ORCV Melbourne to Vanuatu (M2V)

It's tough at the top!

Overnight was a very tough time for getting anywhere and there's no mention of it from the fleet, but it would have been dastardly cold, so sleep may have been hard to come by, as well (no heaters on racing boats). Out at the Eastern edge of Bass Strait, race leader, Scarlet Runner had firstly a very frustrating night and then this morning, an array of great diversity has hit them.

02:53 EST (Eastern Standard Time) the report was "Have just spent the last 6 hours, 20 miles South of Gabo Island. No wind to speak of - It’s a very quiet and difficult night."

This is the Navigation Desk aboard Scarlet Runner (where they prepare and send the emails you're reading here), so at least if you're in this spot, it's reasonably comfortable. The latest generation of TP52s have you sliding into a cradle type seat, feet first pointing forward, with your nose just a few centimetres from the main deck above you...

On Tuesday 6/7/10 at 7.30am, they reported their position as 37.22South 159.13East and were still on about the conditions being experienced. "A very unusual night. The wind strength was from zero to 25 knots (around 50km/h),  from all directions through 275 to 130 degrees. It's currently from 70 degrees or ENE at 4 knots. We are near Green Cape."

To find out who's where in the chase of the container full of humanitarian aid: Go to the Sked information (Radio Schedules are when the fleet radios in to tell us where they are etc.), which is HERE and Tracker (the plot of their positions), which is HERE.

By John Curnow