Return day 8

ALLURE RETURN DAY 8- WATER WATER EVERYWHERE

Latitude 39-13 North Longitude 147-27 West
Days run 158 Miles
Speed 6.6 Knots
Total distance 1337
To go 1446

Day 8 of our "fantastic voyage" begins still deep in the Pacific High. Winds are Lt. and Var. which means we hear the constant drone of this infernal engine. Arr!, me sailor's blood longs for a following wind to fill our sails! The horizon remains empty, save for passing squalls and albatross. Water water everywhere and nay a drop to drink; Good thing we have plenty of grog.

Held Sunday sunrise services with all hands in attendance invoked the Almighty for wind and a pox on this blasted eddy!

In these becalmed conditions the Chief has become the star of the boat. We've given him special grog rations and plenty of sleep. Orders were given to treat him in a kindly manner. No gruff talk or unkindly words while we're under power. Not much use for the Sailing master, so I relegated him to be the Chief's assistant, fetch his coffee, etc. I've even given up me beer ration to the Snipes. Sometimes the Capt. must sacrifice for the good of the ship. The Chief can't believe the change but we'll abuse him later after the sails are full. Arr.

I remain Capt. Bligh
Footnote to the above (the real story): Two days ago, after beating to windward for a full week, I hauled myself aft to Captain Blight's office and told him exactly what I thought of him and where I thought he should put his infernal vessel! Ouch!

I've never seen such a poorly run ship. If I didn't know better, I would swear the damn cook was in charge! After I gave him a piece of my mind, without fanfare I quit the Deck Department (voluntarily, mind you!). He tried to get me to stay and give him another chance, but I told him I'd had enough of his academy-boy B.S. I also informed him that I would be filing a grievance with the S.U.P. patrolman shortly after we're all fast-Pedro. That got his attention! Solidarity!

Hoping to benefit from the Chief's elevated status (and his extra beer ration), I re-upped by signing articles as Oiler. We'll see how working for the Chief plays out (he's been a little moody, even downright cranky, lately). But, what the heck, if he turns out to be as big a pain-in-the-ass as the Captain, I can always switch back to the Deck Department after the wind shifts (stops blowing out of the Captain's arse and starts blowing out of the NW).

I remain; Bull Oiler, M.F.O.W. (ex-sailing master, becalmed)

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Return day 7

ALLURE RETURN DAY 7- HOMEWARD BOUND?

Latitude 39-08 North Longitude 150-50 West
Days run 161 Miles
Speed 6.7 Knots

Mid Watch set @ 0000 7/30 Capt. Bligh and Chief on duty. Finally reached our goal on the Southern end of the high! Wind and swell diminished, @ 0100 the order was given to strike the jib, center the main and turn for home under power, Huzzah Huzzah, a cheer went up, we're on our way.....then the engine died, aw sh..!! We were bobbing like a rubber duck in a tub. The high which we worked so hard to find now became our nemesis. Time for the Chief (who for the past six days had been drinking beer and working on his tan) to get to work. I stayed @ the wheel and engine control while the Chief, assisted by Cookie changed the Raycor filter. The Sailingmaster popped his head out of the bunk to find us becalmed with the sails on deck… he went back to sleep. Approx. 30 min. later the Chief gave the order to try the engine...Huzzah she fired and away we went homeward bound once more.

God Bless America and our Chief Engineer! What a crew!

1200 Lunch was served by the downwind cook; tortilla wraps al fresco with chilled wine. Capt. declared general R&R day for recognition of exemplary behavior (near mutiny notwithstanding) while beating to windward in a SC 50 for over 1000 Nm.

Staff meeting was held and "motor boat" watch schedule was agreed upon 3 three hour watches commencing @ 2100 ending @ 0600 one up one man sleeps all night. Rotate sleeper thru the high. Since the Chief may be called out for engineering difficulties he will be the first sleeper. Time to recharge!

