BARRA

Yesterday we had diner in the Hotel with approx 125 other sailors. Best
day in the year for the hotel I guess. Today: shopping, finalize repair
of mainsail, get a gribfile and prepare for take off tomorrow morning
early. Hopefully I can fit in some time to walk (or bike) around a bit
on this beautiful island. The weather is surprisingly good. Some boats
drifted off the anchor yesterday. rudder damage, pfff. We are lucky to
be on a mooring.
The internet connection in Barra Hotel is not very good. Too slow to
upload any pictures or videos, unfortunately. So that will have to wait
for Lerwick.
Looking ahead this will be a leg with rather light wind for some
periods. Stronger winds to the west will not reach us (as it looks now)
and later on we will have strong northerlies going down from Muckle
Flugga on the eastern shore of Shetland to the finish line.

BARRA

This morning we arrived at the finish line in Barra early in the
morning. Rainy and windy, and rather poor visibility. Found a mooring
(three boats on a mooring!) and went ashore for breakfast. Barra Hotel
has not changed since the last time I was here in 1993.
After the showers I started with the work on the main. There is no
sailmaker in Barra and we will have to repair the sail for the next leg,
starting in 48 hours. Tomorrow I will try to arrange a DHL delivery of
the dacron main to Lerwick.

MAINSAIL DAMAGE

This morning when I came out of my bunk I noticed the mail was
badly damaged. It will be difficult to repair on board. We will try to
apply some tape but that will not hold if wet/ Barra has no facilities
and no sailmaker. So this looks like a nasty one.

PREVIEW LEG 2

Leg 2 from Kinsale to Barra could be a shake out, just like in the RBI 1993 when 2/3 of the boats in class 6 did not make it and abandoned. The GRIBs show25 knots from the north. In reality you have to add 5 knots to adjust the gribs and another 5 kts (or more) for the venturi effect near the capes around Ireland. So I think this will be a bumpy ride, at least for the first 2 days or so. We will find out soon how this will work out.

DOWNWIND TO KINSALE

Very nice sailing indeed ! A pity though that this could not last long enough, because the tack was ripped off. I was a bit surprized because there seemed to be no good reason for this to happen. The sail did not collapse or open with a loud bang. It just ripped of under the load in 25-28kts of breeze.



and some more

KINSALE

Yesterday I managed to get the damaged heavy gennaker to the sailmaker in Cork to repair and reinforce the tack. All kind of small jubs had to be done to the boat before the party at the Kinsale yachtclub started. We had diner with a large group. When the Dutch start singing we're in for heavy weather.
Richard (VQ32 Velocity Girl) is still suffering from his back. Woody (VQ32 Vandal) is still stugling with an infection to his ear (small fever, antibiotics, painkillers, pfff). This is to remind that we have to look after ourselves very well.
Today the sailmaker brought us the repaired gennaker. They have been working overnight to repair loads of damaged headsails. So now we can relax a bit.Tonight there will be a bbq. A short nap, and then to the starting line at 02.40.

first leg

after an exciting start where i almost hit the pin end mark, we had a nice beat up to bisshop rock. We arrived there in exactely at the same tima as vandal. Velocity girl was way out in front of us. downwind to ireland in a building breeze with the baro falling. In 25 knots of breeze the tack of the asymetrical suddrnly was blown out without any warning. So we were down to white sails. Speed max 16.6 in a surf gooze winged. Approaching ireland the wind dropped and disappeared completely just a few miles before the finishline. We rowed accross the line at 02.45 just 1,5 mile behind velocity girl who broke their spi pole. 7andal as first in, well done. Gennaker will be repaired by tomorrow midday, so now a will relax abit, clean up and get some more sleep before we will start the next leg upwond to barra.