Thursday, July 19, 2012

Hello from onboard Lightspeed.

We are making good time onboard Lightspeed, and were pleased at this morning's check in to see that we were out in front of our division. Some tough tactical decisions still to be made in the next several hours and days of this unusual weather pattern.

Thankfully though we are out in the synoptic wind, after a painful night and morning of day 2 slatting with very little breeze next to the Farallon Islands. Since the start we've had the #3, the #2, the shy kite, the #2, the drifter, the #2, the new kite, and now the #2 up.

We've had some onboard issues that come along with sailing a boat that hasn't been well shaken down.

Within the first several hours of the race our water tank had leaked and poured about half of it's supply into the bilge. Luckily Paul has had 'bad experiences' with a lack of water onboard other boats he's raced, so he has a careful plan of bottled water that means the tank failure is not critical.

More critical to living conditions is the failure of the holding tank. One might reasonably ask 'what the hell is a holding tank doing on an offshore boat?' Believe me that we argued this point quite emphatically before the race, but to no avail. Any bit of vindication is overcome by the fact that the holding tank contents ended up in the bilge. Noah and now Rick have put forth valiant efforts to remove the waste from the boat, and to cover the smell with cleaning products. The best thing that could be said about the inside of Lightspeed at the moment is that it smells like a well trafficked restroom.

But, the sailing is fantastic, it's getting a bit warmer already, and everyone is in good spirits. Last night on Noah and my watch there was bioluminescence in the water, and dolphins playing around the boat.

Hi to everyone out there on terra firma.

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