South-West divide
It’s a bumpy ride for those who passed Cape Town in a fairly big and confused sea. Simon, well settled at 43°S for the next few weeks, is expecting a front this evening with 30 to 40 knots of northerly. His pursuers Tapio, Kirsten and Abhilash will be moving from a northerly to south-westerly flow today that will bring crossed seas downwind. Captain Gugg is hanging on: “The sea state is ridiculous, 30 knots of wind against a strong current, it’s time to hang on.”
In the Atlantic it’s a different story. Elliott clocked 147 miles this morning, the best average of the fleet, and Ian 130 miles. It’s a bit harder for Arnaud and Guy in lighter winds, but they should be back in a 15-20 knots SE flow tomorrow as a high pressure system crosses the fleet this week. Keep a close eye on the barometer and don’t get caught!
For the next Cape Town landfall, Jeremy still has 200 miles to go, 100 for Ertan who is expected at the photogate tomorrow, where Pat and Damien will greet him. The wind drop this evening, before its return tomorrow afternoon, could play on Jeremy’s nerves. He is ready to get his wetsuit, mask and braai grid cleaner to get rid of those barnacles!
