What does it feel like to sail at 26 knots
in a true wind speed of 12 knots? How can a schoolteacher correlate the
speedy passage of a giant catamaran to the slow lumbering passage of
Christopher Columbus' three ships 500 years ago?
These questions and more are answered on the Team Adventure web site at
http://www.teamadventur.org as Cam Lewis and the crew of the 110-foot
catamaran Team Adventure continue their 'Route of Discovery' transatlantic
passage from Spain to the Bahamas.
Lewis and a crew of 14, including schoolteachers Janet Bradley, 41, from
Hamble, Hampshire, England, and Susan Rieck, 50, from Grafton, Wisconsin,
USA, are sailing the tradewinds passage as the big cat heads for the US for
a refit after placing third in The Race of the Millennium
The two teachers are sponsored by Monster(.com, the leading global online
careers site and the flagship brand of TMP Worldwide. Monster.com is the
major sponsor of Team Adventure.
Other crew aboard includes Betsy Alison, hostess of the American cable
television show 'Boating Today' and a five-time Rolex Yachtswoman of the
Year, Olaf Harken, co-founder of Harken, Tom Yale, president of Yale
Cordage, and Peter Johnstone, formerly head of Sunfish, Laser and Escape
sailboats.
'Last night on the 2 AM watch was very exciting!' reported Tornado sailor
Jim McCarthy, after a week at sea. 'The wind had lightened to 12 knots, the
sea was flat, except for a long, gentle swell. With all the sails up and
flying we could travel 20 knots until cresting a swell. Then the downhill
ride would begin. The boat would accelerate, bringing the apparent wind
forward. This allowed us to steer even further down and accelerate more!
Often we would hit 26-27 knots by the bottom! The clouds kept the moon
hidden most of the time, so in the black night it was quite an adrenaline
rush every time!'
Olaf Harken, who has sailed faster than 100 mph in his Skeeter Class
iceboat, is experiencing ocean sailing at over 25 knots for the first time
in his life. In a long, entertaining message entitled 'Getting a Feel for
Speed,' Harken compares the steering styles and skills of his fellow
helmsmen and himself.
'Steering downwind in moderate to sometimes good sized swells is not easy
and takes a lot of concentration,' Harken explained. He concluded: 'What is
very evident is the 100,000 miles Cam has had at the wheel of this cat, and
many others. He keeps it in the groove effortlessly while he is talking or
giving out instructions. It is very evident that practice makes a big
difference.'
Teachers Bradley and Rieck wrote in a recent message: 'We've just sped past
the Canary Islands and we think we know the REAL reason skipper Cam decided
not to stop at San Sebastian or Las Palmas. Cam may have muttered something
about great winds and potential areas of flat calm (we remember that
Columbus was becalmed for two days in 1492) but we're wise to his little
tricks. In Columbus' day, it was very common for the crew to 'jump ship' in
favorable locales. While the crew of Team Adventure has every confidence in
skipper Cam and his plan, he might just not have wanted to tempt us with the
comforts of the Canaries.
Daily lessons from the teachers along with updates from Olaf Harken and
other crew members can be found on the Team Adventure web page. Just click
on 'Crew Updates.'
Monster.com, the leading global online careers site and the flagship brand
of TMP Worldwide (NASDAQ: 'TMPW'; ASX: 'TMP'), is the first major sponsor of
the team.
For more information on Team Adventure, go to
http://www.TeamAdventure.org or visit the race site at
http://www.therace.org.
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