ARC 2006

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LANCELOT AND BRITANNIA STORM TO NEW BENETEAU 40.7 ARC RECORD
12.12.06

December 12th 2006

Lancelot and Britannia Storm to New Beneteau 40.7 ARC Record

Britannia Corporate Events, Britannia Synergy and Lancelot's sponsor Gleeds are delighted to announce that the crew of Lancelot have successfully completed the 2006 ARC in the record breaking time of 15 days, 10 hours, 23 minutes and 50 seconds, finishing in St Lucia at 23:03:50 GMT on 11th December 2006. This beats the previous fastest ARC crossing for a Beneteau 40.7 of 16 days, 20 hours, 42 minutes and 10 seconds (set by Tarka in 2004) by a massive 34 hours.

The Lancelot crew spent the majority of the race in challenging downwind conditions that were ideal for speed but extremely demanding for the crew, both mentally and physically. The boat was subject to its own challenges, with winds usually a steady 25 knots and often gusting to 35 knots and more. One of the casualties of the campaign was the heavy weight spinnaker, completely destroyed in the strong winds. The race saw several other yachts loose their rigs and 2 boats abandoned to the sea.

The record breaking crew members were Paul Coward [skipper], Patrick Maflin [first mate], Octavia Williams, Alison Wheeler, Neil Tweedley, John Rhodes, Mark Ashton and Chris Walton. The crew is now enjoying a well deserved rest in St Lucia.

Andy Byham of Britannia Corporate Events commented on the record:
"This is an incredible achievement by the crew. They have not just beaten the record, but smashed it and this is a reflection of the dedication, teamwork, spirit and skill of the entire crew. I would like to congratulate each and every one of the team and especially Paul and Patrick. I would also like to thank Gleeds for their continued support and sponsorship of Lancelot for this, the second successive ARC and Caribbean campaign for the yacht and Britannia Synergy."

December 9th 2006

Betty and Blockages!

A grey night saw fresh squalls hitting us with regularity. The ponchos bought in Gran Canaria came in handy – Neil and John shared one, Paul the other, as poor Mark manfully took the brunt of the driving rain and wind on the helm to keep Lancelot on course.

Eventually dawn rose bright and clear and after a few hours we saw the sails of Imp appearing on the horizon behind us. The next hour we debated the sailing angles and the merits of hoisting Betty against keeping a straighter course on jib. Imp was flying her kit but not steering as directly west as we were.

We finally made the decision to put a repaired Betty to the test again. The previous evening Paddy and Ocky had again resorted to sail and gaffer tape to make a repair. Paddy autographed the patch with the immortal line “This Is Bo77locks”.

We went for the hoist just before lunch. A few early wraps and scares were overcome and we decided to monitor progress over the next four hours to see what improvement we made, if any.

Lunch came and went – Manuel’s rolls, pasta and tuna. But soon a more pressing emergency was to come to light – a blockage in the heads pipe meant we couldn’t flush the toilet. Heads on boats use a system of handpumps to flush sea water into and out of the bowl, they rely upon “only putting in what you’ve eaten” otherwise things can get very messy indeed.

As I write there are bang and thumps coming from the heads as Paul struggles to clear the blockage. We have a bucket for emergencies but none of us are too keen on that.

Trimming Betty is taking its toll. It’s damn hot, tiring and frustrating. With no relaxation for the three hour watches. Whether we will continue during the night we don’t yet know. But let’s hope at least we can seek a few moments of sanctuary in an unblocked toilet, thanks to Paul’s stirling efforts with arms up to his elbows in crap.

It’s Saturday night and team spirit is high – House music on deck, maybe crack a half-bottle of beer later! Just so long as we don’t drink it all at once.. Delicious…and only 380m to go

NT Lancelot
9th December 2006

December 8th 2006

Super-Cruiser or Racer!

The first of the super yachts finished today in 11 days and a few hours, setting a new ARC record. We know that we are still in 3rd place in our class. But we also know that when the handicap is applied we will struggle to keep that position. The handicap system is a complex algorithm that combines many factors including, size and configuration of sails and boat size to produce a weighting time factor that is applied to our finishing time. We give time to some boats and receive it over others. At the moment the two leaders are some 70m and 50m ahead, We have Imp about 30m behind us but we need to finish more than 5 hours in front of them to overcome the handicap.

