Unicef has arrived in Albany at 04:11 UTC ( 12:11 Local time) this morning. The article about their journey tells of their challenges including the skipper being not well, laid up for a few days with pains and the watch leaders having to step in to keep the boat going. They were eleventh in and getting two points for the leader board.
Monthly Archives: November 2015
Miss Universe and big fronts, will they ever reach Albany?
Big fronts continue to catch-up with the fleet which now looks like a straight line of dots on the Race Standings map. Conditions remain difficult with short periods of respite when there is no wind to keep the sails filled. One of the skippers reported that it is getting a little warmer as they are slowly turning northerly which must be a great feeling. It does show how much south they have been as it is 22 oC in Albany during the day.
Overtaking weather fronts causing concertina effect sailing
With the first week and 1,000 miles are behind them, Unicef is picking up speed in rough and variable conditions, the “Purring Roaries are Waking up“. But then 12 hours later they are drifting again in zero winds. This week has seen fast moving fronts catching up on the fleet at four times the speed of the yachts creating an concertina effect of varying distances between the yachts.
A stormy start of leg 3 from Cape Town
On Saturday 31st October the clipper yachts left Cape Town and are now on their way to Albany Australia. The number of positive messages on Facebook pays tribute to the hospitality of Cape Town. All crew seem to have had a splendid time, enjoying every moment of their visit.
Saturday, after clearing immigration, the fleet left around midday in strong winds of 20 knots and gusts of 30 to 35 knots. Leg 3 is the big one, the Southern Ocean leg, named by the destination host port of Albany the ‘Wardan Whip’ as I explained in my last week’s blog post.