Clipper Race log

By Andy Rose
On board Spirit of Australia in the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race, Leg 2, Rio de Janeiro to Cape Town

Spirit of Australia leads the overall standings in the Clipper Race

We are now well into the second leg of our circumnavigation and things are starting to hot up.

Thankfully, the roasting temperatures that dogged us in the four-week first-leg crossing of the North Atlantic from La Rochelle, France, via the Bay of Biscay and Doldrums remain only in our memories.

Instead, the mercury level is rising on the thermometer monitoring crew morale as we start to claw our way back towards the top end of the fleet with scorching speeds topping 16 knots.

With more than 1,500 nautical miles still to go to South Africa the crew have rediscovered their sea legs along with the racing spirit which has taken us to the top of the leaderboard. We might be behind on his leg but we are hunting down the pack in front - one by one.

Sea sickness can be so debilitating that when in its nauseous grip, first you feel as if you are dying before later wishing you had been put out of your misery Andy Rose

The 10 identical 68-foot Dubois cutters in the Clipper Race are all crewed by amateurs who have paid for the privilege.

Of the 440 who have signed up, around 100 are aiming to complete the full 35,000-mile circumnavigation with the rest taking part in one or more of the seven separate legs.

They are relative novices compared to professional ocean racers, coming from jobs as doctors, accountants or the ranks of the retired.

But as every day passes they become more and more like their professional cousins in attitude and ability.

As I write, from the middle of the south Atlantic, we are in seventh place, chasing down nearest neighbour Qingdao, thanks to a strong low pressure system which has catapulted us towards a well deserved rest in Cape Town.

The tale of the tape so far has been one of back-to-back victories for Team Finland, skippered by three-time round the worlder Eero Lehtinene, in the stages from the start in the Humber estuary to La Rochelle and then down to Rio on leg one.

Brendan Hall's Spirit of Australia was runner-up both times but snatched the overall pole position by virtue of a bonus three points for crossing a scoring gate first.

They have been the boats to beat early on but both have struggled to make an impact in this leg leaving the door open for Hull & Humber, Uniquely Singapore and Cork, Ireland, to split the six points on offer for crossing the scoring gate in first, second and third.

Despite the challenging conditions of strengthening winds gusting to 27 knots, rising seas and the relative inexperience of many on board, the sailing has largely taken care of itself.

Instead, it is getting used to life and living on a tiny fiberglass speck on the ocean that really takes it out of you.

The author (left) helps pack the spinnaker below decks

To dispel a few common misconceptions there are no support craft, we do not drop anchor at night and there are no comfortable cabins to sleep in.

We are on our own, not seeing another vessel or even a plane for days at a time, sailing the boat as hard as we can around the clock.

Sea sickness is the first thing most people think of, and it wreaked havoc in the opening stages of this bumpy leg, with more than half of the crew laid low and similar numbers reported throughout the rest of the fleet.

It is no exaggeration to say that the effects can be so debilitating that when in its nauseous grip, first you feel as if you are dying before later wishing you had been put out of your misery.

With the boat heeled over, life is being lived on a permanent lean meaning absolutely everything takes longer to do than on dry land.

That goes for getting out of bed and getting dressed to cooking, cleaning, moving around and using the toilet.

The latter requires at least 15 minutes and such a gargantuan effort to adjust soaking wet clothing and lifejackets that you question whether it is really worth the effort.

Yet somehow life does eventually settle down into a relatively comfortable routine, albeit at a jaunty angle.

Spirit of Australia operates a two-watch system which rotates every 48 hours.

This means half the crew sail the boat from 0800 to 1400, 2000 to midnight and 0400 to 0800 the next day while the other watch rest and go about their daily business before filling in the gaps.

Imagine being woken up by a torch shone in your face three times a day to start work - because that is the unpleasant reality.

With 19 sleep-deprived crew living in such a small and stressful environment, tempers inevitably flare up from time to time, especially in the hotter climes Andy Rose

Ipods, damp books and emails from home provide desperately needed respite from the usual pattern of sleep, work, eat, sleep, work, eat…

Showers along with a full night's sleep are luxuries only bestowed once every eight days or so when you have first spent the day cooking and cleaning for the crew on 'mother watch'.

In the meantime, we have a daily ration of seven wet wipes each with which to keep clean from the 4,000 we have on board for this leg.

Other figures for you include more than 500kg of food which equates to a supermarket receipt in excess of 8ft long and more than 80 toilet rolls.

Racing 24/7 in the same hostile environment as the professionals is difficult beyond words and sleep is the most precious commodity we have.

Everyone desperately tries to maximize the amount of time they can spend in their tilting bunk bed to rest weary minds and limbs.

Mind you, it is not always easy to drift off to sleep while lying in your bunk if it sounds and feels as if the boat is about to disintegrate.

Every noise and movement is amplified below deck, especially at night, but these boats have already done two laps of the planet and are made of solid stuff.

The reality on deck is more often than not far calmer.

With 19 sleep-deprived crew living in such a small and stressful environment, tempers inevitably flare up from time to time, especially in the hotter climes.

But right now, the thrill of the chase and the exhilarating sailing mean any petty squabbles are put to one side.

Sometimes though - as in the first leg - life can be completely demoralizing as you sit in a wind hole for hours or even days at a time going absolutely nowhere as the rest of the fleet leave you far behind.

That was the unfortunate fate of the California crew who limped into Rio a depressing five days after the leaders' arrival having suffered one set back after another.

Other boats such as Edinburgh Inspiring Capital and Cork made it in despite shredding spinnaker sails and taking days at sea to make repairs where they could.

At times like that even the sight of a pod of playful dolphins or humpback whales leaping out of the ocean can lose their usual stunning charm.

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Overall standings:

Boat Points

1 Spirit of Australia 21

2 Team Finland 20

3 Cork 15

4 Jamaica Lightning Bolt 14

5 Cape Breton Island 14

6 Hull & Humber 14

7 Uniquely Singapore 9

8 Qingdao 7

9 Edinburgh Inspiring Capital 5

10 California 3