Still expecting 08/08 ETA

By order of Capt. Bligh

SHIPMATES

When one goes to sea, we encounter Shipmates of all varieties and forms. It may be the Captain who was tyrannical and made your day, weeks, months, pass with such pain. It may be the joking AB who made you smile on that mid watch, or the Radio Officer who carried a bit of Left Rudder… Whatever, Shipmates and their proclivities flavor life at sea, and memories for a lifetime
Some of my fondest memories, and finest Shipmates I have are, Shipmates from my Days at California Maritime Academy. I would not be here today if not for them. Thirty five years have passed since the seeds of friendship were planted and they continue flourish to this day. I sit here today after one week at sea on a cramped, smelly ,uncomfortable racing sailboat, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with a big smile on my face because of the three shipmates aboard and one at home watching, wishing he were here.

Cookie

Late breaking news

Hove to this afternoon for engine maintenance. All decided to have free swim. The captain masked up for underbody inspection. He found a huge rope affixed to the propeller shaft… Cut it away, and we are back chugging along. A little bit faster and a little bit cleaner.

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Return day 6

ALLURE RETURN DAY 6 1000 Miles north and turn right. "The Windward Boys" renamed the "The Westward Boys"

Latitude 37-48 North Longitude 152-57 West
Days run 184 Miles
Speed 7.8 Knots

Today's noon position showed a total run of 1018 miles. At morning radio check in we were again the most westward vessel of the returning bunch. Oh well…"Allure" is a fine vessel but it
Sucks at being "Sea kindly" sailing close hauled. We have taken the comfortable approach, (if you could call it that) by backing a few degrees off the wind. Maybe a change of orders for Japan next port!!!
Looks like we are nearing the high, Westerly's are in our future.
Spirits are high; food is good, company great.
All for now, Cookie

Held Captain's Mast at sunrise this AM to determine who was responsible for the unauthorized consumption of the ship's tequila stores. Sailing master acted as Master-At-Arms as the accused, Cookie was brought before the tribunal. Ch. Eng. acted as scribe. Asked why the tequila stores were precipitously low Cookie broke down and threw himself on the mercy of the court.
FINDINGS: It seems Cookie was not the only guilty party as he ratted out the Chief and the Sailing master, of conducting an unauthorized tequila chugging contest. Sensing a near mutiny brewing I armed myself with the fish billy backed to the leeward end of the cockpit close to the MOB float least I had to jump to save my life!
CONCLUSIONS: Fearing a general uprising was in the making I absolved all parties of their crime of theft of ship stores on the high seas. Usual punishment for such an infraction is ten lashes, however being out numbered and staring into shark infested waters the sentence was commuted, with the proviso that all future parties MUST INCLUDE THE CAPTAIN.

Being no further business this court was adjourned. Arrrr

Capt. Bilgh

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Return day 5

ALLURE RETURN DAY 5 Say good bye to the Islands
Latitude 34-50 N Long. 153-46 W @ 1500 HST

There are many transitions in life…Some of them happy, some of them sad. I remember the happiness in my heart on the day of my oldest daughter's wedding. On the opposite side of the spectrum I remember the sadness of my father's passing. It's with a bit of a sad note that Allure had a transition of her own. In the last 24 hours we have gone from Island weather to "who knows what". Today brought first, a loss of wind, we had to motor for an extended period for the first time. Daybreak found us with overcast skies, much different than the beautiful sunrises we've enjoyed. The heavier layers of clothing and foul weather gear came out. As we are approaching the High we are encountering an array of conditions. At one moment it will be howling wind and rain, followed by calm, followed by wind shifts. In the coming days I expect we'll continue this pattern until we are on the other side of the high and the Westerly's carry us home.
We are eating great: Don't know of too many bare cabin racing boats having French Toast (Yesterday) or pancakes (today) for breakfast. Crew spirits are high, morale is great. More tomorrow…
Cookie

Thanks Cookie inventory of the "Gold Locker" indicates this bare cabin racing boat has ample grog to make the mainland, however the Tequila supply seems to have gone down at an alarming rate. Whiskey supply fair, and box wine better than expected. Ship' crew will report to the mess hall for Tequila investigation starting with the stewards department….Now where are my ball bearings…COOKIE!!!

