One Girls Ocean Challenge

June 29, 2011
Last weekend was certainly a WOW factor! Lori Mason of The Store Mason’s Chandlery has developed the Women On The Water program to support women who want to learn about sailing from other women. They’re a great group of ladies who are loving the water with their peers. On Saturday Island Yacht Club played host to the 1st WOW Regatta. 6 boats and all their crew. I got to race with the Motley Crew on Eau Natural…..my apologies for the misspelling! Dorothy, Rose, Wendy, Nancy and myself had a great time zooming around the race course and dodging the freighter that decided it had right of way entering the Eastern Gap! Everyone learned a little something and felt great for being there. Thanks ladies for a wonderful afternoon, and thanks to Lori Mason for creating opportunities for people!
Diane

June 24, 2011
Hello Everyone!
Last night I had my first full night’s sleep since June 15th! Thank you everyone for all of your amazing comments and support throughout this journey. As you all probably know, Tim has been keeping the face of OGOC alive during all of this. Today I’m off to get a new computer as mine won’t even turn on anymore, and then I can do a nice blog update on the whole event. Stay tuned!

10am Thursday June 23, 2011

Wednesday they got some crane time, hauled the boat, dropped the spar, packed the truck, found an old Steppenwolf tune and headed out on the highway. They are just outside of Albany, NY at 10am.

Follow as they .

6:30am Wednesday June 22, 2011

At 6:02am One Girl’s Ocean Challenge crossed the finish of the double handed race back from the . See boat tracking screen capture below. First in division. Well done! Scoring 2 1 in the Bermuda 1 2.

9:30am update:
Diane, Nick and the boat have cleared customs. They’re starving and slightly delirious. They’re off to find some breakfast and nice porcelain. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs would suggest post brekkie plans would focus on a shower and a nap.

11:30am update
Having breakfasted and showered, they’re going to take the boat over to . Then clear up the back of the truck, put out some dry cushions and have a nap in the back. It’s cool and about to rain in Newport. Which are perfect conditions for an afternoon snooze.

6am Approaching the Finish

2pm Tuesday June 21, 2011

Eleven to 12 knots of breeze is keeping our heroes busy as they tweak the code zero (over sized genoa) with each pressure change to maintain 7 knots of speed. It’s quite cool out in the ocean, they’re sailing along each in three sweaters and a pair of shorts. Their gear has mostly dried out, save the dampness that permeates everything exposed to salt water.

More bolts and the rest of the boat to be inspected. Gotta stay ahead as much as possible of any problems. No time for equipment failure tonight, their hours of darkness are booked dodging lobster pots as fast as they can sail.

At 2:05pm OGOC has 81 nautical miles to go according to .

10am June 21, 2011

Is there a better way to enjoy the solstice than ghosting through a night of light air, under big blue, the light spinnaker?

Diane was pleased to have made 30 miles in the light winds overnight. Especially so having made improvements on the nearby boats from divisions 3 & 4 that were within visual & VHF range. One can make out some of their dipsy doodles on the . (Click on the “track?” toggle control.) Seeing a whale is always cool. And they enjoyed a bit of radio chatter with the other competitors.

This morning the wind is back up to ten knots and they are making good progress along the rhumb line under genoa and main. There are lobster pots about, one of the New England near shore navigation hazards that are quite rare on the Great Lakes.

& James on are back racing towards Newport. They had worked to the west, but are now tracking north. Sorry, no word on their rudder, presumably it is still broken. Speculate that with the worst of the weather having passed, continuing onto Newport makes sense to them.

As at 10am, OGOC has 108nm, USA-415 has 149 and Pogo Loco has 170 nautical miles to go. The wind is forecast to lighten to 4-7 knots and clock later in the day.

8am Monday June 20, 2011

OGOC & Pago Loco are both hugging the rhumb line, with OGOC enjoying a hundred mile lead. The worst of the weather is through, settling down to 20/25 knots out of the north east.

broke a rudder. & James Price have decided to make for LIttle Creek, VA, thinking the sailing will be easier.

