Friday (07-18-2008)

Tiki Blue still does not have a solid internet connection, so this update was based on a voice mail via satelite phone. Please excuse any interpretation errors as the message was translated into text via the voice message.

It is already day four of the Pacific Cup race. The crew is still in cheery spirits and looking to pass up the other Pac Cup boats. Yesterday morning, 'Mikie,' our defending sewing champ, was successfully able to sew the clew back onto the spinnaker and had it hoisted within the hour. Early on, we viewed an amazing sight to see...the opening of the clouds above our heads, with a beam of light running through it, which I'm sure was a sign of good luck. As the evening began to approach, we saw what we thought was a freighter in the distance. It was nice to see something besides the deep blue ocean for a change.

In the early evening, the crew hoisted the strong 3/4 oz spinnaker, allowing us to plow through the water and the waves.....and surely help us the other boats in our class and the fleet overall.

During one run, Mikie hit a speed of 14.3 knots (!) of speed when he was at the helm, giving himself more confidence and some excitement. He was also able to withstand a full 40 minutes of steering without collapsing the spinnaker. Way to go!

Food prepared in the oven and snacks has been very helpful in getting through the long night shift. Especially the cube blocks (?not sure about this?) that only Ryan and Mikie seem to enjoy. Things have been getting easier to adjust to as we're becoming more accustomed to .

I can't believe how vast the ocean really is, especially when you see absolutely nothing on the horizon for days. For the majority of the crew, this is a completely new experience, and we're definitely looking forward to hitting the trades.

~ Team Tiki Blue

Listen to Ryan's update by clicking here.