Transpac: From the Course

(July 14, 2013) – Navigator Peter Shumar reports from the Santa Cruz 50 Deception that their position south of the Transpac fleet isn’t yet delivering hoped for dividends…

“The winds don’t seem to be cooperating with us this year. Not that there isn’t wind, we’ve got plenty of that, but that they aren’t bending to our will (ie, clocking behind us). So after our brief spinnaker run last night, we went back to our jib-top as we weren’t holding our course very well. We’ve been waiting all day for the wind to clock, but just when we think we might have an opportunity soon, it shifts forward and it’s the same old jib-top reaching conditions again.

“We’re finally seeing more sun out during the day, and the clouds are becoming puffy. The nights have been dark though and that has made for some tricky night driving. One thing I’m amazed about in these trips is what you can learn to sleep through. The roar of water screaming past the hull, check. The grinding and moaning of winches, check. Sails flogging, check. Folks yelling, check. A sail change, sure… wiping out – out like a light.”

Tracker: http://yb.tl/transpac2013