That’s right sports fans it’s halftime. 2500 miles down and 2500 miles to go. If we actually knew how long the race was going to take would we have even left the dock? You bet, but it doesn’t mean we haven’t started to miss simple things like ice and a full night sleep on a bed thatdoes not crash and bang. This race is all about endurance. Keeping the pressure up 24 hours a day, day after day, takes its toll after a while. Both of us are looking forward to just being able to chill out and not worry about boat speed for 5 minutes.
After two days floundering around in the bottom of a high-pressure system, we broke free yesterday morning and have had an action packed run since. The breeze piped up good and proper and we spent the night surfing down big waves with sustained boat speeds in excess of 20 knots. When these boats get really juiced up they are a high adrenaline experience. It makes for some big grins.
Sprits onboard are high, even though it has been frustrating to watch some of our competition to the north hook into a different weatherpattern and put some crucial miles on us that we will spend the rest of therace trying to whittle down. We have been running 4-hour watches, which is on the long side, but enables the off watch person to have some proper down time. We have enough variety of freeze-dried food onboard that things are still interesting. I’m not sure how we are going to feel about that in another 10 days. There is only so much freeze-dried chili a man can eat. We also think some barking spiders snuck onboard in the freeze dried bags because we keep hearing them barking after meal-time. They must just like the freeze-dried.
The Hydro-Generator has been a really great addition to the boat and has generally supplied all the power we need and more. So much more, in fact, that it has opened up discussion about any number of 12 volt appliances that might be brought onboard. Ice cream machine? Bread machine? Why not?
All in all it’s been a good 2500 miles. There has been some good weather and some bad. Some really fun times and some times when all we want to do is pull our hair out (flopping around with no wind and lots of rain can do that). The ups and downs are part of ocean racing. Its all about the journey.
One of my biggest impressions so far has been with the shear amount of water out here. It sounds silly but even after spending so much of my life on the water, this trip has impressed upon me just how much water there really is on the planet. We have seen one or two boats in the last week, a whale, a couple birds, and a bunch of flying fish. But mostly it’s day after day of water and clouds, as far as the eye can see. It really is amazing.
Now our sights are firmly set on Costa Rica and that first rum drink. I can almost taste it now. First we have a few boats we need to try and beat to the finish line.
Signing Off,
Nick and Hugh
24 58.57 N
046 20.28W
More interviews, updates and photos on Halmos and Piggin’s campaign are available via Cutlass Racing’s website and TheAtlantic Cup’s facebook and twitter pages.
About Nick Halmos
Nick Halmos, 32 and a Palm Beach Florida native, currently residing in Santa Cruz, CA is one of two Americans entered in the Transat Jaques Vabre. Halmos was the captain of the Brown University sailing team and has been campaigning the Class 40 Cutlasssince he brought the boat to the United States in 2009. Since then he has won the 2009 Bermuda 1-2, the Halifax Race and the Ida Lewis Distance Race among others. Halmos, has always been keen to race in something longer. He states, “if you are an American and want to get better at short-handed ocean racing at somepoint you will have to race with the French. The Transat Jaques Vabre is one of the great ocean races and if you’re into short-handed sailing this is one of the top races in the world to do.”
About Hugh Piggin
Hugh Piggin, 36, is no stranger to the short-handed sailing scene. Originally from Auckland, New Zealand, he is the only Kiwi competing in this year’s Transat Jacques Vabre. Piggin has logged over 100,000 miles, 7 Transatlantic crossings, 4 Newport-Bermuda races, a Transatlantic record attempt, a Cross Channel record and Two Northern OceanRacing Trophy titles. In 2008, he co-founded Manuka Sports Event Management and is now the race director for The Atlantic Cup, the only dedicated Class 40 race in the United States. He has twice prepared boats for the Transat Jaques Vabre, including class winner Gryphon Solo in 2007, however, this will be his first attempt as a competitor.
About 11th Hour Racing:
11th Hour Racing, a program of the 11th Hour Project, establishes a dynamic new platform for public education about the responsible use of energy and resources in the context of an exciting recreational and competitive sport.
Through our sponsorship of winning sailing teams and clean regattas, we work to advance sailing practices that improvethe energy profile and performance of racing boats, and increase the personal investment of sailors in the health of our waters.
About the boat – Cutlass/11th Hour Racing:
Cutlass/11th Hour Racing is 4 years old and is a first generation Class 40. She is an Owen-Clarke design and built by Jazz Marine – England. This will be her 5th transatlantic crossing.