All we can do is continue to sail our own race. The frustration of losing our heavyweight kite yesterday has been compounded during the course of today. The winds have been strong and gusting with squalls. The squalls are weather subsystems that go contrary to the prevailing winds. Often they contain gale force winds and generally disrupt the steady flow of the trades. When they hit they tend to drive us north of our target and can add many miles to our course.

Today has seen a procession of squalls that initially prevented us hoisting Black Betty’s Momma – the big 0.9oz AP, but eventually the pressure of being a super-cruiser rather than a racing yacht overcame our concerns and we decided to give it a try. The kite came out on deck and we went for the hoist. This kite is huge, almost too big for our little boat, and it dwarfs its daughter. Unfortunately with its size comes additional temprementality meaning we have to constantly trim the sail. This requires four people – one on the helm, one grinding the sheet in, one calling and easing the trim, and one on the vang, our backstop that releases the tension in the mainsail when released in the event that we broach. This places demands on the crew: additional stress, concentration and focus is needed.

Betty was up and flying well, with Paddy on helm, when a heavy gust sent the boat spiralling up wind, filling the huge kite and laying us flat over on our side. Paul was at the bow at the time trying to sort out a problem on the foot of the kite. As we went over he saw the rudder and keel rise out of the water, the crew standing on the upper sides of the boat. “An awesome sight” he said. We were safe. Lancelot is stable, came round slowly and righted itself gently. But the broach ripped the kite and as soon as the boat was upright Neil and Paul went to the bow and we dropped it down again.

Paddy was devastated. The frustrations continued as he went below to see what repairs would be needed. Meanwhile we return to super-cruiser: poled Number 3 and we continue to ply our way West.

NT Lancelot
8.12.06

December 7th 2006

Of anybody, perhaps the most superstitious are sea-faring folk. From the biblical sailors who threw Jonah to the whale because they believed him to be the bringer of bad luck, to modern circumnavigators with the latest technology, we all have our fears and concerns, traditions and ways of doing things. On crossing the equator by boat, we still pay homage to the Lord of the Seas, King Neptune with a ceremony of ridicule and sacrifice.

When Lancelot reached half-way across the Atlantic, we had a glass of champagne and offered a tipple to Neptune. So, we are always wary of taking his name in vain.

The past few days has seen our luck change constantly. We ripped Black Betty, our trusty heavy-weight; we repaired her, the repair failed. Helmo effected a further repair with sail cloth and gaffer tape, which we hoped would prove more resilient.

At the first opportunity last night we hoisted her and she held! As we sailed through the night Black Betty took everything that nature and Neptune threw at her and kept flying. Our speeds were high and we were racing. As each night-watch began and ended, began and ended, we were eating up the miles.

Dawn rose clear and burning hot. The sun, unencumbered by any of the fripperies of clouds, blazed into the dawn sky, clearly stating her early intentions to roast us today. Still the winds blew a steady 25 knots, 28 knots, 30 knots. The sea swell rose too; 15 feet, 20 feet, 25 feet. As our speed increased so did the difficulty we had in maintaining our configuration, our shape in the sea and wind. In a series of exceptional surfing waves, Helmo recorded a high 16-knotter, then another, culminating in a 17.5 knot burst that equalled the highest ever Lancelot speed record ever, set by Paddy a few day’s before.

As the wind eased over the next few minutes, the talk on watch turned to other Gods, and Big Cheeses. Chris jokingly said he’d put in a word using his Shaman knowledge to give us consistent wind and waves to take us to St Lucia. Alas, we forgot that Neptune hears everything on the sea. Other Gods! He clearly decided that we needed to be taught a lesson.

Suddenly, the kite starts to collapse. A wind shift? Or Neptune’s hand? As Lancelot turns, Betty fills with a bang like a clap of thunder, putting huge pressure on the clutch, which overloads and slips. The halyard spills out twenty feet and Betty begins to fall. Paul at the helm applies his best techniques, the hands of Neil and John load winches to grind in the displaced halyard, but it’s too late. The foot of the kite catches on the forestay and it rips. Paddy and Ali rush to the bow. But it seems like slow motion as the sail disintegrates before us. The Number 3 jib goes out; the remnants of the tape wrapped round the Genny have to be cut away.

