Nick Dana on Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing checks in with today’s report – just for you guys:
Hey Anarchists!
It was a speed metal morning for sure, classic Pantera to be exact. With a sea state that resembles the Gulf Stream in mid winter during a Nor’easter, we were screaming (averaging mid 20’s knots) then stacking, screaming again and then stacking even harder. Everyone was awake, and had been for almost a full day. Adrenaline was slowly succumbing to sleep deprivation. “What a sh** sea state” was probably the most quotable / honest line of the morning.
Make no mistake though – we are extremely stoked to be back ‘amongst it’ with the fleet. The boys are frothing for a win this leg, and will subsequently push the boat harder than ever. Thankfully Azzam feels like a brick house at the moment, and has no damage to report from our first encounter with sub-par conditions.
These conditions were brought on by the fleet’s necessity to cross the Aguhlas Current that flows down the Southern tip of Africa. The current injects warm water from the higher latitudes of the Indian Ocean straight into the frigid waters of the Southern Ocean. Obviously creating weather patterns that are fierce and fast moving.
It the later hours of the morning we crept out the other side of the current. We continued VMG running with the A3 for a few hours until the wind buggered off, and we forced to peal to the MHO (Masthead Zero). Time to dry off and tuck into some spag-bol!
Stay classy –
Nick
