follow the race:
tracker : http://www.roundirelandyachtrace.ie/follow-the-race/race-tracker-2014/
LIBERTALIA, IRC Z
website race : http://www.roundirelandyachtrace.ie/
blog : http://www.roundirelandyachtrace.ie/category/boat-blogs/
TUESDAY
It’s not easy to handle these changes in the weather…. I always look forward to going to more northern latitudes for what I call “ big weather, ” but it’s not to be this time. I like what I have discovered instead just as much — as a crew member, I have found I am able to adapt and manage my resources in order to fulfil my role all the better, while making those of the watch supervisors and captain easier. At my level, managing performance is a question of managing time. Since the start of the race, our time hasn’t been dictated by night and day, but by a sequence of more or less sustained periods of activity, never getting more than two hours of sleep at a stretch. It takes a great deal of adaptation to remain effective while ensuring safety on board in these conditions. To spice things up, the weather has given us an ever-veering and backing wind, changing from zero to twenty knots, forcing us to tack every which way, change sails here, jibe there…. with a palpable nervous tension in every one of us.
During this race I have discovered all the necessary weather data that can be used to anticipate and better optimize our course. Every knot counts, and whether it’s the wind speed or the boat speed, everything is done to navigate faster by crossing the least possible distance. The studied stream of weather data coming from Pierre reminds of my job. As a pilot for Airbus I study the weather and analyse it on each flight, to reduce flight times, fuel consumption and the risks associated with dangerous meteorological phenomena.
It is not uncommon for me to meet air currents of more than 100 knots at altitude. Something tells me that this would be a bit much in the sails of Jolokia, but to be honest I would not not be against having perhaps 10 or 15 knots more than we’re getting at the moment. » Thomas
MONDAY
Sailing at 9 knots and going to the north 🙂
8h30 : some wind came just at the moment the crew wanted to moor !
SUNDAY
7 pm Pierre: “The rapid fluctuation of emotions is a strong characteristic of our team sport. This morning we were delighted with our progress, doing particularly well running before the wind.
Tonight, close-hauled and missing a sail, our path has been much more difficult. You have to take the rough with the smooth, accept it and stay focused despite the difficulty. It’s part of life’s challenge and this crew is particularly strong in its diversity, always seeing the interest in tough experiences.”
4 pm Pierre: “Tacking upwind. 6 knots of headwind, right in the hole in our sails Normally under jib 1, we have the choice between making progress with the code zero, but off-course, or maintaining our heading very slowly, but under jib 2… we sometimes have to accept that sailing is a mechanical sport, and that performance is also dependent on the gear. That’s the name of the game.”
The VO’60 passed the Fastnet Rock at 1.40 pm!
Pierre: “Past Fastnet just when the wind shifted. The current and the boat’s tendency to heel with two knots of wind nearly dragged us onto the rock and we were forced to come-about.”
A great run that continues to see the team in the top three of the scratch course (the whole fleet).
© Pierre O’Flynn – Round Ireland Yacht Race
Time 8:50, Team Jolokia leads in real-time!
0.2 NM ahead of the Volvo 70 (photo) and 3 NM ahead of the Imoca, after a great tactical night!
0.2 mille devant le Volvo 70 (photo) et 3 milles devant l’Imoca après une très bonne nuit tactique !
SATURDAY
Start at 3 pm French time! (2 pm local)
To start the day, a full Irish Breakfast!
A racing start in nearly 20 knots of wind! A wonderful run under spinnaker to look forward to before joining the calm zones of the south…
Lucas: “I feel good and very calm. The race will be difficult because of the lack of wind, but we have been able to repair the torn headsail and that’s something! The human aspect of our adventure will take on its full meaning now — a lack of wind is very hard to live with when racing, tensions can bubble to the surface. In spite of this I trust everyone is happy to be here to share this moment!”
THURSDAY
The crew arrived in Wicklow this morning, warmly welcomed by the race organisers.
Sailing went very well but two sails have been torn due to wear, the code zero and the reacher 2.
We’ll have to put the Irish seamstresses to work!
The crew
M’Baki, piano
Hervé, régleur voile d’avant
Hélène, Grand-voile
Didier
Pénélope
Joséphine
Lucas
Thomas
Emmanuel
David
Pierre