Black Betty is unceremoniously bundled below and Helmo bags her – his repair is still as solid as ever. Sadly the rest of the kite is no more use.

And so on we sail, in the blustering winds and blistering heat. The sun mocks our attempts to find respite. Every few minutes Neptune snaps his fingers and sends waves that spin us around. What does this mean for our chances of race success? Well, the winds are too strong for our other kites and so our speed is much less than it might otherwise be. But we are holding it together well- Ali smashes a personal best 15.7 on the poled-out jib after 3 hours of intensive helming!. We have just over 800 miles to go. We may not win, but we will fight on and give it our best. And we’ll have fun.

Let’s hope that Neptune feels he’s punished us enough now and smiles on us a little. Betty’s Momma wants to come out to play!

ENDS
NT Lancelot 7.12.2006

December 6th 2006

.. and all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by

Yesterday’s full moon has temporarily put paid to one of our most fascinating night-time occupations. No, not that, but star-gazing.

Previous nights have passed-by with each watch contemplating the myriad patterns and formations that comprise the billions of stars and galaxies in our visible universe.

We have seen the Plaedes, the Seven Sister, like an inky white smudge high in the celestial sphere. We have traced Polaris using the Plough as a pointer. We have seen the arrow formed by the belt of Orion, turn like a spinning signpost, first east then west as watches change. And we have seen exploding meteors enter our atmosphere and end their million-year journey through space in a millisecond, watched only by us.

We have talked of the knowledge of early seamen who could interpret these and the thousand of other constellations and used them to guide their tiny craft across thousand of miles of empty sea. Today with GPS, we don’t need that knowledge, nor do we understand it. But we are still in awe of the hugeness of it all. It is humbling.

Today has been a day where nothing seemingly eventful has happened. We have sailed, we have eaten, we have slept. We have gybed, we have eaten, we have slept. We have lurched and broached. We have sent a well-prepared curry from Chris, crashing off the top of the gimballed stove. We have watched movies on DVD. We have played cards. We have played quizzes. We threw buckets of cold water over each other to cool off. We have sailed. We have slept. We have eaten.

We went through the 1000 mile barrier this evening. I think we are suffering a little from Cabin Fever today!

As I see the first of tonight’s shooting stars I’m reminded of a quote from Jack London:

“I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time”

END
NT Lancelot 6.12.06

December 5th 2006

The early hours of Tuesday saw dark clouds chasing us west, with the obvious intention of giving us a soaking. We did our best to outrun them, but Lancelot’s average of fewer than 9 knots was no match for the 30 knot gusts bringing the bad weather. So the inevitable happened and it rained. Out came ponchos and oilies to stave off the worst of it. Lancelot soldiered on like the gallant knight of her namesake, riding the white horses and holding her course of due West - 270̊ .

Sunrise was a grey affair – the first time in the journey that we had failed to see its fiery arc break the horizon, instantly warming chilled faces and spreading bands of luminescence like floodlights in a celestial stageshow through the theatre curtains of grey cloud: Nevertheless the lady was up and holding centre stage. The day had begun.

We have settled into a routine over the past few days. Our course is set, it’s just a question of trying to maintain direction and concentration, to do everything we can to improve the boat’s speed and its accuracy. All of us now are taking turns in helming in order to share the stress of long hours of intense concentration during the night watches. For us to maintain and improve our position we have to look for every opportunity to improve performance. Can we sail a little more accurately to the compass course? Can we trim the sails to give us an extra 1/10 of a Knot? Can we improve stamina and morale by providing good wholesome food and a comfortable environment for when we are resting? Can we help and support each other when we see someone flagging or tired, or feeling low?

Our helmsmen tune into the zone. We try to feel the movement of the ocean powering us along. We begin to sense when the swell is going to rise up and try and force us off course. We cannot fight its power, so we harness it, we use its momentum to help us, we position the boat to surf the surge. We feel the wind on our shoulder, our backs and our cheeks. We feel its caress turn into a slap, then a punch, and we adjust the boat accordingly, to take the punishment and to use it to drive us harder.

