The sea conditions continue to remain benign for the whole fleet. Especially those to the south with today’s sunny and moderate sea.
PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II managed to find the center of the dissipating low hence sailed right into the center of the wind-less hole left by the passing low. She remained in that hole for almost the whole night. As such, after yesterday’s most mileage performance in the fleet, PRIDE produced the least mileage today at 82 miles sailed between 1400 hour positions. The longest distance sailed goes to XSAAR at 146 miles. But I do not think that is the story.
There is another strategy emerging between the members of the racing fleet. In the main the fleet is trying to go west along the rhumbline to the finish. To the north is some independent thinking coming from EUROPA. To the south is JOLIE BRISE. Those members of the rest of the fleet seem to be divided into two groups…those going west and those trying to get to the southwest. In the southwest are most of the modern sailing vessels represented by Class D with a couple of Class B members…specifically SPIRIT OF BERMUDA and PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II. Early on TECLA was seeming to drift south some as she sailed west, but between yesterday and today she chose to go north of west…she did well with the available wind and recovered her position of being 1st in Class as well 1st in Fleet. Now that a large contingent of the fleet has passed the midway mark in the race to Charleston the question remains as to what the members of the fleet will do with the coming weather.
Aboard PRIDE it looks like tomorrow will bring the start of at least two days of fresh southwest winds. Those in the fleet that are more to the south might spend less time tacking towards the finish than those that are more to the north when they meet the southwest winds. So stay tuned, especially considering the complications that will be brought on by the Gulf Stream Current flowing strongly northeastward right across the racing track.
Jan C. Miles, Captain aboard Pride of Baltimore II
