Ocean Globe Race: Jan 26 - Into the Screaming 50s - Brian Hancock Daily Blog #114

OGR 2023 Translated 9 - Leg 3 - Southern Ocean - January 2024 © OGR 2023

The Ocean Globe Race is a no technology crewed race around the world sailing the the traditional four leg Whitbread Round the World Race course. The Ocean Globe Race celebrates 50 years of Whitbread Round the World race, boats and sailors. Brian Hancock, a noted Round the World sailor and writer is providing a daily blog for the Ocean Globe Race. Here's the January 23 edition - #114 in the series:

A large part of the OGR fleet are now well into the Screaming 50’s and as they saying goes, “you don’t know nuthin’ until the fat lady screams.” There is some serious weather swirling around and it’s only going to get trickier in the next few days.

You see, there is usually a high pressure system over Antarctica and it spins off low pressure systems that float around the bottom of the planet. They can be quite unpleasant, like my ex-wife, but they can also give you a magic carpet ride, like my current wife. However, every now and then an ex-boyfriend sneaks into the picture in the form of a high pressure system, and as you might imagine, things can get a bit tricky.

The fleet is riding along just nicely. There is that pesky boyfriend lurking ahead but it may give them some time to recover and regroup as the winds lighten. No one needs to be pounded day after day; we all need a day to go to the mall and buy some stuff that we don’t and will never need.

I am enjoying watching Sterna and Explorer. They are copping it (nautical term). But they really are copping it and I am sure having the time of their lives and good for them. The Spirit of Helsinki crew are wandering around like a Finnish fisherman on a midnight in winter looking for a place to dig into the ice, but they will figure it out. Again, there is nothing stopping Maiden. They are on a full-on roll and doing great. Triana and Neptune have been throwing oranges to each other; they are that close. They were thinking of throwing watermelons, but they were frozen.

L’Esprit d’Equipe (see I spelled it right) are having a good time as the New Year settles in and as their dip south to get around Cape Horn looms. You have to dip south or you are going to hit some hard Chilean dirt.

Here is a story for you. I ghost wrote a book from my great mate Derek Hatfield (RIP). Loved the guy. He was a Canadian Mountie before he became a professional sailor. He was approaching Cape Horn (single-handed) but because his autopilot was broken he had been hand steering for, I dunno, a long time. He looked up and saw a lighthouse on his starboard side. Now Cape Horn should be on your port side so he panicked. He altered course thinking (as one’s befuddled mind does without any sleep) that he was going to crash into Chile (who can say that and get away with it?). What he was seeing were the Diego Ramirez group of islands which are around 60 miles west of Cape Horn, but in his befuddled state (nautical term) he tried to go around them, as in leave them to port (left hand side for non-sailors). He made it around them but things went from there to bad and then to worse. More tomorrow.

The fleet are all rocking and rolling and I am pretty sure have settled into a good solid routine of eat, sail, sleep and sh*t. Sorry, but it’s true. There is not much room for anything else.

And don’t forget that today is my second birthday (read yesterday’s update if you are confused.) I have been ordered by my wife to clean the house so let me get started. Meanwhile if you want to chuck a few bucks into my kids trust fund, look for my books on Amazon or at. www,brianhancockbooks.com And thanks. The kids will be able to go to school with pants on for a change.

About the author: Brian Hancock (RSA) is a sailmaker, racing yacht sailor and writer. He has sailed more than 250,000nm; competed in many transoceanic events including three Whitbread Round the World Races - 1981 Alaska Eagle (U.S.A.); 1985 Drum (United Kingdom); and 1989, Fazisi (Soviet Union); he is a writer on sailing topics. For The Ocean Globe Race Ocean Globe Race Brian is writing a day by day account based on his previous experiences in the Whitbread Round the World Race and other events, often related to the current position of the lead competitors on the Ocean Globe Race course.

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