Capt. Bligh (Quigg)

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Return day 4

ALLURE RETURN DAY 4 "Clean Sweep Down Fore and Aft"

Latitude 32-48 N Long. 155-00 W @ 1600 HST
Noon position showed a total run of 700 miles, We are approximately 1900 miles west of Los Angeles

We continue cruising to our first waypoint with the intent of turning through the Pac High @ about 37-38 North. Wind as expected is diminishing but we are still making good headway. Shook out the reef @ first light avg. speed last 24 hrs. about 6.75 kts.

Today due to some hot and stinky conditions we agreed all should take a bath, salt water soap down followed by fresh rinse ahhh heaven!. We pumped and cleaned the bilges, head and overall spruced up the living quarters. Stopped short of inspection…everyone looks and smells a lot better especially the Chief. Whiskey ration was doubled.

The Allure delivery crew is eating well thanks to Cookie's spending spree @ Costco, however Cookie has yet to join the Capt. In the galley except for occasional cleanup. He promises a special treat in the future.

Yesterday Sailing Master and Chief repaired outhaul shackle that mysteriously lost its pin since we still had the reef in it was a nonevent. Otherwise Allure is performing beautifully

Hooked five Mahi Mahi since departure So many, we have been releasing last few lucky fish!

We continue to thoroughly enjoy this adventure. A bad day of sailing beats a good day ashore anytime and we've had four great days!

That's all for now from the hearty and happy crew.

Love to all, Michael aka Capt. Bligh

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Return day 3

ALLURE RETURN DAY 3 "Los Pilotos, Pedicure day at sea"

Latitude 30 degrees North at Noon
Approximately 1900 miles west of Los Angeles

Today brought us a beautiful star-filled morning watch, followed by a mellow, relaxing day. After one rough night, and another transition day, the good ship "Allure" crew found their rhythm and decided to spruce things up after a rapid fire departure.

The crew has been busy cleaning up the vessel and all aboard. We broke out the sponge bath and the nail clippers on this warm Pacific morning and went to our work. We were able to find wire snips to take care of the Chief Engineers toes.

We continue sailing northward from Hawaii under a #4 jib and a reefed main sail. The winds have been consistently from the east and fluctuating between 12 and 20 knots. We've sailed continuously since departure, having logged 536 miles for an average speed of 7.8 Knots.

The rising barometer (1027 mb) and the cloud pattern both confirm we are approaching our first waypoint - near 37 degrees North, on the southern boundary of the 1030 mb North Pacific High (which is situated farther to the north than usual). Once there, we plan to fire up the iron mainsail and head eastward, skirting the lower edge of the high pressure zone, until we find the prevailing NW-lies, which will bring us home under sail.

We have sighted no other vessels during the last 48 hours, but have been maintaining daily radio communications with several other homeward bound yachts, trading weather and position information.

We continue homeward. Crew and vessel "Ship Shape" Everyone is doing fine.

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Return day 2

ALLURE RETURN DAY 2. Yeah We Signed on for This!

Made almost 200nm from noon-noon pretty darned good running to windward on a reefed delivery main and the crew is in high spirits. This is our third delivery together aboard the Allure and the crew synergy is great, we almost know what each other is thinking, (at least we know what Cookie is thinking.)

Nothing compares with sailing on the open sea…you just have to be here. It's hot, cramped; the boat is in constant motion, but the views of the endless horizon, blue sea, and spectacular stars make up for it all.
The most used piece of equipment is the new cockpit dodger and Bean bag chair (can't get the Chief Engineer out of it) Thank you Jimbo! Next time order a couple more bean bags and we'll carry less whiskey.
We hope to hit the high in the next 48 hrs. motor for a while then turn for home. If all goes well we should be home 8/8 in time for my anniversary.

Love to all from Capt. Bligh and the stalwart crew.

