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Singlehanded Sailing Society
2002 TRANSPAC News and Position Reports | Home |
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Singlehanded Sailing Society
2002 TRANSPAC News and Position Reports | Home |
0900 hours radio check in
via SailMail from Steve Wilson on board Westerly
Zapped gave his position to Seabird before the SSB check in. All seems well.
| Yacht | Latitude | Longitude | DTF | Notes |
| Rusalka | 27.11 | 143.20 | 930 | |
| Alchera | 26.29 | 145.51 | 789 | |
| Tease | 26.38 | 143.23 | 919 | |
| Endangered Species | 26.35 | 142.04 | 988 | |
| Seabird | 26.29 | 143.18 | 922 | |
| Zapped | 25.08 | 144.02 | 868 | VHF check-in, could not confirm as contact was broken |
| Westerly | 26.00 | 141.37 | 1005 | |
| Haulback | 26.27 | 141.15 | 1030 |
2100 hours radio check in
| Yacht | Latitude | Longitude | DTF | Notes |
| Rusalka | 26.45 | 144.39 | 855 | |
| Alchera | 25.46 | 147.11 | 708 | |
| Tease | 25.58 | 144.35 | 848 | |
| Endangered Species | 26.37 | 143.33 | 910 | |
| Seabird | 25.50 | 144.27 | 853 | |
| Zapped | 24.51 | attempted to check in on VHF, could not copy nor confirm | ||
| Westerly | 25.53 | 143.03 | 924 | |
| Haulback | 26.15 | 142.38 | 954 |
from Mark Deppe on board Alchera
Alchera Log 6/23/02 1537 Hours
Position N26 07 W146 36
'Don't put all your toilet paper in one place' - Carl, on Audacious.
Wise words from a world class sailor. After that comment on the check-in this morning I started to worry, because all my toilet paper *is* in the same place. But then I remember that the paper towels are in a different location, and could use them in a pinch. If I were to lose all the paper towels, though, toilet paper would be a poor substitute. I better rethink this.
Audacious, by the way, is an unofficial tag along to the SSS 2002 TransPac race. He also did the race along with me in '96, again as an unofficial tag along. It doesn't really matter to the racers, once you get out here you're part of the family.
That's one of the interesting things that happens as the SSS TransPac race proceeds. A bond grows between the racers that goes beyond competition, and the race almost seems to take a backseat. Weather information, tips on rigging and sail trim, and strategy is freely asked and given. The fact that you may be helping a fellow competitor in a race you are all trying to win doesn't seem as important as it is for the entire fleet to do well. It's a strange but unique situation.
The conditions the last few days have been ideal for cruising, but not so much for racing. There's not enough wind to be able to point the boat at the finish and go for it, so the fleet is now gybing back and forth across the wind to try and keep the boat speed up. Neither tack is very good - on one heading you are heading northwest and back into the high, the other southwest and pointed way off target. So we all go a little bit this way, then a little bit the other, trying to position ourselves to the best advantage, and hoping for a wind shift that will let us point more directly at Kauai.
Lou on Seabird had another brief contact with Zapped when Jim came up on channel 69 to report his position. Before Lou could confirm the position, radio contact was broken.
-Alchera
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