A nice day for sailing
/The Red dot is Zenji
Day 3 Around the Island the Wrong Way
/Oh no Even less wind..Again we had a decent start and at the bottom corner we were alongside Zenji and that is the way it stayed for the next 4 hours while the whole fleet sailed by. Dang that 500 tons.. It was great however to sail with such a terrific group of people. We actually sailed the boat better than ever this regatta and the new ratings and the new courses penalize us quite heavily. I guess 4 time a winner was not going to happen. however We did ourselves proud and won the only trophy we could possibly have competed for ...The perini Navi Cup.. For the 4th Time
WOO Hoo well done to the Whole Rosehearty Team
Day 2 Wiggly Course
/Another light day was ahead. We managed to get a good Start with Spinnaker drawing and Mizzen Staysail up. We sailed well passing Zenji our sister ship that had started 5 minutes ahead of us and worked our way into the lead by the last mark....But it was to be a 3 mile beat in less than 10knots and 500 tons takes a bit more than that. By the finish 1.5 hours later we were back in 4th! However we go in to the last day in the lead in the Big Girl class...Something to sail for..
Day 1 Race around the Island
/We had a very good start but We were in the lighter range for us. We sailed a reasonable upwind and a very good downwind leg. We have this new offset mark 3 miles from the finish and we had to beat up in a dying breeze to the Finnish and had 2 boats higher and faster pass us to place us in 3rd. But a great day on the water..
Day 4 Practice
/Another great day on the water. 2 practice starts. Checked the furler and off gybing down wind with the big A2 and Mizzen Staysail.. Back to the dock by 1500 and final prep for tomorrows race around the island..
Day 3 Mechanical
/on day 2 we heard and felt some changes in our genoa furling system and it was getting very hot.
So we did a little house work on board instead of sailing. The Race crew stripped and re built the Harken sailing winches while the Engineers and the Perini Technicians Stripped the Furler to check bearings a big job.. We ordered new bearing and had them flown in but the originals seemed fine. We topped with clean oil and re assembled and it tested better. A nice (expensive) dinner at L'Isola finished off the day. From the right Rosehearty. Q, Visione, Zenji, Rebecca
Day 2 Practice
/Out again early and some more trials on the sails before sailing the final days race followed by 2 practice starts. We had a great day on the water. We used the Bigger spinnaker the A2 1600sqm
Day 1 Practice
/We got underway in Fresh conditions. We had some adjustments to do to the new Genoa and the new Staysail to get them fitting perfectly for racing. after all was done we set off for a sail up wind and threw a good few tacks in. A bear away set to the A3 and off down wind. mizzen staysail up and we were sailing nicely. a few practice jibes and back upwind. We headed back to the dock and a nice work list to complete! Dinner on board for the guests and dinner at the Crew house for the race crew..
In Gustavia
/On the Dock doing the final Prep for the bucket. Lots of busy hands...and feet. We are using the Wally to check all the areas of concern on the race course. Race Crew Turn up tomorrow and then the Fun begins..
Photo By: Wall-A-Day
Extra Watch Keeper
/As the sun was coming up this morning we noticed that we had an overnight extra watch keeper
A Yellow Footed mature Booby Bird.
Photo by Ricardo "SOTB" Pires
St Bart's
/Thursday the 8th and finally the swell up North was moderate enough for us to head to St Bart's
We docked out at 0730 and had full sail set about an hour later. The New sails look great. We then gybed on to course for St Bart's 80nm away. We had a good motor assisted sail in a dying 14 knot wind and dropped Anchor here of Gustavia at 1600. Still too Rough to enter the port but we should be good to go Tomorrow
Drone photo by the BOX
No Lee
/We went out on Sunday with what looked to be a promising forecast to allow us to change over the Jib and the Staysail. However the wind would just not die down. we even went to the West of the Island of Antigua and still found no lee. having someone up the mast in a 2m swell is not fun.
So we eventually managed to only change the staysail out for the New one before returning to the dock...
Photo by Nikki Mazilu
Sail Works
/After settling back in to work mode, Clean up and de rusting the boat . We have started the Race preparation for the Bucket We have 2 new sails a Jib and a Staysail Which have arrived. We also take our race sails. Asymetric Spinnakers, A2 (1,700sqm or 15,500sq feet) A3 ( a little smaller) And Mizzen Staysail out of storage. last year we had a big tear in the A3 and here we are doing the repair. This was taken after midnight on Saturday. Andrew and travis worked 24 hours straight to get this repair effected. Thanks Guys..
Photo by Ricardo Pires
Last Day, We hope..
/Been particularly role and Squally today as we close in to less than 100nm to go to Antigua.
We should be docked tomorrow the 9th around 1000 local or 1400Z. Lots of cleaning up to do on the hull and the boat needs a wash! Been a fast trip if not a tad difficult to sleep, cook or clean..
Great job from the Guys and Gals..
Photo shows Antigua to the left at the end of the Red line we have been following on the Great Circle plot Across the Atlantic about 3,900 nm in 2 weeks and 2 days..With 2 stops!
Photo by Hutch
1 Week Down..
/So 1 week ago today we left Tenerife. we have been averaging 310nm a day and only have 500nm to go having travelled 2,200nm. An awkward number still to travel as we can not clear customs in Antigua and Dock at night.. So We will have to slow up to arrive Friday morning.. Winds are down a bit today but the roll goes on No showers and the weather is warm..How Lucky are we. this crossing will soon be a memory. It has had everything. Here last nights Sunset taken by Catherine
Photo by Catherine "Kat" Carr