They say time flies when you’re having fun, and judging from the reports sent back from the boat, it certainly looks like the boys have plenty to keep busy with. On an easterly course, now fully taking advantage of the Southern Ocean’s steady westerly breeze, Musandam is now charging along below Australia, aiming at the Roaring 40s in order to clear the southern tip of Tasmania, which incidentally marks the official entry in the Pacific Ocean. With a 410+ miles lead over the 80-day virtual pace boat, the crew is settling in a new routine and getting used to constant high speeds. Anything below 20 knots now seems rather slow!
Down to 36° South last Wednesday, Musandam had covered her best distance in 24 hours with 336 miles – a figure that would soon be seen as “anything but impressive”, as boat speed was bound to increase later in the week. The strategy seemed pretty straightforward – sail towards the East along the 37th South parallel, benefiting from approximately 25 knots of wind, and wait for a front to pass later on during the weekend. The crew had Cape Leeuwin, the southwestern tip of Australia, in their sights as Charlie explained in an email last week: “This marks the quarter distance point for our trip and like all competitive people we’ll be looking at the time that it has taken.”
With a total of 470 miles covered in 24 hours by the next day (Day 16), Musandam had definitely entered a new dimension, reaching the 30-knots barrier under full mainsail and gennaker (the biggest downwind sail onboard). yet Indian Ocean dolphins could still keep up with that frantic pace: “As the sun began to set we watched a few dolphins playing in the wake ( small round bodied chaps) who dutifully disappeared as soon as any recording device was aimed in their direction.” For the multihull specialists of the crew (namely Loïk and Thierry, who have been part of the thriving French Grand Prix scene), that type of progress may seem business as usual, but Mohsin certainly fully lived that new experience as he reported: “Before the trip you know you’ll be doing these kind of speeds day after day, but that doesn’t prepare you for living at that speed, eating, sleeping at that speed for 24hours, and the noise that goes with it.”
Temperature was dropping, and sleeping bags would soon be necessary for the crew as Musandam was planning her great Southern escape, in order to avoid a high pressure system and to stay clear of the tip of Tasmania – tactically, that meant gybing around the longitude of Cape Leeuwin, and to prepare for the Roaring 40s! Things looked good but fate struck, as the starboard rudder was broken in its lower part after a collision with an object – or more likely a large fish. A blow that would not undermine the crew’s determination, and today the crew managed to fit the spare rudder on the float, thanks to mild sea conditions and coordinated teamwork!