We are all still learning, and the ocean is not kind to slackers. A moment’s loss of concentration and she hits us hard knocking us sideways, forcing us down into the waves, tearing us away from our carefully planned course. Lancelot takes it in her stride, struggles up like a dazed boxer after receiving a knock-down, shakes out her sails, and gets going again through to the next round.

We’ve had more than our fair share of knock-downs too over the past days (as you will have seen from Paddy’s blog yesterday) But we are still in there fighting. Other boats in the fleet have not been so resilient: the dismasting of Mustang; a yacht hit and damaged by a whale.

Meanwhile below decks on Lancelot, Manuel turns out a batch of near perfect bread rolls, hot and steamy, ready for lunch, but secretly wishing he was HelmoMan again. Ali helps prepare the food, flashes her contagious smile and yearns to take the wheel, to steer solidly and reliably, to meld with the forces around her. Pockets does the round of the boat: checking crew, checking provisions, making sure we’re all ok. Chris entertains with his banter, lending his muscle where it’s needed

On deck, Paddy enlivens spirits with his stories and anecdotes and his own brand of Trivial Pursuit. Mark is at the wheel, growing in confidence every day, learning to read the ways of the ocean. Ocky maintains her quiet and resolute disposition, dealing promptly and efficiently with anything that is needed to help the sail configuration. Big John crews confidently and brings us updates on progress, improving our morale.

A sail change – the kite is up and flying after her repair, but only briefly, as the split reopens. We drop the kite and resume on our poled-jib. The kite is bundled below to effect another fix. Lancelot digs deep, steeling herself for another 1200 miles of ocean, her bow lifts and her sails fill. Her prow points west and on she resolutely sails towards the setting sun.

ENDS
NT Lancelot

December 4th 2006

Ten Minutes Turkish

Lancelot has been hammering her way south in some of the strongest trade winds that any of her crew have ever seen. The sailing has been awesome, but the sleep depravation and continual severe rolling motion has begun to take its toll.

The first casualty in our strong trade winds sailing was the lovely ‘Black Betty’ who after being wrapped suffered a couple of tears along the seams (nothing to do with the real broach #1 eh Patsy?). She has since been repaired by our onboard team of ‘top sail maker’s’ (DJ Ali, Lady Octavia, Patsy, Maggot), who have been rather busy of late. The strong winds and big seas have prevented us from using the real Black Betty again and we have had to settle for her ugly little sister the 1.5 oz spinnaker.

The previous day’s reports have alluded to the rivalry that exists between helmsmen onboard for the much coveted ‘speed record’. The strong
conditions have meant that the speed record has been changing hands almost as much as the books and sun cream.

DJ Ali had managed to hang onto the speed record all day (15 knots) in spite of the stiff competition that had been fielded by Big John and Helmo.

During the evening while Turkish and his rabble were handing over the watch to Patsy’s corsairs the boat came crashing down a wave at a bad angle and before anyone could say kicker we were on our side- Broach Number 1.

At this point the reader must bear in mind that although Patsy’s Corsairs were a highly trained bunch they had taken over the watch on a losing streak. The boat quite simply had to much sail up and the spinnaker needed to be dropped before it was detonated.

(This nicely highlights Patsys reasoning and confirmation of the suitable nickname 'Basher'....we need say no more)

Patsy however decided to hang on and have one more attempt at the speed record. Turkish by this point was becoming increasingly concerned by the wind speed and steep waves, but he was prepared to give into Patsy’s demands for ten more minutes Turkish!!! (More like Patsy - It's the 10 minute rule Turkish. Paul - Any more and it's down, retiring to put on the lifejacket whilst a number of further broaches ensued.)

Patsy glanced over his shoulder and saw the beast of a wave that would help him steal victory from the jaws of defeat and win back the speed record. He lined the boat up as the wave built behind him. The boat started to accelerate as the bow disappeared in a mist of spray and shouts from the crew. She kept accelerating building more and more momentum until she had jumped off the first wave onto the one in front.

The boat was already surfing at 15 knots +, with every fixture and fitting humming. The vibration through the hull for those down below must have sounded like a space shuttle taking off.

The boat continued to accelerate, topping out at a massive 17.5 knots, setting a new speed record which will hopefully stand for another couple of days.

