Dalton set to go on fourth leg of Around Alone |
| Monday, 03 February 2003 |
| ”Hexagon is all set and ready to go. We could put food and diesel onboard her today and she would be in good shape to leave tomorrow.
Last week Richard, my shore manager and his team, took Hexagon out for a trial sail. The plan was to sail the boat for a two and a half days, and discover any problems that needed attention. After 24hrs Hexagon returned, and I thought that something had broken or gone wrong, so I called Richard, only to discover they had sailed the boat for 350 miles without fault and really there was nothing left to check.
Around us in the marina in Tauranga feverish work continues on my competitors vessels. I feel in a very strong position as we are fine-tuning every last piece of kit onboard Hexagon; she will be in prime condition when I cross the start line.
This week there will be a lot of official engagements to attend both in Tauranga and Auckland. Today I have been visiting HSBC employees in Auckland and talking to them about my experiences in the race so far. It is great to be able to share the race with them in this way and the immense feeling of pride over the Global Education Challenge that emanates from all HSBC staff gives me more determination to achieve a better result in the next leg of the race.
My weather expert Marcel van Triest has flown over from Europe and will be working with me for three to four hours every day until the start of the race helping to make a plan for the first five days after I start. The first few days of the race will be a vitally important time for establishing an early lead, so I must have good tactics in place to navigate me around the approaching weather systems. Sailing the boat fast is only one aspect of racing. A fast yacht that sails the wrong way around weather systems will not end up taking the lead.
Later this week there will be a meeting of all the Around Alone skippers to discuss the proposed introduction of a new waypoint in the route to Cape Horn for the next leg. A waypoint is a position of latitude and longitude that competitors must either sail through, or keep to one side or the other of. In this case the proposed waypoint will be a position that competitors must stay to the north of, to minimise the risk of sailing though ice fields.
Cape Horn is a long way south at 56°S. Unlike on the last leg of the race, where competitors could chose whether to take a the quicker southerly route and risk sailing into ice or stay north in comparative safety; to round Cape Horn we will all have to sail a long way south, as there is no other option. Putting a waypoint onto the course should keep boats sailing to the north of the ice for as long as possible and so minimise the danger. I am all in favour of the change and believe the other skippers will feel the same.
I am in good health, and have put on a decent amount of weight since being ashore. The old elbow injury I received while sailing across the Tasman last year has flared up again. I had an injection in it yesterday to aid the healing and am hoping it will not give me too much trouble on the leg ahead.
On Thursday night, I will be attending the prize-giving dinner for the last leg. It will be the first time in the race I have received a prize and I am thirsty for more. The next leg is the most dangerous of the race yet, but I am determined to improve my position and will give every thing that I have to getting ahead.
Fair winds
Graham”
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