For the Gold Coast Australia (GCA) crew it was a “very pleasant and particularly long” stay in Rio – a none too subtle hint about the passage of time between their arrival in Rio and that of the rest of the fleet.
Barry emailed to say he was looking forward to seeing the sites after spending many hours on boat cleaning and maintenance. Having a shave, haircut and going to the Clipper office to check on mail etc. were also on the agenda. The last days before the start of Leg 2 were filled with final boat preparations and checks for new crew joining the yachts. According to GCA skipper Richard Hewson one of the team’s main priorities in Rio was to repair the two spinnakers.
For the victuallers (those who organise/purchase the food or other stores) it was an interesting experience shopping in Brazil as they stock the boat for three weeks at sea. According to BAMO “A few of us were rostered to get fresh fruit and goods this morning. Each piece of fruit must be washed in anti-bacterial mix, then fresh water, to get rid of bugs etc and to help the fruit keep for a little longer.”
The Race 3/Leg 2 start took place on September 10 (the day before BAMO’s birthday) in the famous Rio harbour with the giant statue of Christ the Redeemer towering above. After a night of close racing in fluky winds in the 3,300-mile race from Rio de Janeiro to Cape Town, the Clipper website reported that the teams had quickly got back into the routine of life at sea.
The GCA team had five new crew members join the race in Rio. Their presence made it clear to the others just how many things had become routine during the first two races. According to an email sent by BAMO a day into the race, the new team members were fitting in well and he too seemed to be settling in quicker than last time.
A diary entry from Nina Zeun indicated that BAMO’s birthday had not gone unnoticed. “Today held more excitement than many other ordinary days with Barry Moore celebrating his birthday (at least three times, once after each wake up the rascal) and the crew observing a moment of silence in memory of the 9/11 victims”. Barry also noted “Sea conditions are good, the weather is cooler at night, first time in the bag but not zipped up. Had a cake & card given to me on my birthday.”
It seems the ten-year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks were remembered across the fleet. The ten crews put their rivalries aside to unite in a minute’s silence to remember the people who died on September 11, 2001. The Clipper Race visited New York in August 2001, enjoying a stopover at Liberty Landing in New Jersey overlooking the Twin Towers. The fleet set sail on 31 August just 11 days before the attacks.
Janice Taylor from the De Lage Landen team posted a poignant diary entry. “Any subway car at rush hour in New York could carry scores of professions, languages, and cultures, and perhaps even a dozen religions. Each yacht in the Clipper Race is a microcosm of that diversity, with plumbers and PhDs trimming sails alongside students, secretaries and stock brokers; a native Spanish-speaker at the pedestal winch grinder in response to a Dutch-accented shout to ‘grind!’ We embrace each other through our diversity. We leave our ethnocentricity ashore, and we cultivate not just tolerance, but respect for other cultures. Not coincidentally, De Lage Landen ‘Embraces the World.’”
Historically the South Atlantic leg of the Clipper Round the World race has produced some extremely close finishes – in Clipper 07-08 two of the top three teams crossed the line just 40 seconds apart after 3,500 miles of racing. This year’s race has seen the lead change hands a number of times on the leg so far, with Welcome to Yorkshire, Visit Finland and Gold Coast Australia trading the top few positions many times.
Although light air originally hampered progress as the teams battled for position in frustratingly fluky conditions, just a few days later the teams faced a mix of strong winds, lulls, gusts, squalls, heavy rain and poor visibility. According to one of the skippers “It has amazed me just how wild it really is out here, a vast desolate area that has an almost eerie feeling to it.”
Scottish skipper, Gordon Reid agrees, “The raw power of the ocean and mother nature is all too apparent as we are side swiped by another monster wave and everything and everyone on deck is drenched from head to toe. But somehow we are inspired by being out here thousands of miles from anywhere the rest of the world seems so far away. In these extreme conditions the crew are all digging a little deeper to find the strength of character it takes to race a yacht and do all that is required to ensure boat speed is optimised at all times.”
Vision of big seas and crashing waves has sent a chill through the family and friends following the race on the various Facebook pages. As BAMO’s wife Chris commented “My nerves have been shot for the last few days, dreading reading the daily updates”.
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| Look closely at the bottom of the jacket to see the letters 'B A M O' |
This image of BAMO (at left with his back to camera) was accompanied by the following on the Race News entry for the day “A third of the way into this 3,300-mile race between two continents and Mother Nature is baring her teeth and reminding the crews that she is in charge. Conditions have been testing and the teams are proving they have what it takes to race through them in the extreme sport of ocean racing.”
The report went on to describe enormous waves and winds in excess of 50 knots. The punishing conditions, may have been giving some of the crew an exhilarating ride but they proved bruising for others. Tim Liverton, a round the world crew member on Singapore, sustained a cut to his head when a huge wave washed him down the cockpit. On board Geraldton Western Australia, 49-year-old Hilly Bouteloup was thrown out of her bunk when the boat lurched up against a large swell and has suspected broken ribs.
According to Richard Hewson, the wind from the south brought with it the coldest conditions seen since leaving the UK. “One squall this morning at 50+ knots brought with it hail which stung our hands and faces like frozen needles as we eased sails and ran away with the massive gusts of wind”.
Ben Bowley, the skipper on Singapore agreed. “Life over the last 24 hours has been a constant cycle of get up wet and cold, put on wet and cold clothes and waterproofs, eat food (hot and welcome) go on deck and get more wet and cold, come below, get undressed (15-minute operation) get thrown across boat and land on wet and cold cushions, get into wet and cold bunk... repeat. “I would like to say that spirits and morale are high but that would be a terrible lie. Instead there is an attitude of grim determination to get through these next few days.”
GCA went into ‘Stealth Mode’ for 24 hours and emerged with an increased lead having spent a day under the invisibility shield.
As Chris Moore packs to leave for Cape Town, she's very excited about seeing BAMO and the crew. She has packed his new orthotics and other essential supplies for him. Chris would very much like to wave her new boxing kangaroo flag, so she is hoping they sail into the marina in the daytime. I'm sure Chris will have heaps of stories to write about on her return.
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