The kite was dropped shortly afterwards after two more broaches. She was put away for the night which allowed the crew to get some well earned rest.

Foot notes: In the spirit of Christmas we have decided to perform a pantomime on Lancelot. After some discussion we have settled on Snow White, with Big John playing the lead role as we are all dwarfs in comparison to him.

Every other crew member has been given the part of one of the seven dwarfs as there are only eight of us in total. Turkish has also agreed to play the part of the wicked step-mother for our amusement. If anyone out there could help us with a script we would be grateful.

Comment of the day (approx 30 mins prior to #1)....Patsy to Alison....Don't worry this boat is very difficult to broach, we never will....

PM- Lancelot 4/12/06

December 3rd 2006

Its Still Rock'n'Roll but we Like it

Another down wind Atlantic roller day saw numerous attempts at the speed record. Neil even resorted to resetting the GPS in an attempt to claim he had been the fastest. These conditions lead to the best 24 hours so far, but the elusive 200 (199) mile barrier has yet to be broken.

As in all good blogs Lancelot has introduced our very Top 5 -

Top 5 things not to attempt at sea

1. Sleep

Sleep remains the top subject of conversation on the boat. The current favourites are: 'Which bunk is best?"; "Whether to sleep head or feet first?"; "How to stop rolling out of bed when the boat is on a tack?" The best tip seems to be to ram cushions against the lee-cloth and jam yourself in. The ipod remains the favoured means of reducing the creaks from the bendy Beneteau although Lancelot has niftily decided to self ventilate the aft port cabin with a gap of approximately 1 inch opening between the door frame and bulkhead on stb tack.

2. Washing Up

To save fresh water, washing up is performed on deck. As the rollers hit, the bucket shifts around the deck with the 'washer-upper' invariably getting very frustrated. To counter this Neil has cunningly invented the 'Washing-Up Strap' where a safety line is attached around the waist to the jack stay, thereby fixing him to the seat. With the addition of the drying bucket strapped to one leg the process becomes almost bearable.

3. Cooking Omelettes

To use up the remaining eggs it seemed a good idea to make omelettes. Mark and Ali took up the challenge. So you can re-create the experience at home here is the recipe for Omelette a la Lancelot

Ingredients

1 40.7 Beneteau surfing at 15 knots
3 Eggs - preferably over a week old, some already broken!
1 Onion (rationed)
1 Green Pepper (last of)
Ham and cheese as required

Method

1. Lightly whisk eggs. Avoid spilling the mixture as Lancelot lurches off the side of a wave
2. Put oil in pan
3. Add mixture to pan. Forget the traditional method of tilting mix around pan and let the motion of the boat to fill mixture around the pan
4. Add ham and cheese
5. Attempt to turn over. This usually fails and results in a rather unsightly pile of eggs, cheese and onions
6. Serve on plastic plates
7. Eat quickly with fork before Paddy takes the wheel as it won't stay on your plate for long

4 Throwing Away Food Slops

Throwing food scraps over board has become something of an art form on board Lancelot. Overstretched arms are seen leaving the galley as the left-overs are slung to one side. If the wind direction or tack is not checked before hand this can result in food returning to the boat or worse back in to the galley. It is recommended that this technique is not deployed at home as your neighbours returning from work might get offended by the apple core hitting them in the side of the head.

5. Laundry

Some washing does go on on board (Patrick's note.. "we're racing not cruising"). To complete this task the dirty laundry is added to a bucket of water and soap (the very same bucket that 10 minutes earlier was being used to fillet a Dorado). The Laundry is washed as normal and rinsed before being pinned to the side of the boat to dry. Sounds simple but as the boat drops off the wave the spray continues to keep the clothing wet

More from Lancelot tomorrow... .

2nd December 2006

Rock and Roller Coaster

A quick word about our course and race tactics. Early on in Gran Canaria we made the decision to go south as far as possible and to seek out the stronger trades at the lower latitudes. After the start we initially lost ground to those boats that were following the Rhumb Line – the shortest distance between two points on a curved surface. We have stuck to this strategy, and as other boats peel off towards the west, we have maintained a south west forward drive. We hope that this will now begin to pay off as we have strong winds and better conditions than those further north and west. It now seems that we might be the most southern boat in the fleet. Only time will tell and we still have an awfully long way to go.

