The intensity of the race has been building without pause until this morning, when we were becalmed. First we had a mad dash to the start line after signing Cessna as a sponsor only two weeks before the start, followed by the media scrum of the start and the emotional good byes and last hugs on the pontoon. I had hoped that I could catch my breath after sinking Mallorca on the horizon but the race ratcheted up the pressure as shifty conditions left us passing just meters from each other all through the night. When the breeze established itself we were screaming downwind, again competitors close at hand. Given our rushed preparation, this was the first time Hugo and I had sailed together in breeze but our experience from the Mini Transat class shown through and we took the lead.

However, our position at the top of the leader board was short following a small hitch North in the Alborian Sea in pursuit of a sweet shift that soon turned sour. Unlike all of our competitors who have years of experience sailing together, often in the same boat as now, Hugo and I are still going through challenging growing pains as a team that lead to misunderstandings and mistakes where normally there is common understanding.

The Mediterranean was keen to be rid of us, but not without earning our respect one last time. As we approached the famous Straights of Gibraltar, the wind built from 15 to 25 and then to 35 kts by Tarifa just as we struggled to get out spinnaker down. Having called upon our guardian angel with the spinnaker drop, we then spent further credits with her as the Code 5 halyard pulled through the clutch and we ran over the sail. We managed to re-hoist it and then the cover on the tack line broke, sending the lower corner of the sail skyward. The only thing that saved us was that the furling line caught on the mast and were were able to slowly grind down the unruly sail to continue blasting out of the Straights and down the coast of Morrocco.

Now the intensity is over, patience is the key for as we wriggle out of a wind whole that swallowed us whole. Its painful to watch our earstwhile companions, Campaign du France and BSL, put big miles on us but we need to remind ourselves that the race is not over and passing lanes still exist!

Well, its been a long time coming! I’m embarrassed that I have not updated my website since crossing the finish line in Pointe a Pitre. Given the technical failures that plagued my race and led to my lowly finish, I didn’t consider the Route du Rhum a success. However, this experience has opened doors and allowed me to work with new Class 40 yacht that I have been fortunate enough to charter with my new co-skipper, Hugo Ramon, to finally confirm our entry in the 2011- 2012 Global Ocean Race.

We are currently based in Palma, Mallorca and will be representing the Balearic Islands as we travel around the world. Our steed for the race is a brand new Akilaria RC2, and with a race number of 112 she is the latest boat built to this in this class. We have a lot of work still to do, and with only 90 days to go until the race start the clock is ticking ever louder.

Check back here as I will now be updating my site regularly with new information about our preparations, sail design, sleeping techniques and a killer workout schedule!

I appeared to be out of the room when passion for kicking pig skin was handed out, so the vuvuzela buzz of the World Cup passed me by without incident and I tend to only feign interest in the all conquering All Blacks when I fear I’m about to be accused of being a bad Kiwi.

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