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ALLURE RETURN DAY 1. Settling inn

Delivery crew got underway with good spirits and fond well wishes from Jim Morgan, Jill and Liz Rubino. We were all kitted up in special T-Shirts from our Captain Which read "What happens at Sea, Stays at sea"
We cleared Barbers Point at 1500 Noon Position today showed 175 miles made good mostly on a northerly heading for an average speed of 8.3 Kts.
We are all starting to settle in More comfortable with every passing mile This AM we all broke into uncontrolled laughter with every story told.
Just before lunch time a Mahi Mahi decided to grace our hook for a quite delightful fresh surprise Entree.
Looks like the weather is good ahead and Allure is giving us a treat with a E ticked ride under a reefed Main and Number 4 Headsail.
The new Tracking Reurn link is: http://yb.tl/transpac2011-return
More tomorrow,

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Allure day 0

ALLURE RETURN DAY 0-Start to road home!!

Good Morning, Well, the new crew has signed on, Provisions aboard. Last minute hectic rush to hit the long road home. Many thanks to the Racing crew for their thoughtful Preparation. More to follow when we are settled in cruising home. Steve Roberts

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Allure Day 13 Handover

ALLURE DAY 13- ALLURE EPILOG & RETURN CREW

Allure finished at 1903 12s HST July 18th enjoying a rapid 17kt crossing to secure 3rd place. 2nd place was a possibility when Deception lost their head stay in the Molokai Channel. They sent a guy aloft and quickly installed a jib sheet as an acting head stay and saved their time.

With this blog I am introducing the delivery crew who will continue the blog. The crew is:
Captain Michael Rubino Master
Captain John Betts Chief Mate
Captain Tom Hill Chief Engineer
Captain Steve Roberts Navigator and Blogmaster

Any comments to the blog after today will be relayed to the crew after I return to Los Angeles as Allure communications cannot access the internet. So do send comments, particularly their lack of skill (newbies).

Delivery departure scheduled for Sunday July 24, 2011 if Rubino can figure out how to back the boat out of the slip. The good news is they will not have to anchor on the way, as it is clear from previous return trips, they lack this skill, and have been so told.

Aloha, Navigator Al

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AlLLURE DAY 10.5 - IN MOLOKAI CHANNEL

Hi from the navigator
We are 25 miles from finish at 2000 PDT and will have a somewhat daylight arrival. We have the shy kite up with 30+kts of wind. Hooner hit 21.0 kts on the approach to the channel.

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Allure Day 10

ALLURE DAY 10 - THIRD PLACE IF ALL HOLDS

Its 3PM PDT and it looks like we'll finish 7:30 PM HST for you here, and 10:30 PM mainland time. The wind is constant 22 to 25, with 10 to 12 foot seas, the normal trade conditions. Molokai channel will be heavier conditions, and we go through at dusk. Molokai channel is a little bit of Transpac lore in itself.

The channel is between the east side of the island of Molokai and the southwest side of Oahu, where our Diamond Head finish is. The wind and waves get funneled through these islands making for exciting wild ride conditions. We are on 3 hour watches, no more 6 hour day watches, and all hands will be on deck by this evening through to the end.

Third place is a big achievement for us in this very competitive fleet and we are very happy if and, that's a big if, it all ends that way. We are less than one hour behind 2nd place Deception on corrected time. This is after more than 10 days of hard sailing, them going north and us going south and it comes down to minutes between us. ANYTHING can happen over the next few hours so we are going all out to the very finish. Actually we are about 2 hours ahead of them so we will beat them boat for boat, but our handicap rating make us give them more than 3 hours over the course. Boats are handicapped according to complicated formula, and all the boats in our class are similar but not exactly the same so they all have a different handicap over the course.