10am Update:
The constant checking and inspecting of gear and the boat really paid off. One of the bolts affixing the gudgeon to the hull had sheared (holds the rudders & tiller to the boat). Into the spare bolts for a replacement. Alas, they had to crack off to relieve the pressure on the rudders. Making for Bermuda at about 7 knots for just under an hour didn’t help their position, but they’re back on track. The bolt is fitted backwards – from the boat out through the fitting. The bolt was a bit long, thus the nut and extra length slightly interferes with the full movement of the rudders. Something for the shipwright back in Newport.

Their gulf stream tactics were spot on. They had worked west to catch a bend in the stream. Nailed it, enjoying about two knots of favourable current through the stream. Then, a knock. And they tack. Tack to find themselves pointed directly at the finish in Newport, on the rhumb line, sailing out of the stream. Yes indeed, the wind gods, impressed with Diane & Nick’s gulf stream routing, rewarded their work with a wind shift, perfect, in every way.

Speaking of, the wind is down to 17/20 knots, they’re making good progress. 6.7 knots under main and genoa. The boat is drying out. The gear is drying out. But the crew, down at deck level, still getting some waves and spray continue to sport that morning-after the night-in-a-washing-machine look.

Less than 200 miles to the finish. Follow along on .

10pm Sunday June 19, 2011

With the wind around 20 knots with gusts and all the cells preceding the front, it’s been a busy Father’s Day of sail handling, checking wear & chafe. Waves in the gulf stream haven’t helped. And it’s forecast to be a tough night:

Winds will drop a bit as a cold front approaches 13-17knots (8pm-10pm). Scattered showers and thunderstorms along front. Around 11pm the front will have crossed predicted position. Winds switch to NW 10-15. By Midnight winds will begin to crank NNE 15 and build from then on. Overnight NE 17-23 knots, then 25-33 knots with higher gusts! Gales.

North east winds blowing up against the gulf stream: lumpy square waves and lots of wind. Diane & Nick are in for a tough night in a dark, windy, cold water washing machine.

As as 10pm, OGOC has 269nm, & James on has 274nm with Philippe & Johanne on Pogo Loco have 322 nautical miles to the finish in Newport.

With a tough night in the gulf stream, anything can happen. Check for the latest position reports.

11am Saturday June 18, 2011

Wind’s up. Out of the south west, 18 to 20 knots. It’s been building overnight. The forecast calls for gusts to 25. Made good progress under Big Blue, the light air spinnaker, through the night. As the wind built, changed to the heavy air reacher and as it continued, changed agian to the current genoa and main. They’re making 6 to 7 knots at 330/340°. Diane wants to keep her height as the wind may clock.

One of this morning’s “the wind’s picking up” indicators was a vang block blowing up. In hindsight, it was a bit undersized. Nick has rigged an 8:1 cascade that is working fine and will release under load if (when?) they need spill the main.

At 10am, as for most of the past day and a half, OGOC is between Pogo Loco to the north east and to the south west. Yesterday the wind favoured boats to the north, but overnight and this morning that advantage has been reduced to a couple miles. Pogo Loco with 467nm, OGOC with 469nm and with 471 nautical miles to go. Two days into the race, spread out, but yet within 4 miles. Wow!

Friday at 1pm Pogo Loco hit something and subsequently reported they’ve lost their starboard rudder. With only the port rudder, they will be prudent against being over canvassed.

Chris Dowling on Frogger was having back pains on Friday. Expect it is his sciatic nerve. They decided to return to Bermuda as a precautionary move. Chris & Christian Reimer arrived in Bermuda Friday night and are doing fine. Not sure of Christian’s plans to get Frogger back to Newport.

Check in with for the latest position reports.

Thursday June 16, 2011

The double handed return race, being the “Two” of the Bermuda One Two sees Diane & Nick leading the mini fleet out the St. George’s Channel.

You never have to recover from a good start. Positions just after noon on Thursday June 16th

Diane & Nick on OGOC (aka Mega Yacht) in blue, leads the Mini fleet out the St. George’s Channel. Close behind is Christian Reimer & Chris Dowling on Frogger in orange. Next & James Price on in red. Followed by Philippe Laville & Johanne Longpre on Pogo Logo in cyan.

Follow along on either: or OGOC’s .