Team Sanya, in the Volvo Ocean Race

WOOOOOH YEAH – FAST SAILING FOR THE WHOLE FLEET TODAY
ANDRES BLOG – WEDNESDAY 29TH FEBRUARY 2012

We have now with any luck past the half waypoint, maybe not in miles but in number of days to get us to Auckland. It certainly has not been easy 24 hours on any one onboard. Helmets and safety harnesses are worn and the boat is fully stacked aft. From the hatch the helmsman is the only one immediately visible as the other 3 seek shelter behind him from the stack of sails above. It’s a sleigh ride all right, its wet and bumpy and always on the edge. At 18+ on average we are skimming through the water, and I do mean through it. Blood red eyes irritated by the constant salt water are common among all… Little time is spent bellow out of your bunk as every minute of sleep you can get is imperative. The boys’ strip out of their wet weather gear and in to their warm bunks only stopping for a second for a quick feed if it happens to be that time of day.

The jolty movements of the yacht in every direction make it hard do anything constructive down bellow, meals take a bit longer as finding a good brace position for every little movement you make is crucial. The fear of pouring boiling hot water all over yourself keeps you alert and pensive. Then there is bailing… No matTer what you do, you cant seem to keep the water out. Its feels useless at times, especially when you can see more water coming in then you are taking out. There is no rest and I just keep telling myself ill eventually win and there will come a time where the inside of the boat is bone dry. Going to leave you now, with the boys on deck giving us a collective, “woooo! YEAH!” as we surf down another wave propelling us ever faster toward Auckland…

Standby…

andrés