Heemskirk Consolidated Melbourne to Hobart - Swiss Cheese

by John Curnow on 29 Dec 2009 Swiss Cheese -is full of holes, which pretty much describes the wind patterns over the last while and importantly, for the next 24 hour period as well.

Heat is the main issue. Hobart itself is warming up and it is to be 34 degrees and very calm here until Friday.

Whilst there's plenty of wind here in town, out at sea the picture is very different, especially depending on where you are.

These hot eddies really are appearing all over the place for the East coast fleet, which is why they are reporting 5 to 20 knots and anything in between, from pretty much anywhere on the compass rose.

One thing is constant in all this. It never lasts, which may well be adding to the frustration levels of the crews.

Conversely, the Westcoasters are on an open reach and really making up ground in the virtually straight Westerly breezes. Later on today it is going back on the nose and soften for them.

Fom onboard ‘Audacious', Greg Clinnick informs us that they are '…storming down the west coast with the best breeze we have had all race. We are power reaching full main and blast reacher, hitting 9's and the odd 10 knots of boat speed. We are passing the entrance to Macquarie Harbour now about half way down the coast.

The pics. Are Nicky sleeping, Kate navigating, Johnny on the rail, Ken Dog at the helm and the jumbo mast instruments. We have covered 93 miles in the last 13 hours, which is really moving. '

This morning we have had several pods of dolphins and one pod of pilot whales pay us a visit. The whales look like big dolphins with no nose.'

The fast transitions for the whole area around the Apple Isle are certainly a feature of these times. It is from the West presently and will go to the Sou'east for the Westcoaster fleet and to the South for the Eastcoasters. Both will have Nor'Noreast conditions by lunch time tomorrow.

Tomorrow it will be the turn of the Eastcoasters to get the breeze early and it will build to the 20s, so the rocketships will be praying that occurs and isn't just a bunch of characters typed on to the screen.