Skippers log #48
37 56s 166 37e at 10:40 GMT with 630 miles to go. I have wind. Can you believe it, after 110 hours I am off sailing again. Young Peter Dunning in the Race Communications Center promised a local Chief on Sulivan's Island some fire water if he would give us a wind dance. Well, the Chief has danced and my fans have blown, and now I have a near gale. Yes, feast or famine. The winds are 25 knots, sometimes close to 30 knots. What a contrast to yesterday. My last 24 hour run was 39 miles. Minoru managed to get some wind and while I was doing 0.2 knots going northwest, he managed to open a lead of 34 miles on me. These are his conditions, so I might have to bow to the old man of the sea on this leg. Even Neil Hunter has been able to close up his gap and now trails me by 260 miles. So it looks like 5 or 6 days to go if I can keep the wind. Gwen left for Auckland today. Malcomb Goodbody will fly out on Wednesday. So I hope to get everything done and maybe some rest.
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Skippers log #49
36 28s 169 23e at 10:30 GMT with 425 miles to go.
Yes, the miles are coming down. If I can keep an average of 6 knots or greater, I will be in in 72 hours time. I have 200 miles to the northern tip of New Zealand, and then the last sprint down the coast. That is the most dangerous part of this last bit of the leg. 220 miles of coastal sailing, with shipping and reefs. I am getting as much rest now as I can, so that from rounding the tip I will be refreshed. I had egg mayonaise for dinner. I am down to my last 3 eggs. The quality of the eggs that I got in Cape Town was superb. The meal was so rich I could not finnish the three eggs. I have been taking on some water since we got moving. I thought it was damage from the collision, but doing some maintainance work at the engine today, I saw a very fast leak, like a tap running on slow, coming from the stuffing box through which the propellor shaft comes into the boat. I have tightened it and the water level is gone. I might not have to lift out in Aukland, but then again, it might be a good time to check the boat. There is a remote possiblity that the South African Network, ETV and Rob Kamhoot who secured the Netcare deal for me, might be in Aukland. ETV did an 8 minute program on me this month, and want to do a follow up. It is all subject to the them getting a sponsor for this trip. The weather is fresh, with lots of spray coming over the deck. The only place that is comfortable is in my bunk. The wind is on the beam and No Barriers is lively, making me seasick again. I think it is from being cooped up and my dinner.
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Skippers log #50
34 50s 170 51e at 08:15 GMT
The milage is coming down slowly. Too slowly. I have less than 100 miles to the tip of North Island, but I have strong headwinds and punching into a nasty sea. The finish line is 320 miles away, but if I have to beat to get there, it might as well be the far end of the world. I had an e-mail from Mark Barnard, president of News Printing Company set my day off well. It is always a delight to hear from my sponsors. Gwen arrived in Aukland today, and another e-mail made the day even better. Graham Bougardt and Rob Kamhoot have been quietly working in the background. As a young boy, I always wanted to know how sponsorship deals happened. Well, it is about having good people working away steadily. There is a huge opportunity now that the South African national network, ETV, will arrive in Aukland with Rob next week. They have committed to do another 8 minute segment if they can get to Aukland. The Airports Company of South Africa gave me a video camera after I spoke at a lunchion they hosted day before I left Cape Town. Our team has approached the Airports Company of South Africa to help make it possible to get ETV to Aukland. ACSA now intern are talking to people they know, and should all the relationships work, the viewing public will get another television segment of my dramas on the high seas, and the sponsors will get major exposure. It is a win-win for everybody. It is how knowledge is used to aid people and achieve common goals. So keep your fingers crossed that the film crew will arrive, days after my safe arrival.
