Pip Hildesley - The Shed

3rd July 1600 UT

41 28n 49 27 W

What a total contrast this return trip is.

We are one third of the way back across the Atlantic, my third crossing this year and a totally different experience to the last one.

Everyone was feeling the call of the sea by the time we left Newport; Hannah lead the caravan out followed by us and then others joining the following day. They are all heading for the Azores, for a stop, and a reunion doubtless with beer.

June 18th 1949 UT

Newport yacht club - just outside the bar.

I am sitting at the computer onboard Cazenove Capital which is oddly still, just resting.

It is raining outside and I am listening to the sound of the wind and struggling for words.

After a heart wrenching day yesterday, the end tantalizingly close, and still seemingly just out of my reach, the wind stayed true and I made it to the finish.

Just as the sun was setting I made my call to the committee; 6 miles to go and making 6 knots.

June 17th 2153 UT

18 miles to the Finish

This is not how I imagined it.

Over the last couple of days my progress has been so great and the push has been so big, that I dared to imagine the finish. I imagined sailing into Rhode Island sound with hours to spare on my two goal times to beat QII and BluQube.

16th June 2159 UT

40 56 N 8 55W

Tension? Nerves? Running round like a lunatic not able to settle for even one minute? You must be suffering from OSTAR race end syndrome, there is only one cure

June 15th 2008 UT
41 32N 64 15W

Finally, this morning I was able to cross off two more boats in the Cuddy, Olbia and Banjaard put up a good fight.

The sprint for the finish is in full flight and I have not let up the pace.

14 June 2022ut

42 07N 60 18W

I am wired!

There is adrenaline pumping though my body and I am so excited I am almost quaking.

I had a tough night, going through the light and variables, feeling sick to the stomach as the wind changed direction again and again and the residual swell knocked the wind from the sails and drove the boat backwards.

There was low cloud and poor visibility so I could not see the sails and every time I turned on the torch to look at them my night vision was wrecked and I could see nothing else.

June 13th 1815 UT

42 36n 56 23W

It has been a grim old day and I have to confess to taking off the rufty tuty sailor hat for some of the afternoon and being a tea drinking, cuddy dwelling softy for a bit.

It seems like I am racing in slow motion. Because I am so close in position to Olbia and Banjaard, we are sailing similar courses and so gains are harder to make.

If I sail consistently 1 knot faster than them on a similar course I can see a benefit of four miles at each sched.

12th june 2009 1441 ut

42 42n 51 51 W

Back on the trail.

The positions came in this morning and it turns out my staggeringly clever plan to take a Grand Banks route, just made me tired and gave away miles to the two boats in front.

I was becalmed for quite a while yesterday while others plodded on, and when the breeze did fill in, I set my big kite and accompanied by a pod of whales started to move again into the night.

Not wanting to go below I bought the beanbag and gortex blanket on deck and settled on the cockpit sole where I had the autopilot remote in my hand and a great v