Mini AIR2014 – Valencia Race

llegada Mini AIR2014

Arrival in Valencia on 24 September at 17 hours 30 minutes


3d 5h 30m 17s after the release of this second edition of the race has been given. And here you have me tired but happy to come entirely to port. And it was a tough race. But how it will not be hard if it is the first one I’ve done alone ….

This race could be followed online and even compete online against us! Look at the link http://yb.tl/air2014 (although I suppose that soon expire and will no longer be Reachable)

The organization has been overcome and the level has been good, thanks to Peter and Bret! The correct number of ships and growing.

Terms of the race

In this edition it has been the fact that the weather conditions were not the best. This was due to the high atmospheric instability we have experienced these days. Apparently in the isobaric maps nothing it seemed to indicate what was “cooking” in front of us or rather upon us, yes overhead. The truth is that a cold mass hung over a large mass of hot, humid in the same Gulf of Valencia air. If you have this we add the high temperature of seawater. Well I am going to say I did not say the images:

 

IMG-20140925-WA0008

This image was taken aboard the sailboat (Transat 650) by Jose Luis Durá PIK.

The truth is that we had a hard and very variable conditions where the showers were happening on a carousel of waterspouts, tornadoes, lightning and thunder. But also as you see in the picture above we suffer the impact or rather winding this convective cell or fungus or “mushroom” as quickly call to remember what we had. And is that the storm carried inside a fury comparable to that of the gods when they decided to punish the poor mortals for their misdeeds and disloyalty.

Well this mushroom showed me with his iron discipline to behave like a small human to its energy power. As a toy in the hands of a small waterspout this mega thrashed us mercilessly until exhaustion thereupon to spit into a maelstrom of wind, hail, rain and splashing water as I remember spending my days at sea. The truth is that the effect on my morale was devastating, I was lost and the boat completely lying, it seemed the end of the world … But the little Pogo incredibly well behaved maintaining its upright and upright while atemporaladas gusts buffeted us without rest for a few minutes that seemed eternal. The fungus took me to the storm jib and most curly mean, mean wind settings for both (so that no large waves). As far as I could Artie and a curly completely shut me wait time aware that the control was no longer in my hands … This feeling was that kept me out of the race with a fear or survival instinct exageramente He pointed, but not for less.

And about to reach some 17 nautical miles from Valencia another storm refuses to let us go and we plan ahead with all their weapons about large central block rain and wind all surrounded by incessant lightning and lightning strikes to the sea and as knight astride his steed a whirlwind guard the eastern flank of the storm. Damn but I’m already !! I thought. Well, we should not currarnos arrival so everything running and locked Arria wait … again, the passage of the fury.
And so the miles and fears were in the sea. Thus ended the first solo race “COURSE AU LARGE” or sailing away from the coast.

 

 

 

 

Back to the sea

We did it! End again to float! It’s been a few months of hard work, a lesson in humility. Without the help of Toni, Eva, Guillermo, Diego, Alex, etc and great tips. I would not be where overwhelmed right now … Maybe both sanding with the ship in dry dock. The key has been turning, of course
Now it make it run as much as he is able, on Monday it will go down to Valencia to participate in a regatta already rs classic of Spanish class minitransat Air 2014.

Hidden works

ALFIN ESP371 MAGCOMPASS

Yesterday we turned the great small boat ALFIN. We did it in Toni shipyard in Cambrils, whose leadership was fundamental in implementing the “happy ending”.

Now it is the hardest sanding and surface preparation for anti osmosis treatment. We’ll see how it ends…

For people who don’t know me will tell you that ALFIN is a Pogo boat (series of “minis” class) of the first generation built on 2001. In the last Paris Boat Show was presented the Pogo 3 or third generation. So you can get an idea of ​​the type of sailboat that is ALFIN. She is an ocean racing, designed for short handed crews that allows offshore navigation. This is fantastic! a sailboat of 6.50 meters that enables 1 or 2 crew living for a certain time.

If we add that is a relatively old boat and therefore relatively cheap by then obtain affordable to get started in racing boat ocean solo sailing solo.

Well that’s where I’m going, maybe I’m a bit ignorant of the conditions of life that I’ll find, maybe I’m a little “released “, but, others are doing so and don’t see them too punished by extreme loneliness (about 30 days without communication with earth in the last minitransat or transat 650).

I don’t know it but maybe, maybe … I have to do it, I see it and I can not ignore this emotion that fills me when I go to sail…

Mini transat boats

 

Mini transat boats represents main MagCompass values. Such as effort, endurance, perseverance, etc.

Shortly we’ll iniciate a new and challenging project…

In fact I start such project last year 2012, on july I brought transat 650 Pogo 1 from Pollença to Cambrils where I stablished training base. Towards the future…

Cargo lost control

 

From 2012 we open another way to follow, as cargo control loses is. For us this means another challenge because sometimes our customers needs an independent survey in order to adquire the information that can be loss.

In this case loses becames from weights differences, discharge process is followed accuratelly and loss motive comes naturally.