Now here’s a real race, with lots of weather, breaking boats and full-on surfing. Check out the latest report to see what those crazy Open 60 sailors are up to. Here’s just a taste:
“At the 1400 GMT ranking today the leaders of the IMOCA fleet in the Calais Round Britain Race were already level with Dingle in the SW of Ireland after a ‘wet and wild’ night trucking across the Celtic Sea on a broad reach with gusts peaking at 46 knots and cold, boat-breaking seas. Conditions are taking their toll on both the crews and their boats, Caen La Mer forced to retire at 0435 GMT this Tuesday morning after dangerous conditions in the Channel without power, working ballast tanks or the ability to cant their keel. Around four hours later Bernard Stamm on Cheminees Poujoulat became the third skipper to retire from the race after breaking his sole daggerboard in a collision with a UFO (unidentified floating object) off the Scilly Isles at around midnight last night.”
While the Transatlantic Challenge weenies are mixing cocktails and choosing which ascot to wear to dinner, these guys are sailing their asses off and still have time to take photos, phone in updates, and let all us deskbound losers know just what the hell is going on out there…
“Plus, I’m reading Sartre between weather file downloads…”
The Earthist Chronicles 