CoCo / ARC – Day 15

09/12/14 17:00 UTC

DIST SAILED: 2446 nm

DIST TOGO: 58 nm

PRESENT SET: GEONOA BOOMED OUT

Flat downwind sailing in 17 kn wind and boomed out genoa. It’s a hot and beautiful day, for many reasons. All our efforts over the last two days on the spinnaker has prevented us from falling totally behind, so we’re feeling a bit proud. We have actually gained on a few of our benchmark competitors, so we will finish this race on a good note. The spinnaker came apart for the 5th time late yesterday, and it’s sitting here in the saloon waiting to be deployed if the conditions on the final few miles allow it. Right now there’s too much pressure from the wind, which is good.

Management has also eased a bit on the performance pressure. Not that anybody on-board has ever been pressured, it’s perhaps more self-inflicted and personal, mostly on Brian and I. When the event has the word ‘race’ in it does something to us, but honest to God, we have been careful not to drag this too far, and to involve those on-board who think differently. I think we have achieved a good balance between excitement, effort and pleasure.

As I am writing, the wind pressure is easing, and we could perhaps try the spinnaker for the last timer, but we’re actually quite comfortable just enjoying the ride and savouring the last hours of the passage. It’s a good thing. It’s been a very occupying and full bodied experience of presence, and we are all a bit exhausted. It would be a shame if we don’t find the energy to enjoy and celebrate the arrival. As it looks now it’s will be late in the evening.

Falling in with the relaxed atmosphere ban on fishing has been lifted, so the deck union “Spirit” is now very busy in the aft to catch something. Again, they get contact, but the fishes just seem too big and powerful. The last one was no doubt attracted to Henrik’s choice of bait, a white, red, pink thing with long hair, a bit like a Barbie doll. The fish is probably having great fun with it, and laughing at our aft deck efforts. Nature always wins.

Ola took responsibility for yesterday’s dinner, and ventured out in an Asian direction, with the raw materials at hand, predominantly fillets of chicken, and with some pork chunks in between. There’s a huge selection of spices and sauces on-board, so we’re able to get almost anything to taste. Ola took more than full advantage of this and served a spiced up dish we will soon forget. He had added noodles for balance, thank God. We were allowed beers and enjoyed a great dinner around the table in the saloon. Compliments handed generously around as usual, and a few tears for what was likely to be our last evening underway.

Yesterday evening also saw the most spectacular moon-rise ever. The guys were almost grabbing for their sunglasses as an extremely brightly lit moon came up over the horizon, moon-bathing the deck, rig and surrounding seas. Just beautiful. It stayed with us all night, together with a steady breeze, providing decent progress and comfortable conditions both on and off watch.

Wish you all a nice evening from everybody on-board CoCo. We will be back tomorrow afternoon with our final script on the finish and arrival in Rodney Bay, including a set of photos.

If you have any comments or questions it would be great to hear from you. From tonight or tomorrow morning we will monitor our in-port email: coco@balticyachts.no. Furthermore, feel free to comment directly on the blog posts, as we will be able to answer (and see!) these comments as well.

All well with everyone!