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We finished the race very late on Thursday - specifically at 22 hours, 34 minutes and 49 seconds UTC on August 10. We were the second vessel in the whole fleet to cross and were a full thirteen and one half-hours later than the first finisher, NV Hamburg. The third vessel to cross was Brilliant a little less than three hours behind us.

It was a messy finish. The wind got light and variable. Just as we were ten miles from the finish, conditions deteriorated with the wind switching forty degrees at a time and frequently jumping from ten knots to five knots. All day Thursday, the wind was light and changeable. I was wrong to assume the wind would be ahead of us as suggested by the weather prognosis maps. In fact it came from behind. Fortunately, that was a better direction than if it had come from ahead. But when it started being fickle with a vengeance, my anxiety quotient went through the roof. But now the race is over for us and we sit pretty as you please in Gosport with some of the crew on time off and others handling maintenance.

The Race - from Tuesday, August 8

My last log left off as Pride II was being chased by Eendracht and both of us had discovered that we had succeeded in catching up with the fleet by sailing to the north of them. That was last Tuesday, August 8. On Wednesday, we found that through the night we had not been passed by our new opponent but instead had opened up the distance on Eendracht due to the breeze going aft (Pride II handles breezes better from that quarter than does Eendracht). So it was satisfying to find we had crept ahead during the night. We also found that none of the other vessels to our south had found strong enough breezes to get to Waypoint 3 when we did. So we rounded it alone, second behind NV Hamburg - and ahead of everyone else. In fact, Eendracht passed it third some three hours behind us with Brilliant and Esprit close behind.

From then on, Wednesday at noon till we finished late Thursday night, it was a struggle coping with softening winds and fickle directions while trying to pick how best to negotiate the reversing tidal currents of the English Channel. Based on how much Brilliant closed with Pride II at the finish line, I would have to say we only did marginally well sailing the changing currents and variable winds of the English Channel. First we went south a little to use the flood current to best advantage. Then we went to the north to minimize the affect of the foul current. Then it was back to the south for more current from a favorable direction. By this time, it was a day later - Thursday afternoon. We had lost contact with Eendracht, and I worried about the fast vessels behind her using the wind from behind to better advantage than us. Meanwhile, the wind had blown steadily out of the west till late Wednesday evening as we made for the northern side of the English Channel. For the next 24 hours, it was a constant gamble as to where the wind was going next in strength and bearing while we positioned Pride II to best advantage with the current.

While I got increasingly stressed about picking the best route along the variable wind and changeable currents, the crew continued to do great work of handling sail and keeping after all the little details. I am afraid I got particularly vexed with conditions when I gathered from the weather reports that things were due to go light to calm soon and last for at least a day! With this report, it became even more important to get across the line sooner rather than later or we might be out for another day or two. Which is exactly what happened to a large part of the fleet after the first eight finishers crossed the line by dawn on Friday, August 11. The ninth finisher did not cross till midday on Friday. From then on, no one crossed till late Friday night. They spent all that time drifting in a virtual calm only 20 miles from the finish! As of noon today, Saturday, only two racers have finished in the last twenty-four hours.

Our standings in the race are still 1^st in Class and 4^th in Fleet as I write this. But I have early indications that Kruzenstern has caught us again in the Fleet standings. If this is so, will we be bumped to 5^th in Fleet again. But this may change as she is just now entering the English Channel and may run into light winds.

"Racing" in Gosport

While we continue to ‘race' while tied up in Gosport, the crew cleaned the ship, themselves, and the laundry. When all that was done, there was time off for everyone. Today one watch is off and one watch is handling maintenance. There are repairs to the rig to make and cosmetics to attend to.

Our blown forestaysail will be replaced sometime soon with a new one made by our sail maker, Nat Wilson. Instead of repairing the damaged staysail, we are taking it apart to salvage the valuable bits and stockpile sail cloth for other uses.

While the weather has been hard on the nerves of racers tying to end the race, it is very pleasant ashore. I am told the 70-degree dry and sunny weather we are enjoying is the first good weekend of the whole summer. We have been visited by several people that know that the race is going on or who are drawn to the interesting appearance of Pride II .

The organizer of this race, the International Sail Training Association (ISTA), is headquartered here. The Director, Peter Newall, and two of his officers, Paul Canter and Liz Pritchard, came down to grace us with some celebratory champagne as a welcome to their town and congratulate us on a well sailed race. The father of the captain of Jolie Brise, Professor Robin Marris who is a research economist of some renowned, came down to see us and talk about the race. Other visitors included the crew of Esprit and Brilliant. There is also a steady stream of the curious, by foot and by water, since the harbor where we are, Gosport, is a very active sailors' town.

Later the Same Day

Well, today's standings are in. Pride II remains 1^st in Class but has again dropped to 5^th in fleet. Kruzenshtern has been sailing well again. If she keeps sailing well or others do better, we may fall down the fleet roster some more. If so, we have good company. Between yesterday and today, a full two thirds of the fleet have experienced changes in their standings, mostly downwards as those still sailing proceed towards the finish as fast as they can and those that are finished or are becalmed sit. So we aboard Pride II continue to "race," as we remain secure at our berth at Haslar Marine in beautiful Gosport.

Cheers,
Captain Miles