GOLD COAST 180600ZJUN12 SKED – HALIFAX TO DERRY

LAT 42 30.4N
LONG 052 05.5W
DTF 2011
ETA 30 Jun 2012
SOG 7.5
COG 90-120

WEATHER WIND 060-040 10-15kts, Sea Mod, Swell NE 3m, Cloud 5/8 fog, Baro 1021

Gold Coast Australia continues to punch our way to windward towards the scoring gate with good upwind speed and a now healthy crew.

Happy hour at midday yesterday bought the entire crew on deck for air and a chance to share our thoughts on the race so far and improvements that can be made to make onboard life more efficient and more enjoyable. All the crew are now up and involved in the watch system, and while some remain feeing a bit queezy, they are over the worst of their sickness.

The day started under a reefed mainsail and a number two yankee, as we watched the weather moderate and the sea die down, making the ride more enjoyable, though there is still the odd big wave crashing over the boat leaving a trail of phosphorescence over the deck in its path. Shortly after midnight the wind moderated even further and we shook out a reef. An hour later it was time to change headsails and now Gold Coast Australia is sailing along in full flight with a large trail of phosphorescence behind us.

Apart from the phosphorescence marine life has been relatively sparse which is quite sad considering our close proximity to the Grand Banks – one of the most famous fishing grounds in history. Apart from the odd dolphin, there has been nothing to indicate life outside our own 68ft habitat.

Until recently we were experiencing very stable and consistent wind from the north east. Since midnight however, as the wind has moderated it has also become quite unstable and we are seeing thirty degree wind shifts indicating a change of weather that is imminent. We are also seeing signs of the gulf stream, it is so warm on deck that I was able to wear board shorts on deck after midnight. The warm water mixed with the cold air results in sea fog and saturated air leaving condensation all over the boat.

Weather forecasts we receive via email seem quite disturbed, and over the past few days there have been substantial variations in the predicted models. This makes our tactics very challenging. One would expect the Azores high to settle over the Azores over the next few days, giving some more stability and better winds, however the forecast has it moving to the east of the Azores which will no doubt result in more disturbed weather. Whilst routing yesterday suggested heading north, todays forecast favours heading to the south. Constantly changing forecast makes sailing 120nm south of our current position a risky manoeuvre as there is a good chance that when the weather pattern settles it will favour us being for the north. For now all we can do is sail fast and sail straight and make the most of the wind we have in this band of pressure. Hopefully when tomorrows weather files are received we will have a few more answers to our questions and can make a more concrete tactical strategy.