Good friends made stronger on this trip. This is not to be taken for granted as some crews can't stand each other after so much close quarters and so different personalities. Tom Jorgensen my friend from childhood, sailing together in junior programs at LAYC and staying close for 50 years. This is Tom: I called him up and said could you do me a favor and his response was "Anything, you name it" Bill Megowan a friend from USC on his first Transpac with us and let him tell the stories of "an experience of a lifetime". This is a tough trip and it's impossible to anticipate what it will be like. Al Garnier, a well-known personality in sailing circles and a friend for 20 + years Al worked literally day and night getting us on the best route to Honolulu. We all contribute, but Al had more to do with correctly analyzing our strategic options than anyone else and it worked! Jim Morgan I've known for a few years now, but never actually sailed with him. A good seaman, level headed at all times, plus full of raunchy sailor stories. Eric Caras, our calm, confident foredeck man, the hardest worker in difficult circumstances you can imagine. Going up the bow with waves crashing over and efficiently getting the job done…a job I myself would be a little more than afraid to do. And finally Steve Calhoun. Another USC friend, I've sailed 3 Transpacs and countless other ocean races with Steve; probably more than 8,000 miles altogether.

Looking forward hugging and kissing Andrea, a few cocktails and some sleep uninterrupted for at least 2 hours at a time!

JB

From Navigator Al

I hope you all have enjoyed our 10 day tale of Transpac 2011. It has been the most unusual weather I have seen. Never would I have imagined you could rhumbline the last 300 miles on port pole without a gibe. Yet here we are looking at a direct mid channel approach and starboard pole finish. We may add an epilog to this blog, but will not commit. All the comments have been forwarded to us and were great reading. Thank you all!

Time for family, friends and mai tais! Aloha from the crew of Allure

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Allure Day 9

ALLURE DAY 9 - KEVIN STOP DRAGGING THAT FISHING NET

Way back in 1980 when I was bringing our family yacht Chez Nous back from Spain with my son Kevin (11 years old) on board, we were low on fuel trying to make Acapulco, Kevin was a little bored with the slow progress and decided a little fishing would ease the boredom, so he fabricated a rather nice net with 3 pieces of teak etc and launched the contraption off the stern. The immediate effect was to slow an already slow yacht one full knot. During the last 24 hours all of us on board have been looking for the sea anchor (or fishing net) that must be attached to Allure, cause we sure got the slows.

To drop from 2nd to 5th place within 24 hrs is very discouraging. We now know how the crew of Flaca must have felt after their Day 8 drop from the podium. The only encouragement comes from knowing that the corrected time difference from 2nd to 5th place is only 30 minutes. So we are all resolved to press as hard as we can to not lose any time and find a way to gain time.

My brother Tom has an expression that is the mantra of the Reinrag2 program. "Accelerate to the finish!" It applies here. It is within our reach.

Winds are increasing, yet sea state remains small relative to normal trades. We are looking forward to our approach to Molokai Island, the Molokai Channel and the finish. The traditional approach to finish is from the North on port pole to mid Molokai Island, then gibe back and forth along the North side of the island till reaching the channel between Molokai and Oahu. This year, our entire division is sailing near the great circle route and trying to arrive at Molokai first will add miles to the course and maybe without the benefit of improved winds and therefore speed. The decision on what to do will play out in the next 24 hrs.

Aloha, Navigator Al

From Captain Jim Morgan

Folks have asked me why I have not posted anything on the blog? Guess not too much to say except racing hard. Unwilling to post anything that was bland or not witty… I've refrained…until now.

Why a ship is called a she?

A ship is called a 'she' because there is always a great deal of bustle around her; there is usually a gang of men about, she has a waist and stays; it takes a lot of paint to keep her good looking; it is not the initial expense that breaks you, it is the upkeep; she can be all decked out; it takes an experienced man to handle her correctly; and without a man at the helm, she is absolutely uncontrollable. She shows her topsides, hides her bottom and when coming into port, always heads for the buoys.
Capt. Morgan

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Allure Day 8

ALLURE DAY 8 - 0600 ROLL CALL BRINGS MORE THAN SUNSHINE

So this is really a boat race for second place, unless something truly awful happens to Horizon. We'll take it if we can get it, and that's far from certain. The 6 AM PDT standings had us in second, but four of us, us Deception Flaca and JWorld were all within 2 hours of each other after 7 days of racing. Pretty close and exciting. We still have 2 and one half days to go. Our ETA is Tuesday morning about 6 AM HST.

