First finishers in Race 3 of the Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta and all change in the rankings as the wind becomes variable. Here’s the latest from Race 3 of the Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta.
“Vahine was first to cross the finish line east of Boston early this morning after sailing an excellent race all the way since Bermuda. She was followed by Spaniel and Peter von Danzig some 12-hours later. Oosterschelde remains in first place on Corrected Time just ahead of Pride of Baltimore II by the narrowest of margins, just 21 seconds! The rankings are likely to change as the wind is forecast to head the remaining vessels and become more variable as the rest of the fleet closes the finish line.”
Paul Bishop, Race Director, Sail Training International
To follow the fleet visit YB Satellite Tracking. Here are the latest positions from Race 3 from Bermuda to Boston on Corrected Time:
- Pride of Baltimore II (USA)
- Oosterschelde (The Netherlands)
- Jolie Brise (UK)
- Atyla (Vanuatu)
- Vahine (Finland)
- Spaniel (Latvia)
- Rona II (UK)
- Gulden Leeuw (The Netherlands)
- Europa (The Netherlands)
- Alexander von Humbolt II (Germany)
- Peter von Danzig (Germany)
- Regina Germania (Germany)
- Blue Clipper (UK)
Note: Positions and placings are correct at time of writing. Check out YB Satellite Tracking for the latest information.
News from the Crew of Class A Tall Ship Gulden Leeuw (Netherlands)
9 June 2017
“At 5:15 in the morning, the trainees got woken up by an alarm.Thinking it was the ship’s emergency alarm, some trainees ran up on deck still in their boxers to ask our first officer Sophie if we were going to be alright. It turned out that it was just the alarm of the ship’s water tight door that went off because we were heeling too much. Sophie was surprised to see that many people ready to help take down the ripped flying jib due to the massive wind force.
“All hands on deck at 08:30. We trimmed our sails under the pouring rain. Since we trimmed them so well up steering the ship herself. In between two sail maneuvers, we were able to observe a pod of 15 dolphins jumping in the waves beside the ship. One of our trainees got really mad because of a plastic bag floating in the ocean – why do people have to litter here? Alejandro then told him that it was a Portuguese man o’war (Physalia physalis) – which lives on the surface of the ocean (see below for more).
“Just after dinner, we suddenly spotted a life raft drifting in the ocean. Not knowing if there was somebody inside, we had to save it. Everybody gathered on deck while the captain started the engine, so we were ready to pick it up. As soon as it was in our reach, we discovered that it was empty. Therefore, we put a line around it and hoisted it on our deck. When the life raft was secured on our deck, our first officer Sophie showed us all the items still in it and told us what they were. Unfortunately, some had got lost in the ocean. However, this experience ended up serving as a perfect man overboard drill. The exciting day ended with an incredible sunset.
“NOTE: A man o’war is a colonial organism made up of specialised individual animals called zooids or polyps These polyps are attached to one another and are unable to survive independently, and therefore have to work together and function like an individual animal. It has no means of propulsion, it moves according to the winds, currents, and tides.
10 June 2017
“After a nice breakfast, surprisingly, everyone was awake and up on deck. We turned on the music and started Happy Hour. Unlike Happy Hour on land, our Happy Hour is spent cleaning the ship. Our look out spotted a big cargo ship 15 nautical miles in front of us. After talking to them, we realized that they were not going to move. We were on a collision course and had to start our engine. Finally, we passed half a nautical mile away from one another. Just before lunch, we saw another pod of North Atlantic Spotted Dolphins to the excitement of everyone. In the afternoon, our service manager Kathrin made us a surprise wave cake. It was delicious!
“As we reported yesterday, we had ripped our flying jib. Our first officer Sophie and our engineer Patricia spent most of the morning sewing it. When it was repaired, five trainees and crew went on the bowsprit to put it back – which took them four hours. Once set, we gained half a knot which made all the hard work worth it! The day ended again with a fantastic sunset, but this time with no clouds. To finish the day, everyone gathered in the mess hall to watch ‘Around Cape Horn’.”
11 June 2017
“During the night watches, the crew admired the stars and the full moon while enjoying cake leftovers. ‘Dana’ was still steering the ship herself for most of the night. At 05:00 the wind changed direction, confusing all of the trainees when they woke up because the ship was heeled the other way. Having gained distance on Europa, we sent someone to the top gallant to see if they could see her in the distance. She was spotted and we sent her a good morning message and a gentle reminder that we were not too far behind. Tomorrow morning, we are hoping we can send the same message to Alexander Von Humboldt II.
“Our Second Officer Philipp was leading a yoga class when False Killer Whales (Pseudorca crassidens) – the fourth-largest dolphin – and a Bottlenose Dolphin – were spotted; immediately disturbing the lesson. It was also laundry day, so the clothes lines were full with all the crew’s clothes. Not much is planned for this afternoon, except for having fun and enjoying the sun! As this blog is being written, two of our trainees are still asleep. Life at sea is not always easy!”
Follow the Fleet
Watch the action as it happens and follow the fleet’s progress using YB Satellite Tracking.
Get Involved
You can still be part of this adventure of a lifetime. Berths are available for Race 4 (from Boston to Gulf of Saint Lawrence Ports) onwards. Why wait? Secure your place today. Check out the available places on our Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta event pages.
You can book your place directly with a participating vessel, or if you’d like help simply email our friendly team on enquiries@sailonboard.com, who can make recommendations, answer questions and process your booking for you.
Photo: All hands on deck. Courtesy of Valery Vasilevsky.
