Ocean Globe Race: Feb 10 - The Good News - Brian Hancock Daily Blog #127

by Brian Hancock 12 Feb 2024 04:36 PST 13 February 2024

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 February 6 edition - #124 in the series:

OK, there is some good news and some bad news." That's what my Mum (RIP) used to say to me and then said, "which one do you want to hear first?" I am not sure where she was in a previous life but to a ten-year-old, that was not easy to answer. So I am going to answer it for you. The Good News is that Translated 9 are safe in the Falklands. Now that is really better than good news. The bad news is... OK I will come back to that later.

Evrika, skippered by the amazing Dominique Dubois are around that most famous of all capes. Well done to them and safe sailing ahead for all of the boats in the McOGR race as they race up the coast of Argentina to Uruguay.

OK to the bad news. Translated 9 can't fix their boat without outside help. They are going to have to drop out of Leg 3 of the McIntyre Ocean Globe Race and get some help fixing their broken boat and that breaks my heart. They have sailing a magnificent race so far and to come all this way and having to deal with this issue; well, let's be kind here and put it all in perspective. They are safe and will finish the race in Southampton. An old cowboy once said to me, "you just have to take care of the horses if you want to get somewhere."

Let's keep an eye on all of these intrepid sailors. There is still a long race ahead for all of them. But I digress. It's Saturday afterall and my first rum punch is sitting on the kitchen counter looking longingly at me with fruit and cherries and all, but I am holding back. I need to write this story.

We were sailing past the Falkland Islands in 1982 and called looking for some weather information. We called "Falklands Islands radio, Falklands Island radio." Dead silence. Not a response. We tried for a while. Crickets.

Then someone on the boat had an idea. Call them Islas Malvinas. Now the Falklands are off the Argentine coast but occupied by England. I don't know how any of this works but we tried calling "Islas Malvinas" radio, and guess what, they picked up right away and could not have been more helpful. The Falklands war broke out a month later, but more of that in the next few updates. Yes I have been involved in silly stuff in my life, but this is a good one. But I digress.

Sterna is taking the nose plunge with a strong southwesterly wind up their chuff. At last check Jeremy (The Great) Jeremy Bagshaw and his bunch of misfit South African crew were doing a steady 8+ knots and were on track to pick up some more wind to scoot (nautical term) around the greatest of all capes. Explorer are still exploring all of their possibilities. They will get into some good breeze until they hook into some serious breeze and there is still that strong northerly coming down the coast of Chile. How do Chileans ever go the beach without getting blown off their deck chairs. Life's little mysteries. I guess that's why they invented the Pisco Sour - more on this later.

So happy Saturday all of the sailors in this great race. If you have satellite beaming (they don't but tomorrow is Superbowl Sunday Here is the good old USofA. Don't forget to play your squares. My wife and I are having a chicken wing throw down. Anyone got any good recipes other than hot sauce? Stay well and enjoy your weekend. Bubbles up.

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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