In their own words.

by Vic Maui Crews, July 8th, 2010

These are partial entries from the crew blogs from the last couple of days.

 Black Watch

Black Watch is still enjoying 20 to 25 knots of wind on a broad reach.  Has there ever been such winds during a Vic Maui?  Competition on BW is becoming intense, top speed reached today was 15.2 knots during the hand off of the helm at shift change.  There is a debate whether the record will be granted to Mac Man Doug Mackie or to Captain Rum Runner Dan who was receiving the hand off at the time.  In order to maintain peace on board, suggestion that they share the record of top speed would be advisable. We have now had 6 days with barely an appearance from the sun.  We are heading to Hawaii, aren’t we?  There will be sun at some point of the trip!  Reassurance from The Wizard Andrey Gleener that we will be seeing sun tomorrow has boosted every ones spirit.  Thoughts of being able to shed the foul weather gear is most agreeable.

Sonsie

Welcome to hotel Sonsie...the civilized race boat!  Hot showers had by all...decadent meals including lasagna, perogies,red wine on deck...now warm enough for shorts too! Crew all enjoying their sea vacation while in the heat of a strategic racing battle...Covered 160 NM last night, wing and wing in gentle seas with winds 10-15 kts.  The sea has become as blue as Sonsies sail covers! We broke through the 1000 NM mile mark this morning...Moustache contest has achieved grotesque proportions as the crew has been challenged to adopt the most hideous style they can imagine during the race...Camilla is still reluctant to participate! Air temp is 21 degrees, sunshine, position at 1230 HST N3550 W13654...

Teremoto!

Today, we are planning a special 'half-way' meal.  We will open the half-way box from our Seattle sailing friends.  We have enjoyed little packages along the way:  licorice, chocolate covered coffee beans, pickled herring and kippered snax  (Thank you, Heidi ;-)  Skyler's girlfriend, Heidi, tucked in these special gifts.  They have been so appreciated to give a little lift each day. Karen Thorndike:  Thank you for the necklace and charms!  They have been such fun to add each day.  (Karen sent us off with a line with many knots tied along it.  She has included a charm for each day, like the light house leaving the straits for the first day.  She also included additional charms to add as we spotted certain things on the way, like a whale. Hey, we had three orca whales swimming with us through the Rocks outside Victoria...and an eagle sitting on the Rocks to say 'good bye'.  The next day, we had dolphins swimming with us.  So fabulous! Now, the water is blue...a beautiful, clear, 'sea' blue.  The waves have lined up behind us.  We are flying a spinnaker.  The boat seems to be very happy.  The crew is happy.  It is for sailing like this that sailors make the trek out here.  So grueling to get here.  Such a delight to be here.

Turicum

Turicum is at 37 degrees 46 minutes north as I write and the outside temperature is getting pretty warm. The heavy foul weather gear will probably be stowed for the duration tomorrow and the shorts will be out in a day or two. … To sleep, per chance to dream. – or to hallucinate. I believe the type of sleep we get – no more than 4-5 hours at a time leads to some very vivid dreams. They are actually a great diversion in an otherwise very set routine. Everyone is now able to get to sleep quite quickly, largely due to the fact that the work and watch shifts (0600 – 1200; 1200 – 1800; 1800 – 2200; 2200 – 0200 and 0200 – 0600) wear you down so much in the first few days that it is impossible not to sleep. This may be a tough routine to break once back to life on land.

Kinetic

Ever wondered just how people get their nicknames on sailing teams? This evening, Wednesday, at about 5:30 pm,  broad reaching in 20+ knots of wind about six hundred miles from the nearest land, we wrapped a spinnaker around the forestay. The flogging sail quickly wound itself tightly in two different sections at two different heights, and trapped the topping lift line as well.  We bore off and ran deep downwind under mainsail and fouled spinnaker. …As squalls rolled over the boat and darkness fell, Kinetic bowman Adam Thomson went up the rig in a climbing harness, twice, for a total of almost two hours. … At times, he was in a vertical, head up position, at other times he was horizontal like a hang-glider pilot.  He cut and sawed and sliced and gradually the sail came down in strips, entirely unsalvageable but carefully retained for warranty purposes (just kidding!). All this was accomplished without either cutting himself or the topping lift.  Finally, down to deck level came Adam, exhausted and bruised but otherwise alright.  Kinetic's crew salutes Adam "The Ninja" Thomson.  We've given him the rest of the night off.

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