Emma reports from the Around Alone Race
09/23/2002
Have a thought for us today
Another of those long days when the wind is shifting between 13 and 30knots, and 40deg of angle,
not easy for the naps - just makes them long enough to close your eyes, feel the boat hooning off
on its ear in the wrong direction, or sitting like a dead duck in the water if you stay on pilot,
so its taken more energy to climb into a bunk and climb back out than if you stay on the helm! So
I am rotating my time on the helm, making tea and closing my eyes on the nav station seat til we
tip up too much and I get thrown off then its time to steer again.
SO I hope you guys gave us a thought out here this morning, while I was thinking about most of you
– mug of hot tea (or coffee) with fresh milk in it, Fat Sunday paper in hand, read the headlines,
the sports pages and maybe a quick flick through any good telly on, then have a glass of fresh
cold OJ, hot toast or maybe as its Sunday, a full cooked brekkie! then read more of the paper.
A walk into town, kicking the leaves (have they fallen yet? lost count of seasons!) maybe a club
race to keep your sailing skills honed to get into the next GBR Challenge team for the Americas
Cup (who must be starting the Louis Vuitton series soon??!!) followed by Sunday lunch with your
mates in the local pub, and if you are sensible, go straight home from late lunch and relax for
the rest of the afternoon with a little Grandstand and prepare for your week ahead!
What a thought!
Well, you'll be glad to hear I have passed a whole day with no major problems, but I still have
over a thousand miles left for more of those to occur. Maybe I passed my string of bad luck to
Ocean Planet who I hear has broken his boom - Sorry Bruce! Wind has been up and down since I
started writing this so I am now soaked again ready for another mug o'tea, feels good though,
I think I've put in a good day of miles, learnt more about this boat again and as Robin says
(Thats Robin Gray, our team manager), I'm keeping my pecker up - whatever that means to a girl!
Em x
For up to date race information, check out www.aroundalone.com
