Day Eleven
18 July 2014 | At Sea
Rodney
We had a good run yesterday and made 175 miles toward Hawaii, Currently 538 miles away from Kaneohe. We lost a bunch of ground on Day Ten because we flew the 1.5oz spinnaker all day when the winds were light. We took a risk to fly the Teddiy Womper (0.6 oz)) all night in order to make up some ground. The risk paid off this morning when we all checked in. California Girl is just eight miles away and leeward of us. It is amazing how you can separate for great distances and come together in the same place day after day. We have been up to 75 miles apart with California Girl throughout the race and are still very close.
RJ suffered a pretty bad rope burn while dropping the spinnaker yesterday. You can see the track on his hand along the same path you would hold a line. It is starting to scab now and looks really cool. He is hoping the scars are permanent for a great souvenir. I can imagine the scruffy old sailor as he reaches for his whiskey and his bar mate gasps at the scar on his hand. Ahrr this here happed on the 14 Pac Cup....
Lisa update: Just before the start of the race we taped a bobble body hula girl on the bow for good luck. Her name is Lisa. We had one on the boat in 2008 but she lost her head by the half way point so we performed a formal burial in 3000' of water during happy hour. This years Lisa is a real trouper. She has been continually pumbled by sails, wind and salt water but is hanging on. Her dances have varied from the hula to the limbo over the last eleven days. RJ has had a blast video taping the various stages of her short life.