Not over until it's over

On deck it is a wonderful day with sunshine, calm seas and around 16 knots of wind. The boat is dry and nice and the temperature is steadily increasing.  We are still going upwind and the four guys on deck are trimming and trimming to keep the boat up to speed. But even down below there is a lot going on.

We are in somewhat of a peak, with people beside me and Aksel (Aksel Magdahl) using the computers.  It is not for writing emails to beloved family members or anything else private. No, it's about preparing the boat for the in-port race and to get it ready for the next leg. We are sending work-lists to the shore team.

‘Hey guys, it is a bit early for that isn't it?’", Arve Roaas commented. Well, yeah, in one way. We still have to concentrate 100 per cent to keep our position and make it to Rio, preferably in the first position that we are in. And I can assure you, everyone is working their thumbs and nails off for that. It would be a huge win for us to win this leg after all we been through with fixing the boat in Taiwan, sailing it shorthanded to China, starting seven hours after the others, and first around the Horn.

But the race is not over in Rio and the work-list-writing for sure needs to be done.
This race is not like it used to be with several weeks to rest and prepare the boat for the next leg. The time spent on land has really become a race and we have no time to lose. We need to know exactly what to focus on when we hit the shore, so our shore team can get going.

The boat is really bruised and battered after this wrecker of a leg and it needs to be taken care of, quickly. With the routing we are going for now, we expect to land in Rio on the 24th, which gives us nine days until the in port-race.  It is a bit crazy.
The boats are not the only part being exhausted. The crew are, if possible, in even bigger need of some rest.

I believe all the crews are crying for some time to relax. Not the least us on Ericsson 3 who haven't had any time of since Singapore.  But you just have to keep focused and realise that this race is not over until it's over.  In St: Petersburg.

Gustav Morin - MCM