Rio to Cape Town 2017

Day 7 - Saturday 15 February. By Cathleen Hughes. At 01h00 the wind died for a moment, shifted and increased again causing the boat to completely heel over and almost broach. This wind movement was exactly what Chris told us would happen in last night’s team weather briefing. The weather continued throughout the day almost exactly as explained. During the 05h00 shift the rain was coming down in sheets so thick that it was difficult to see the ocean surrounding us. It is ... Read more

Day 6 - Friday 14 February. By Cathleen Hughes. In the early hours of the morning the sea had calmed a bit which gave cupid a chance to do his duties. A slab of Brazilian chocolate was placed in the arms of the two slumbering princesses on board. Each slab was creatively decorated with masking tape and a heart drawn on with a red permanent marker. When Lorraine and Cathleen awoke they were surprised at the effort that was made and immediately began ... Read more

Day 5 - Thursday 13 February. By Cathleen Hughes. Early morning shifts are always the most difficult because it’s dark, you’re half asleep and boredom is always lurking around the corner. As the previous crew learnt, a cup of tea usually takes the edge off things. During the 3am shift, Lorraine very kindly made herself and her watch partner a cup of tea. She took a sip of her tea and told Rory that hers tasted a bit salty and wanted to know ... Read more

Day 4 - Wednesday 12 February. By Cathleen Hughes. Every crew member is back to their original good spirits and feeling like proper sailors. More showers were taken to freshen up. We received a couple emails from various scouting backgrounds about the race and wishing us well on our journey home. A very special email came from our fellow race crew member, Grant Chapman. It was comforting to know he arrived home safely and is enjoying telling the tales of the high seas. ... Read more

Day 3 - Tuesday 11 February. By Cathleen Hughes. It was a reasonably slow morning with everyone going about their own business and still trying to figure out their shifts. Mornings on board are very casual, one will have breakfast whenever they feel like it with a choice of either oats are muesli. If you’re lucky an apple or an orange will make itself available to fill the gaps in your stomach. Peter and Rory had their first showers yesterday along with some clothes ... Read more

Day 2 - Monday 10 February. By Cathleen Hughes. In the morning of Day 2 we discovered Rory and Renier still sitting in the cockpit after a rough first night on the open sea. We later discovered that they simply did not want to go into their cabins as the thought of feeling any worse than they already did was just terrifying. The day was slow as the majority of the crew members slept all day except for appearing diligently for their watches. ... Read more

Day 1 - Sunday 9 February. By Cathleen Hughes. The crew awoke early in order to depart from Ilha Grande before midday but we were side tracked by various minor repairs and cleaning that needed to be done to ready the boat before the long trip. Eventually we made way at 11h30 and set an approximate course for Cape Town. We were welcomed back to ocean sailing life with winds of 10 to 15 knots and a fairly bumpy sea. The boat balanced herself ... Read more

9 February 2014 - Ilha Grande. By Cathleen Hughes. After saying our farewells in Rio we headed off to an island 70NM down the coast called Ilha Grande. Once we had spotted the island on the horizon, we watched it grow larger and larger as we sailed closer. As we approached Abrao bay, more lights came into view and we could make out a number of small villages scattered along the shore. Because we arrived in the dark, our view was relatively limited ... Read more

1 February 2014 - Arriving in Rio. By Peter Bosch. Around 15h15 UTC we were just outside the bay. The winds were strong and perfect conditions to sail the final distance. Once the spinnaker was up we were sailing at 9.2 knots, a comforting speed that brought back the memories of the good old days where the wind co-operated. Our smooth sailing was interrupted by a sudden increase in wind speed that caught us all off guard. In a blink of an eye, ... Read more