Row for home (as fast as we can)
Row Across The Pond
Richard Hoyland and Steve Coe
Sun 3 Jan 2010 18:16
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It's 6:00pm on the night before the big race start
and to be honest it's quite a daunting prospect being sat here about to
undertake such an epic journey. I've got massive butterflies in my stomach,
combined with an amazing feeling of anticipation of what lies
ahead.
Today, I bought loads of fruit to last us through
the first few days and we'll be making sandwichs for the first day, how British
to have a picnic on the Atlantic :-) We've sorted out our kit for
the first day and have filled the boat with fresh water to last us the
first couple of days, so that we don't have to use the watermaker for a while
(it uses loads of battery power). Half the fleet are looking like convicts as
we've borrowed a set of hair clippers...mine is severe to say the
least...can't post any pictures as you may not be able to sleep at night
after seeing them.
At 9:00am tomorrow we head to the marina (take the
first seasickness tablets) and prepare to undergo final race scrutineering, say
farewell to all the new people we have grow so close to and at 12:30pm head out
to sea for final radio checks. At 1:30 the flag goes down and a horn sounds
and we're off.
The advice is for us to head due south if possible
as there is another weather front coming in...approximately 10 days away. We
need to row as fast as we can to avoid it's effects, it's a big low
pressure that could see us sitting on the para-anchor (unable to row) for around
3 days. The race may have started in a clear weather window but
from then on we are at the mercy of the weather and the sea. If anyone out there is watching the weather on
passageweather.com...please let us know via email if we're about to hit some
serious weather, winds of 20 knots blowing us back in the wrong direction,
big low pressures or really big waves are the kinds of things that I'm more than
willing to buy beer, chocolate etc. for a successful prediction
;-)
Can't imagine that I will get much sleep tonight.
Family, friends and number 5 Randalls Road
(Leatherhead) seem so far away...but I intend to row for home as fast as I
can.
[today's blog was brought to you by a very nervous
Richard]
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