Bob Clitherow – Yellowdrama
Start
As I started thos blog during the race, we started at 11:10am on Sunday 22nd October from Grand Harbour. According to the latest weather files, Yellowdrama should reach the finish on Thursday morning after 5 days at sea. But, it could take a bit longer if the wind runs out…
Saturday
22/10/11
The starting cannon is high on the battlements overlooking Grand Harbour. A huge puff of smoke and we were off, the second of four starts. Clear air was a bit hard to find, but we made a clean start towrds the pin end and hoisted the heavy kite. Although a light start was predicted, it was gusting over 20kts as we gybed around the first mark outside the harbour breakwater and set off towards the second off St. Julians. The wind was too much for a shy kite reach, so we dropped and two it sailed up to the second buoy where we gybed again and set off towards the SE corner of Sicily, 55 miles away. The kite was back up again for quite a bit and we made good progress at around 10kts in much more wind from the SE than any forecast predicted. So, it wasn’t a surprise when the wind began to drop. What was a surprise was that it headed us. Yellowdrama, at around 32 tons, is not built for light airs and, while we have made good progress, it was been slower than expected.
Sunday
23/10/11
1500 p
Today has been spent tacking gently past my waypoint, Murro di Porco (Wall of Pork?!), Syracuse and up towards Etna. The wind, at last started to obey the forecast, went around to the east and strengthened a couple of hours ago, which enabled us to peel to the heavy #1 for a 9kts reach up towards the Straits of Messina. It is now 8.6nm to my waypoint at the S end and 22nm to the narrow bit at the top. the wind has, again, at last done what it was predicted to do, dropped and come right. As I have been typing, the heavy spi has replaced the #1 and we are making 8kts in 7kts of wind. Oh, 9kts in 16kts, now!
As you might imagine, the fleet has got a bit mixed up. But, we are currently close to Heartbeat, a UK East Coast Dufor 45 that I have raced against several times earlier this year. They are in Class 4 and we should be further ahead. But, is very obvious how they always catch up whenever it goes lighter. Ali Raja, an Italian Grand Soleil 45, is just ahead. They are in our class and are rated 1.119 to our 1.113. So, that is close. There are a couple of Pogos as well as sume larger funiture 5nm ahead. But, that group also has a J122s and the Corby called Rockall, which rate lower than us. Still, i is early days still and we are flying in the fresher winds.
Boat life is very easy. Amelie keeps on handing out delicious food. Tuna cake was a first for me and very good! The watch system is working well. Stephen/David/Peter, Roger/Flic/Chris and then the James’ watch with Seb and and/or me. So, all is well and we are now less than two hours from Messina.
Sunday
23/10/11
1750
We are through the Straits of Messina. This went reasonably smoothly until two ships decided to come through the S going shipping channel as we chose to cross it. No, it wasn’t a “Cowes” moment. We got across infront of them with masses of space, dodged the shallow but by Charybdis and are now on track to Stromboli which is 34 miles away. Amazingly, we can see it (and the smoke) in the distance. The wind is now S at 19kts and we are peeling to the heavy spi. But, 10nm up the track the wind changes to the E, we suspect. So, it will be a busy evening.