The night watches passed with consistent breeze and sea conditions. The North Easterlies are increasing and they are gradually turning into Easterlies as we travel south. The tide and wind table for the Atlantic in December mirrors exactly the conditions we are seeing. But have we dipped too far? Will we be able to get North enough for a run into St Lucia, or will we be beating for days against the prevailing winds? These are questions that have vexed sailors for centuries, and why should we upon Lancelot be any different.

Our eventful 24 hours continued. As the 1030 pm watch came up we noticed a green starboard light which seemed to be converging on us; transits were consistent indicating we were on a converging course. By midnight we could see their sails and they were getting very close. In the binoculars we could see their jib on the starboard bow. But could they be on a port tack like us and make the westerly heading they were on, when we were finding it so difficult to get further west? When they started signalling it became apparent they were poled out on starboard tack and had right of way – we were within minutes of a collision. Paddy took urgent action. The pole went forward, we hardened to windward and we turned hard to port to chase round her stern. Isn’t it astonishing that in the thousands of square miles of empty Ocean that we could see around us, we had to swerve to avoid a crash.

But still the day’s events were not over. By early morning we had winds gusting at nearly 30 knots and consistent between 20 and 25. Powerful Atlantic rollers were running. Lancelot was climbing these and we sailed down the front of the wave. Surf was up! So it was clearly a time for attempts at the speed record! Over the next 6 or more hours our speeds increased, as did our tally of broaches! First Ali, HelmoMan and Paddy vied for the lead: 13.7 from Ali, 14.3 knots by Paddy, bested by 15 knots from Neil. Then later in the afternoon a huge 15.8 knots from Big John as Mark and Neil both dived for the vang to prevent the boat lying down! Then the culminating result of the day – a massive 16.5 from Paddy as he rode one of the largest rollers of the day to an all-time Lancelot speed record. The race is not over by a long way, and the good-spirited rivalry to obtain this dubious accolade will doubtless continue.

Life on board is difficult in these sea and wind conditions. The boat rolls, pitches, yaws and dives; people do as well; lockers fly open and disgorge their contents; waves crash across the bows; it’s damnably hot and sticky. But our spirits are high.

Let’s Rock and Roll!

NT Lancelot
2nd December 2006

1st December 2006

The lovely Lancelot has been making great progress west over the last twenty four hours, very nearly achieving a two hundred mile day. The trade winds have been treating us well and we have been flying along with the aid of our huge kite- Black Betty.

Last night our best lure ‘Squidy’ was killed in action, the last bite proved one bite to many for the little fella. Fortunately for us though, squidy has a twin brother who was happy to help. He to has the trademark frilly skirt and hat which the dorado’s can’t seem to get enough of.

The new lure was put to work at first light and within minutes the trademark skirt had the dorado going wild. We caught two good sized dorado which we had for lunch and then we packed the rod away for another day. Helmo (Neil) and Maggot (Mark) rustled us up a lovely rice, dorado and vegetable medley for lunch.

Today was our fifth day at sea and until now our passage has been relatively uneventful; eat, sleep, steer and a bit more sleeping!!!

Patsy’s comment in the log two nights ago on the lack of wraps proved to be our undoing. Maggot wrapped the kite on the graveyard shift this morning, but Lady Octavia’s quick thinking and Helmo’s aptitude on the bow quickly had things back under control.

During the morning watch we had to venture up the rig to replace the spreader patches and put additional tape on the spreaders to prevent the mainsail chafing. The trip up the rig was also used as a little reconnaissance exercise to see if we could spot the GIMP who is hot on our tail. This trip later proved to be a valuable drill for what was lurking around the corner.

After our dorado lunch we were musing over whether we should peel to another kite and gybe, when DJ Ali (Alison) decided to do a wrap. This time Helmo’s aptitude on the bow and Lady Octavia’s good manners were no match for the spectacular wrap that was furling in front of our eyes.

We tried a few of the usual tricks such as dumping the halyard, tugging the clew and driving the boat up and down but she was unprepared to budge. Patsy once again donned the climbing harness and with the aid of the power shake brothers (Chris & John) on the mast he was sent soaring into space. The spinnaker was spiked and before long we had our old favourite Black Betty back out.

