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From : Sarah Brice Yacht : Concert Date : Saturday 24th November, 1996 I was thinking yesterday that the start was a bit of an anticlimax. There we were, all psyched up for the Southern Ocean - icebergs, gales, blah blah, and we found ourselves crawling along Copacabana beach in barely breath of wind and heavy drizzle. Not the most dramatic of starts. None of this blazing sunshine and dazzling Rio skyline to set us on our way screaming down the Brazilian coast to Cape Horn. JC and Sugarloaf were shrouded in cloud and as we finally left the bay and headed to sea the grey sky met the grey sea and Rio disappeared. We could have been back in the English Channel. But hey, we were in the lead - first past the Fairway buoy and first out of the bay - so we were happy. It could have been snowing and we'd have been happy! We settled down to life onboard, glad to be back and on our way again. Cracking the same old gags and still laughing. (I assure you they're not funny). Endless teasing, and no one getting away with anything. All subjects open to discussion - nothing is sacred! A few days of spinnaker runs in gentle sunshine had us lulled into that relaxed Equator feeling - when the only descision had been which factor sun cream to put on. So all the more shock to suddenly find ourselves on the foredeck fighting to do a series of sail changes as the rather cooler South Atlantic water poured over the deck. In four hours we went from barely making 4 knots with the spinnaker to being stripped down to three reefs, the No. 3 and storm staysail with 45 knots of wind across the deck. In four hours we did five sail changes, and it was hard work. The rule of sailing in Southern latitudes was graphically illustrated: when things go pear-shaped they do it in rapid, fruity style. We were shattered, soaked and bruised. I retreated to my bunk only to dream that I was stuck in a war zone and my mother and I were running around with machine guns. (she was amazing, incidentally!) So much for the comfort and peace of your bunk! Today things look much the same - plenty of wind and still the pocket handkerchiefs flying. But we're all happier. Found some dry kit (won't last), readjusted to the angles and are back to the cheap gags. After all this is what we came for.
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