Light shows for the 4th

Hello All:

I wrote a long blog entry yesterday and then the computer got rebooted before it was saved and it was lost! In any event, happy US Independence Day (belatedly). Now, where was I? First, let’s talk about the greatest light show on earth. Two nights ago, on an overcast night, the bioluminescence in the water was the most amazing I have ever seen. We were reaching in 25 knots of wind with a fairly large swell on our beam. The largest rollers were probably 10 -12 feet and several were cresting. The view from the cockpit looked like were looking out at a huge fleet of ships all with bright green lights the colour of glow sticks. The rollers that were cresting near Turicum looked like they were going to envelope us in green and as they passed under the boat large swathes of lighter green spread across the water. Astern, Turicum’s wake was like a jet trail. Add to that, the fact that sailing in a good breeze at night feels like the boat is travelling impossibly fast, and it all is pretty surreal.

In reality, we are sailing fast. Noon to noon has been over 200 miles in the past two days with speeds regularly in the teens surfing down the waves. Driving the boat in these conditions, is a real challenge – especially at night. One hour of driving seems like ten minutes but is also extremely tiring.

I believe we are several hundred miles west of the southern Oregon coast. The trick is to stay more south than west so you avoid getting becalmed in the major weather system called the North Pacific High. Hale has been following the High by satellite printouts and hopes that we are well positioned to cut the corner about right. Whatever the outcome in terms of the race, simply going as fast as possible day and night and seeing the expanse of the Pacific is, well, spiritual, in an atavistic way. We do not have a clue as to what is going on in the world, but we have a minute to minute knowledge of what is happening in the world we are visiting and it is all consuming.

If this were a job site the labour law authorities would shut it down in a minute. Work is twelve hours per day seven days per week but you are on call the other half of each day. Sleep is at most five hours in a stretch. You are routinely called to put yourself in harms way, often in the middle of the night – boy what fun! Oh yes and there is no pay unless you count a Mai Tai in Maui. By the way, the Ritz Carlton Hotel is our food sponsor. Good on them for sponsoring us and good on us for having the luck to get them.

Well, I have cut into my five hours of sleep enough for one day. To all and any who read this, have a great 24 and tune in tomorrow.