The boat seemed to enjoy the day’s action, it changed what could have been a quiet day into one packed with action and high jinx.

The boys all had a team haircut before we set off which is basically short back and sides; however the girls were not prepared to do this. As a result there has been some healthy debate on whether the girls really need to wash and condition every other day. If anyone else has anything to shed on this matter please e-mail.

Finally, DJ Ali decided to cook Mexican this evening with Tortilla wraps...I guess that she was being ironic.

30th November 2006

Go West

Lancelot gybed away from the African coast yesterday evening and began her journey west.

The bright half-moon and the early morning shooting stars/ meteor showers made for breath taking sailing lastnight. The hundreds of stars that you can see in the night’s sky at sea compared to those on land gives you a real idea of the enormity of our galaxy and the universe.

We had a couple of chance encounters with three other yachts during the day and night with one yacht coming within a few boat lengths of us. It amazes me that four days since the start of this race we are still meeting other yachts in this vast ocean.

The sailing since the start of the race has been amazing and we have been very fortunate with the steady breeze. However we have not been so fortunate with the fishing side of things.

Initially we thought that the boat might be travelling to fast for any bites and then when we started to slow down and still didn’t get any bites, we decided it was time to change the lure. The original lure was replaced by a fluorescent green squid with a fluffy skirt and a red & white hat.

The squid was an instant success from the minute he/she touched the water, I think that the fish must have been strangely attracted to his/her pretty outfit. Three dorados and one tuna later we decided it was time to pack the fishing rod away for the day.

The three fish were each gutted, marinated in lemon, herbs, oil and placed on a baking tray in the oven for an hour. The fish provided our eight crew with a sumptuous meal it was just a shame that we didn’t have any fine wine to cleanse our palettes.

Everyone onboard is fast becoming top downwind drivers; it amazes me that we still haven’t broached!!! If we did broach though the devastation below would be horrendous with fray bentos pies going everywhere!!!

The yacht and particularly its crew seem happy with everyone smiling ear to ear when you see them driving her in these beautiful Atlantic swells and trade winds.

Patsy and the crew of Lancelot

30/11/2006

29th November 2006

Gone Fishin’ (or maybe not…)

The food on board Lancelot has been (so far) of an exceptional standard; especially when you consider the circumstances of cooking, Our galley (that’s boat-speak for kitchen) is a tiny 4 foot by 4 foot area with a two-burner gimballed stove (one that stays flat when the boat leans), a small fridge that works intermittently and a couple of sinks. We have special cupboards designed to empty their entire contents and send it flying across the boat into the navigation station as soon as you open the doors – a trick that Chris manages on several occasions!

Nevertheless, we have had an array of exotic concoctions nearly every day.
Take yesterday as an example: our beans and scrambled egg breakfast (prepared by Chris and John) was followed for lunch by a freshly prepared coleslaw salad (Pat) with home-made guacamole, cheese tomatoes and baguettes (Neil). Dinner was prepared by the dainty hands of Mark and Occy and consisted of chicken kebabs marinated in a light curry sauce with fresh mushrooms, onions and tomatoes – a positive culinary delight!

The kebabs prove to be the last of the fresh meat on board. But do not despair! Patsy and Pockets have oft regaled us with tales of their prowess as deep-sea fisherman, so surely there would be a catch of the day under the guidance and skills of such expert anglers?

We had been trailing a line for 2 days now; the time was right to see if anything was being attracted by our alluring lure. Paul pulled in the line.. the tackle had gone and only the bare line flaunted its nakedness to us.

Notwithstanding this minor setback, today we set out again to catch our dinner. This time Paul attached Squiddy a bright pink, fluffy squid-like lure with a barb of deadly steel hidden beneath its delicate skirts. Before too long a shout goes up and the reel is running free with a hissing urgency– a bite and the fish is running! With determination that Hemmingway himself would have been proud of, Pocket and Patsy gather at the transom to haul aboard the huge Dorado that undoubtedly they would find at the end of the line. “Bring me a sharp knife”, “And the rum” shouts our dynamic duo. There then follows a titanic battle of, well, almost 7 seconds, before the empty line is pulled back on board. Oh, well. Anyone for tinned tuna?

