date 15.10.11
LAT 44 52.9E
LONG 55 05.0E
DTR 2947
ETA 1200 28 Oct 11
WEATHER WIND 285@20kts Sea 4 Swell 250@3m Period 5s Cloud 5/8 stratus
cumulus Sea temp 8.2 outside temp 11.4
SKIPPPERS BLOG
At 05h39m46s UTC Gold Coast Australia passed through the scoring gate at
position 44 52.79S 055 00.0E. This is a massive victory for Gold Coast
Australia after battling with the elements for the last few days and then
having to run north to reach the scoring gate without a spinnaker in very
moderate winds and large seas with the rest of the fleet catching us at a
rate too close for comfort.
Gold Coast Australia is now back our great circle route track heading east
towards Australia and moral is high this morning, as we have not only
reached the scoring gate first, but also because temperatures have soared
to a balmy 11 degrees C which is more than twice as hot as the temperature
we have been experiencing for the last few days.
Once again we are sailing in perfect southern ocean sailing conditions
with a moderate wind behind us. These conditions are not expected to last
long and a careful eye is being kept on the glass watching the barometric
pressure and also on the approaching clouds as the next cold front
approaches us from the west. I am expecting this front to be quite windy
so we will be once again battening down the hatches and holding on whist
we fly east towards Australia. BT