Captain's Log

October 16, 2002

Dear All,
 
A decision I made approximately 12 hours ago is now final. I am heading for La Coruna for shelter from an oncoming storm. 

This is not your average gale, like the one we had last night that gusted to 40 from the SE followed by an abrupt 35 NW change in the English Channel with quite horrible seas, this is worse, much worse. The rough outline of the weather is as follows...... 

Beginning Saturday early morning a moderate 25 - 30 from the SE will build into a 30 - 35 from the S. All of these conditions will have the effect of your yacht sailing to the West, and deeper into the oncoming low pressure, as the East is the coast of Portugal. On Sunday morning the wind will clock to the WSW at 60 to 80 kts depending on how close you are to the Portuguese coast. There are even a few areas showing 90 kts. This will last for approx 12 - 16 hours. This means that at best, you have to go across the wind to the south, however, I doubt that BTC Velocity or any other vessel will make any way into these winds; therefore, the most likely scenario is to drift East and towards Portugal as a lee shore in Hurricane force winds.

In life we all make decisions that are important, some more than others. I see no other course than the relative safety for my yacht in a harbour, riding out the storm, but having me on dry land. The potential of 90 kts at sea with a lee shore is downright life threatening.

I hope, no I implore, that all the other skippers will make similar decisions and when the storm is past we can again get on with the task of racing to Cape Town.

As my good friend Kojiro on Spirit of Yokoh says, with his limited English vocabulary, " Safety first ". I agree.

Alan

BTC Velocity