NT
29 November 2006

Position Update

At 1200h on the 29th November 2006 Lancelot was at position 21'22.00N 21'16.00W making speeds of around 7knts on a heading of 227'. They are making fantastic progress and are covering between 170 and 190 miles a day. They on a Southwesterly track but will be soon heading around to the West onto a more direct course to St.Lucia.

28th November 2006

Trade Winds, Dolphins, and Shooting Stars

The first dawn of the ARC 2006 for Lancelot saw a fine day with clear skies and North Easterly breezes of 16 to 20 knots; perfect winds and perfect conditions for kite flying!

As the morning sun rose higher our first dolphins appeared – probably a school of around 10, running alongside the boat, at our bow and leaping from the sea to grab our attention.

Morale was high after our breakfast of beans, beans, beans, spam and beans! And we were looking forward to a good day’s sailing ahead. The watch system, which at first we had difficulty in grasping, was working well, 3 hour watches of 4, rolling 2 of the crew every hour-and a half. This encouraged communication and several new games emerged: PIG – a word game with infinitely variable rules and uncertain consequences, and Bid Up! with the objectives of naming more items on a list than anyone else, were just two examples from our innovative gamesmaster ‘Nasty’ Mark.

By noon we had travelled 194 miles – not bad for the first full day’s sailing. But as darkness beckons the wind picks up with gusts of 30 knots as a squall starts to develop behind us and we get some showers – out come the ponchos. We decide to drop the kite and hoist a poled-out Genoa. This works well giving us stability for the long night watches in heavier breezes.

It’s the 4.30am watch. Neil (aka Manuel or “250”) is on the helm. Suddenly there’s a flash which lights up the sails. Surely not a lighting bolt from clear skies? Maybe an electrical failure on board? No, it’s a massive meteorite exploding as a shooting star, leaving a glowing trail of incandescent debris, like a 5th November rocket, across hundred of miles of empty ocean. It’s an awesome cosmic spectacular which we feel privileged to have witnessed. It signals a fitting end to a successful second day in the Atlantic.

NT Lancelot 28.11.06
ENDS

28th November 2006
A Great Start For Lancelot

After a month of delivery sailing through storms in Biscay, Lancelot finally set off on the 2006 ARC crossing yesterday. As always, the atmosphere in Las Palmas was electric during the build up to the race as crews gathered and met their team mates for the next 3 – 4 weeks, on what can only be described as “one of life's great adventures” .

Lancelot's crew consists of Paul Coward (skipper) Patrick Maflin (1st mate), Alison Wheeler, Octavia Williams, John Rhodes, Chris Walton, Neil Tweedley and Mark Ashton. Everyone was looking forward to meeting their fellow companions for the trip and we think we speak for all the crew that Lancelot is sailing with a great team, both in ability and personalities!

We think tensions could be very interesting for the first few days, as all smokers left all tobacco products on the shelves in Las Palmas (well done!).

Over the seven days before departure, Lancelot went through virtually a full refit with everything serviced, replaced, or repaired, in preparation for the crossing and the support and facilities in Las Palmas were great, from riggers to welders, all services were on site and all specialized companies were only to willing to help (obviously for a few euros!). Also time was set a side for checking the famous “G Spot” kites, which have become a bit of a trade mark for Lancelot from our sponsors at www.gleeds.com

Skipper Paul commented that he was happy with everything before setting off, so fingers crossed they don’t have anything, or at least too much, in the way of repairs or improvising decisions to make on the crossing.

We expect to receive a crew report every two days from the boat, which we will post on receipt on the Britannia news section. If anyone would like to pass on a message to the crew members please email andy@britanniaevents.co.uk and these will be forwarded on (please note no photos or attachments will be forwarded).

At this stage Britannia Synergy would like to wish our ARC crew a good and safe crossing to St Lucia, where we know the World Cruising Club have some fantastic entertainment awaiting all competitors…

Position Update

Lancelot has had a great start to the race, with their first position update showing a very respectable 179 miles being logged in the first 24hrs (as at 1200hrs GMT on 27th November). Very few teams have posted such good numbers in the first 24hrs and so it looks like the team is working very well together and we are sure the best is yet to come.