The solo around the world yacht race and other sailing related items.
No wind, phone calls, almost over
Skippers log #44
28-40n 73-46w
Last night was total frustration again. Had zero wind. Drifted, looking at the starlight reflected in the water. My 24hr run was a mere 54 miles. So I was stomping up and down the deck, pulling out hairs again. So close and taking so long to get there. Now have 393nm to go. The wind finally did come in. Progressing well, but not fast enough for Sunday arrival. Looks like Monday if the forecast and conditions hold true. Got a great many calls today. Helped pick up my spirits. Tomorrow morning (Saturday) I will be live on Charleston's WTMA, with Captain Jon from 6-9am. I believe I will be taking phone in questions. My old wooden tub that some folks in South Africa called a floating coffin, has successfully carried me over 27,000 miles, around the world and back to Charleston. Success is in the choices we make and the conviction to follow it through, the willingness to make sacrifices and the courage to try. If one believes one can do it, than one probably can. I hope our youth will believe in themselves, work hard, not fear making sacrifices and follow their dreams to make today a world we want to live in. In a few days time I will be announcing changes to our board of directors and new programs for the US East Coast.
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Skippers log #45
29-48n 76-12w with 253 nm to go
It has been an incredible marathon day with media interest and phone calls. After a night of good sailing, I was awaken by Captain John and Tom Hope from the WTMA radio show Carolina Waterways. We went live for 3 hours. We took phone in questions and comments. They brought my Mom on air who is patiently waiting my arrival with gifts from the Students at Livingstone High School band Grassy Park High School's sailing team. After the talkshow I did a few other interviews before getting a call from one of our donors and big supporters, Lee Anne Jackson-Stoddard. Lee Anne wanted to know what I wanted to eat when I crossed the finish line. So I am getting homemade chocolate ice cream, strawberry milkshake and chicken wings which my mom will bring out in the chase boat. I am hoping still for Monday ashore. Lets hope it is before or around lunchtime. The phone did not stop ringing. Herman Leehrnardt from NetCare, in Cape Town called, and hopes to fly to Charleston, Jane Dyke and then I had surprise call from my mad Dutchman in Beiing,Wim de Koning. We met when I lived in Ireland, and he is marrying an Irish girl. So it has been a great day. I guess the phone will keep ringing till, I cross the finish line. My plan is to call my sister an hour before crossing the line so that she can call some friends and the schools in Cape Town, and the local media. I called race control and have given them the 48 hour warning.
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Skippers log #46
30-50n 77-32w at 14:30 GMT Sunday
I am 161nm from the finish line. Conditions are unstable. The wind direction is switching constantly between WNW and WSW ranging from 3 to 10 knots. My speed is fluctuating between 3.4 to 6.1 knots. This all makes an ETA almost impossible to give. I have one liter of soft drink left, and then water which does not taste great. I have a meal left for tonight, that is not greatly appetising, and there after will have to raid my grab bag for those meager provisions. I am still optimistic to arrive tomorrow about 20:00 GMT. I will don the next ETA update at 23:00 GMT tonight.
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Skippers log #47
31-14n 78-12w bat 22:30 GMT bSunday
The wind has picked up. I am 119nm from Charleston doing between 6-7 knots. At last I have broken out of the eddy that was slowing me down. I am approaching the beast wall of the Gulf Stream. I estimate to be at the finish line between lunch time and dinner time Charleston time. The forecast is promising for tonight with strong S-SW winds which could for a time reach 30 knots. The barometer is falling. I will do an update again about 10:00 GMT tomorrow. I will be calling my sister 2 hours before I get to the line to let her know progress, and of course I am keeping race control abreast of progress. In about 16hours time this race will be over for me and I will have become the first black man to have raced solo around the world. Without the belief of Bernie Groseclose who brought the South Carolina Ports aboard as our first sponsor, followed by Les Phillips of Phillips Industrial Services, Ed Cook of Prudential, this success would not have been possible. I also want to thank News Printing Company, Passport International (who will be selling our merchandize) NetCare, St. Johns Parish Rotary Club, The Source, Common Sense Solutions, Thompson Trucking Construction, Fast Sign, KZ Marine for their support. Gwen Wilkinson played a major role in getting me around the world. Diane and Bob Woodruff helped bring the race to you and several thousand people via e-mail. My Mom and Dad who supported the dream, my sister and her husband Graham who helped make Cape Town home again and arranged so much while I was there. I also want to thank the support team in Ireland who have helped me for nearly 10 years now and the many friends in Charleston and the Eastern United States for their support. Without y'all I would not be finishing the longest race on earth for any individual. The South African Flag and the Irish Flag will once more fly on on this craft tomorrow when we prove...In life there are no barriers, only solutions. Dreams can be realized.