SOS Ocean Racing Day 11 - Interesting would be an understatement

by Ian Thomson on 15 May 2010 ‘Interesting would be an understatement for last nights events.'

It is day eleven into Ian Thomson's solo sailing world record attempt. Save Our Seas Ocean Racing departed Airlie Beach on the fifth of May at 10:30:20 in an effort to break the world record for sailing non-stop solo around Australia. Ian's mission is about raising awareness of what the damage plastic bags do to our environment.

Save Our Seas Ocean Racing is a 40f Welbourn yacht is currently located at 90nm North of Broome, with around 4600nm to the finish. Ian aim is to be back under 50 days, although his current estimated finish time is the sixth of June (33 Days). Beating the old record that stands at 68 days 8 hours and 30.

Ian commented this morning at 0905 with the following, ‘everything this morning had been smooth sailing, although yesterday evening is a different story. At around 8pm I attempted to avoid a low-pressure system, though I still managed to go straight through it. After dark the rainsqualls came through and I decided to put the first reef in the main. Sailing along very well doing 14 to 15 knots, out of nowhere the winds dies to nothing. With the sail flopping everywhere (whilst pouring with rain), the wind finally pick up again.

After everything seemed to calm down I went to get some sleep, after only 20 minutes in the wind shifts putting the boat into a jibe. Winds flying at 30 knots while still poring with rain, I knew it was going to be a long evening.'

The weather for the past 24 hours has not been the best for Ian, it has been either overcast and raining or clear with a exhausting heat. Both ways he ends up stuck inside a hot cabin.

So far Ian has not seen any plastic bags in the water, only a heap of birds, the odd turtle or sea snake. Although he has come across some unusual clumps of seaweed, which has got caught on his rudder and has to do whatever needed to remove it, even if that includes dropping the sail and letting the boat be bown backwards.

Ian is now sailing between 8 to 10 knots, heading closer to Broome.

You can track Ian's progress on his website through the OceanTracker.net system and there will also be live streaming video footage from approximately 0930 EST through to 1030 EST.

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