Position: 7,8.77N , 46,55.96W Speed: 17 knots, Course: 311 deg. We had been stressed about our lack of speed for long enough. Brasil1 kept putting miles on us and Ericsson was getting closer. Even though we could not see anything on the keel or rudder, we decided the only way to get the possibility that […]
We have had Brasil in sight all day and they have been making slow but steady gains on us. We have tried everything, different sails, different trim and shapes, different helmsmen. They are just 1 mile away so we can see what sails they have up and they appear to be the same as ours […]
It was a stressful couple of days for us on the Pearl. The boat was not going very fast and we tried everything to get her going but to no avail. We also did get hit by more than our fair share of “parking lots” partly our fault and partly bad luck. Our competitors kept […]
Position: 13,4.11S , 35,39.36W Speed: 13 knots, Course: 34 deg. It was a light a variable day today with winds as light as 3 knots. There is always a lot of anxiety when you have that little wind as you wonder what everyone else has. Today we had to fight our way through a large […]
Position: 16,27.85S , 37,42.62W Speed: 9 knots, Course: 54 deg. Russian Roulette is more like it than sailing. Large clouds dominate the scene and the wind is light and variable. When it is this light, and while you are making the best of what you have, you can’t help thinking that the other guys have […]
Position: 20,13.29S , 39,21.58W Speed: 13 knots, Course: 20 deg. I just logged the 1600UTC sked. Like many of you, I noticed that the positions were basically the same as they were 6 hours ago. So, one could imagine that we have been just trundling along here, happy as can be. Nothing could be further […]
Position: 23,8.63S , 42,22.76W Speed: 9 knots, Course: 78 deg. It was a very friendly send off at the dock this morning. Many fans were on hand at Marina Gloria to say good bye to the fleet. The Brazilians were great hosts and did a fantastic job with the stopover. Onboard the Black Pearl the […]
The third Grumetes – cabin boys in Spanish, girls too we hope – and Pescanova Pirates Day of the race so far proved to be a lively affair with a cacophony of drum beats, roaring cheers and cannon fire, accompanying a spectacular display of dancing and gymnastics from the Circo Popular do Brasil and the […]
It was a tough day for the Pirates today. The conditions on the Rio harbor were excellent with steady winds of 14-18 knots. The spectators were numerous and very enthusiastic We had a very nice start and first windward leg and run to round the first leeward mark second to ABN AMRO One with Movistar […]
Sailing Scuttlebutt
