The morning was spent loading all the supplies for the race Salinas – Galapagos (Puerto Ayora, Isla Santa Cruz). The estimated distance is 570 nautical miles (nm). Based on the wind and weather forecast be expect to take 74 hours to reach the finish line …
All boats are getting ready …
Our supplies include basic stables such as egg, bread, milk, water. We also load some fruit and vegetables. Lots of snack-foods, such as Tango cookies, Oreos, potato chips, banana chips, cookies Amor (my personal favorite). Like all self-respecting sailors – and made popular by Captain Jack Sparrow – we also stock up in rum, coke, and lime to make our now world-renowned Vitamin (aka rum and coke, or Cuba Libre) – fear not, these are not consumed in route but upon arrival as we host crews from other boats in what is not a traditional “boat hopping” where crews from one boat swim or take a dingy to another boat to celebrate the arrival.
We also make sure we load the heaviest weight on one side of the boat as we know we will need the weight during the trip over the ocean.
We all wait while the commission sets the starting line. For some of us who have done this race before we know what long days and nights are ahead…
We also get a chance to gauge our competitors, like Juan Santos and his team in the Tivoli, a J35. The Tivoli has the same handicap as the Tivoli, and she won the Barlovento/Sotavento race; we need to beat her on this part of the race to take on the first place …
1 pm sounds the first gun and the first group of yachts takes off; ten minutes later it is our group. The starting line favors the buoy, so all the boats are grouping by the buoy …. Considering that this is a 60 – 90+ hour race one would imagine the start is not so critical … but we are all competitive; the Tivoli is right next to us on the start line.
Alcance, the Navy’s yacht, has a lower handicap than we do … having her behind us is a good sign – means she will not beat us!
After rounding a marker we turn and head towards Galapagos …. We set course to 275 degrees with winds blowing 10 – 12 knots and the Tabasco cruising at a healthy 7 knots.
As the night starts to set so is the cold, and we all gear up for what will be a long cold first night.
Listing at 25 – 30% ensures that conditions will to be like when sailing and cruising islands in the Caribe L before it is too dark we spot a few small whales make their way to who knows where. But the fin is un-mistakable, and the sounds as they exhale magical
Listing at 25 – 30% ensures that conditions will to be like when sailing and cruising islands in the Caribe L before it is too dark we spot a few small whales make their way to who knows where. But the fin is un-mistakable, and the sounds as they exhale magical
We sleep when we can … and wherever we can,
ready to jump into action when required. We also have shifts to make sure we all get some sleep.
ready to jump into action when required. We also have shifts to make sure we all get some sleep.
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