Boatmail Day 8, Leg5, VOR- The intrepid Mr Beavis
by Various onboard VOR scribes on 11 Apr 2006

Sweltering temperatures below deck onboard ABN AMRO ONE as they pass through the doldrums. Volvo Ocean Race Leg 5 from Rio to Baltimore. Volvo Ocean Race
http://www.volvooceanrace.com
From: ABN AMRO TWO QFB LEG FIVE DAY 8
Sent: 09 April 2006 19:08
Musto Seamanship Nomination.
Today Scott Beavis showed utmost most seamanship to bring some level of humanity back on board. With temperatures soaring into the 40’s and dehydration and heat stroke an imminent and likely danger, all the cooling fans went down onboard ABN AMRO TWO today.
Without any thought of self preservation, Beavis dove into the sweltering cabin armed with nothing but his Kiwi ingenuity. Finding a faulting connector at the back of the starboard lower fan, he proceeded to remove the troublesome plug, strip the ends of the wire with his teeth and hard wire the fan and supply back together with his bare hands. It should be noted that the whole system was live and throughout the ordeal shocks of a heart stopping 12 volts were being experienced by Beavis. At one stage the entire 12 volt domestic system shorted out and went dead onboard, threatening even further the yacht and her crew.
Luckily it was during the hours of daylight or the crew could have found themselves plunged into the frightening uncertainty of darkness at sea. Further risking bodily harm Beavis went forward into the galley area where he was met by a crowd of hot angry men, sweat and body odour. Locating the correct breaker was difficult as by this stage he was covered in sweat and it was running into his eyes. Thankfully he quickly remembered the safety briefing about which breaker was what, four down two across. Upon switching it on, the fans sprung to life with a cheer of relieve from the crew.
But the drama was not over. During the short period of over heating downstairs, the glue holding the plastic mounts onto the carbon fibre hull had melted. Now some of the fans hung perilously down from their wires. One particular fan caught Beavis’s eye, the one above Hans Horrevoets’s head. He knew that if the fan and Hans’ chocolate locks combined, it would be a nasty medical incident. Quick thinking Beavis grabbed some 3mm Dynex Spectra line and lashed the still spinning fan to the bunk. It was somewhat like watching a man dealing with the head of a weed whacking garden tool.
After what can only be described as one of the most death defying and spectacular feats of seamanship I have ever experienced, life at the extreme onboard ABN AMRO TWO, the street fighter continues.
Regards,
Seb Josse
Skipper ABN AMRO TWO
Ps, this did happen but is not a serious nomination.
From: MOVISTAR QFB LEG FIVE DAY 8
Sent: 09 April 2006 21:21
Cape Town, Melbourne, Rio sounds like a great itinerary for a round the World holiday. For myself as a competitor in the Volvo Ocean Race it is a case of visit interesting places and look at weather maps. Life ashore is spent between boat yard and lodgings. Physical training and food supplied at the yacht’s containers leaves me with the rest of the day to look into a LCD screen studying weather forecasts in boat, metal box and hotel room. Hence time passes quickly and the stopovers feel way too short especially with the inshore race and then the mental adjustment and preparation for the next offshore leg.
Time is precious with family and friends. While in Melbourne I only got to see my parents twice and I was never able to phone any of my old mates. Inevitably when you are on shore you want to be at sea, getting on with what you are there for. The sailing goes quickly as well, once into the rhythm of life at sea (at the extreme) the days appear to blend into one. The day types break down into good, bad or heinous. Once you have left the dock you want the leg to be over and the question is asked 'how far to go' and the only sure thing is that it will be less tomorrow and one day you will arrive.
With the fleet now back in the Northern Hemisphere you get the impression the race is near the end. The bulk of the distance has been traveled and certainly the most dangerous stages completed. The points scoring system for the
remaining four smaller offshore legs allows the opportunity for a complete reshuffle of the minor standings. Dwelling on time again perhaps because I am now an old bugger, the Volvo Race has flown by and in two months time will be a memory like the others.
Despite my ranting I consider myself extremely lucky to compete in such a race. The sights seen, experiences shared and people met will never be forgotten. It will always remain a challenge and achievement to sail around the world. I am far too well aware that there are much worse ways to make a living and spend your life. I have definitely enjoyed the event even though our extra stopovers crippled our chances of victory. It will be great to get back to the place where I pay the mortgage. Since starting with Movistar in Nov 04 I have been in my house for a total of five weeks and the majority of that was when we retired from Leg1, no surprise the dog growls at me.
After a week at sea we are now in the NE trade winds of the Northern Hemisphere. The Doldrums (ITCZ -light air zone near the equator) and the Southern Hemisphere are a thing of the past. With 3000nm to the finish line there is still plenty of course to sail and obstacles to navigate. I don't know how the relative yacht positions look when viewed on the Internet but let me assure you that every small adjustment of boat speed and heading can have a serious effect on he final outcome of the leg. Hence all decisions are carefully considered, scrutinized and monitored. The next five days should be a drag race with each boat needing to find its best track to head given the size and shape of their available sails and the wind speed they are in. Of course it is never that simple and subtle differences in wind speed and direction can create big gains in distance.
The sailing so far I would put in the good category. It a relief to be able to go on deck without donning two sets of thermals, dry suit top, full wet
weather gear, boots and harness and then get completely hosed when outside the hatch. It is also a pleasure to be able to sit comfortably below without getting thrown around and deafened by the waves. With the wind speed getting up to 15 knots we must know close the hatches & wear wet weather gear on deck. Given the heat here prepare for man and boat to fester.
I have learnt a new saying from Spike (Peter Doriean) that will be the expression of the leg. Toned down for the family audience 'You can only use the tools you've got'.
Can't wait to be in.
Andrew Cape - navigator
From: PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN QFB LEG FIVE DAY 8
Sent: 09 April 2006 19:30
We have had Brasil in sight all day and they have been making slow but steady gains on us. We have tried everything, different sails, different trim and shapes, different helmsmen. They are just 1 mile away so we can see what sails they have up and they appear to be the same as ours but yet they are going a bit faster. They will pass us very soon. Pretty frustrating. Hopefully the wind angle or wind speed will change soon and we get a better match up against them.
The story up front continues to be the same with ABN1. They are just a lot faster than the rest of the fleet. Movistar is a fast boat too but no match for ABN.
Last night there were plenty of squalls, and after getting hammered by one and losing 5 miles to the fleet on one sked, we managed to get the good side of
the next two and make some big gains on the next sked, mostly on Ericsson who were right behind us all day. I am hoping for some squalls tonight so we can have a chance to break this routine with Brasil.
King Neptune did visit the Pearl yesterday. He interrogated the first timers; Ferris, Salter and Budgen. They were all sentenced and the appropriate punishments were carried out. After the punishments were handed out, they were welcomed into
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