Entries by Paul Cayard

Found a Bit of a Grove

Finally found a bit of a grove here. We seem to have the correct sail up and our speed is good against Ericsson and ABN AMRO TWO, both of whom we can see. It is only blowing 14 knots from 205 and we are all reaching on our big masthead reachers. The other bit of […]

We had a Great Start

Well, we had a great start and that made us all feel good for about 30 minutes. Then the wind died where we were and it all started to get weird. It was a long day on Port Philip bay while we all waited for the sea breeze to fill. It finally did and we […]

Meet the Other 20 Pirates

Many of you who receive these updates are sailing enthusiasts who know the structure of this sport well. Since we formed the Pirates of the Caribbean team, we’ve reached out to a new audience who is not quite as familiar with sailing. For their benefit, I’d like to use this update to describe the function […]

500 Kids Kidnapped by Pirates

The villains from Paul Cayard’s Black Pearl, Pirates of the Caribbean put on a show, hosted by sponsor Pescanova, on Melbourne’s Central Pier that instilled in the kids the allure and the fascination of the Volvo Ocean Race around the world. The children, from State schools around the city, turned out in Pescanova-branded yellow foul […]

Big, Fast, Boats on a Short Course

Yesterday was the day that showed what it is like to have big, fast, boats racing together on a short course. What an exciting day for spectators and sailors alike. The conditions were excellent; clear skies, 15 knots at the start that built to 20 knots by the finish. There were at least four lead […]

Pirates Making Progress in Melbourne

The Pirates are making progress here in Melbourne. The boat is disassembled and the repairs are being affected. Kimo Worthington, our General Manager, will write something later detailing the repairs that we have made and explaining a bit about how these boats are constructed in the keel area. Manuel Fernandez, Chairman of Pescanova and Manuel […]

Melbourne –

Today, by video conference form Melbourne, I participated in a Press Conference held at The Press Club in Washington DC with an audience of about 200 people, 100 of which were journalists. It was moderated by Gary Jobson who has done all the sailing coverage over the years for ESPN. On the panel here in […]

Seems Like this Leg has Taken Forever

Position: 39,22.95S , 140,45.40E Speed: 9 knots, Course: 24 deg. 230 miles to go…seems like this leg has taken forever. We have nice sailing tonight, 12 knots of wind from the southwest so we are running toward Melbourne. The seas are smooth and fully in line with the wind so these are good conditions for […]

50 miles to Melbourne

0730 UTC – 50 miles to Melbourne We are sailing down the coast to the southwest of Port Phillip Bay in 30 knots of wind. We are taking it easy as there is plenty of breeze for a boat without the ability to cant its keel and not much to gain. The sea is very […]