After 24 hours of manoeuvres in unstable conditions and very light wind while my companions Jean Le Cam and Mike Golding enjoyed a more solid wind and sailed away, I’ve just faced 12 hours of icy fury.
In the middle of a very dark night, the wind suddenly blew at 45 knots and an ice-cold rain started to pour. It looked like the end of the world, seen thanks to the light from intense lightings all around us!
I was fascinated with that natural show while the boat was going full speed and I was under the veranda, catching my breath and waiting for the next manoeuvre.
Things are a little quieter now, I’m just waiting to make sure it stays like that before making my next move. I can see another heavy rain coming to us, with black clouds. It looks like a very dark night is going to be upon us in a short while. It will soon pour, the wind is getting stronger and stronger and the boat is gaining speed! We’ll have 25-knot speed peaks for sure!
The cold front is coming, we’ll need to gybe soon and finding the right timing will be capital. I’m staying focused, just to make sure I’m not forgetting anything, and here we go! The adrenaline is up, I’m drenched in sweat but everything is under control. I have to be careful because that kind of manoeuvre can generate technical issues…
As the front is coming through, gusts can blow up to 40 knots and the southern wind is ice cold but I’m moving around so I’m not cold at all… The wind is holding and the boat is not slowing down.
It’s a shame I get to experience that alone, so I tried to shoot a little video to share that with you all. Te front is now going away and the wind is down again, it’s time for a well-deserved steaming hot cup of coffee! And then back to work on the sails and the ballast.
And that concludes my report on what it’s like to be close to the center of a solid depression in the Indian Ocean, seen from inside!
Dom
