start line and crossed it at 11:22.    The 30 minute head start and their ability to sail 11 knots faster than us means that we’ve seen the last of the race boats until we reach St. Lucia.  Of course, they may have moved on by then!

 

Today is a much better day to sail than yesterday so kudos to the race committee for the delay.  Seas are 2-3 meters but the waves are well spread apart.  The trailing seas require us to hand steer for now but that also allows each of us to get a feel for the boat.  We expect to hand steer at least 25% of each watch to make sure the autopilot isn’t being overtaxed. 

 

Despite our deliberately slow start we are in with a pack of boats having made up time as we came down Gran Canaria.  We went further offshore to avoid a wind “acceleration zone” by the airport.  That set us up nicely for a single tack, from a SE heading to SW heading, that avoids the “wind shadow” below the island. Even with a reef in both the main and the genoa are doing 8  knots in 17-18 mph winds.  That’s not counting the speed when we are surfing down a wave.  On one wave the Course over Ground (COG) briefly hit 13.4 knots! If we can maintain this speed we could be in St. Lucia in 13-15 days!  That gives Captain Kevin the inside track on the crossing pool.  He has the fastest crossing time at 17D 4:32.  Swab Mike is next at 17 D 11:30, followed by Captain Jane at 17D 21:30.  Swab Bill went with the least scientific approach and picked arrival time as 12/12@12   for a passage time of 18D 2:00..

 

All aboard are handling the first day well.  We are getting out sea legs with no one suffering from mal de mer.  We will be settling into our watches and our “rotation” shortly. 

 

Forecast is good for a speedy passage almost right along the thumb line to St. Lucia.   Already the weather is clearing and we’re looking forward to a good 24 hour run.

 

For the foodies out there tonight’s meal was lemon, pepper chicken pasta that Jane had prepared yesterday so that we did not have to worry about food preparation should the seas be rough. We have a couple more in the refridgerator for the next two days as well.

 

 

Thats all for now,

 

The crew of Libeccio’