Two nights ago was the most fast and furious sailing I have ever been on, and that is a lot of sailing. We had 25 plus knots of wind, and the boat just charged down waves like a bat out of hell. Gowie hit 19.1 knots of speed, the record so far.This boat is powerful, steering takes total and I mean total concentration, we are exhausted after 30 min. not so much physical but from tension. Every little move of the wheel jerks the boat one way or the other. The wrong move, missing turning down on the face of a wave or worst, up when the wave finally passes you causes all sorts of havoc. A triple E ticket ride. Wooping and hollering like kids on a roller coaster. Hard to hold a cool demeanors and nobody cares to even try.

Last night was milder but also fast. We made some really good jibes in difficult circumstances so we are feeling much more confident in our boat handling capabilities. Steve just told me to say how great it is to be with him what a guy. Anyway, confidence will be important when we get closer and the wind picks up permanently and the waves get bigger.

Sleep is a problem because the boat is LOUD and lots of action on deck by the on watch makes banging and grinding noises all the time. Plus it is stifling hot inside the cabin during the day, plus all hands are called on deck to do any kind of sail change or maneuver. My schedule is on at 6am for 6 hours till noon, off till 6pm, then on during the night from 6pm to 9pm, and midnight to 3am, then back to the beginning at 6am for another 6 hours. Tom Jorgensen is my opposite on watch, and so we share the bunk. He is 6'9" 280 lbs and is like waking up a dinosaur. I've heard quieter steam shovels. It's a little scary to sneak up on him in the middle of the night.

Many of you might be wondering why we are zig zagging down the course instead of going straight for the finish. In a nutshell, a sailboat goes slow straight down wind, and so it's faster to head up and sail "hotter angles to the wind" even though it's not the shortest distance. We'll be doing that the rest of the way in.

This race, like life, has been a matter of putting ourselves in the best position for success given we can't control all the variables. We have protected the south like Stonewall Jackson, letting no boat get more south than us. We paid a price to get down here and stay down, but if you look at the others, they are 50 miles or more north of us. In a previous blog I said this would hopefully pay off by Friday, and well, you saw the standings. So, so far so good.

The crew is getting along with each other great. This a small living space to share for 10 days, not like going on a camping trip with the guys where you have some privacy and can get away. Add the need for perfect teamwork, the stress when things go wrong, the need for everyone to carry their own weight all the time, to respond immediately with a call to action even if you just got in your bunk for your precious off time…it's amazing there are absolutely no harsh words, no cliques. We're all the same in a communist commune.

ALOHA! - JB

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ALLURE DAY 7

ALLURE DAY 7 - PARTY ON, BUT LEAVE THE SHOE CLERKS AT HOME

Surprise party! Last evening at cock-ta ta ta tail time the crew of the good ship Allure were treated to a little bit of the islands all the way out here. It was the half way party and many thanks to JoLinda and all the hot wahinis got a lot of laughs and good cheer. What did you get in your party bag, little Tommy? Well, we got booze! And after that, lots of crazy bandannas and hey ma, look at my new teeth. That airplane size bottle of rum and tropical juice hit the spot. I was going to only use one-half at the party and save it for tomorrow, but I got carried away with myself, the first time in my life, and drank the whole thing at once!

Little things make the difference, thanks a lot to all the gals for putting this together. JB

So, Navigator here! Day 7 saw winds return steadily throughout the afternoon and by midnight we were sailing in 25 knots. A few early evening small squalls came through and while gibing back to starboard after its passing, the main boom preventer hung up preventing (imagine that!) the boom from passing and the gibe had to be aborted. The light A4 spin wrapped and so the fire drill began. 30 minutes later we were on starboard pole with the heavy A4 (right sail for the building wind). That FU cost us about 2-3 miles of distance we could have made. The rest of the night was delightful. The seas were still small, so surfing was intermittent, but the ride was on. Driving a SC 50 in 25 kts of breeze is first a blast! For those who have never done a Transpac describing it is tough. It is a little like being in a controlled slide of a car. Things seem ok, until they aren't, then it can mean a round-up. A discussion of round-ups needs a mai-tai in hand. So ask me some time.

Since Belle Mente has now finished and captured the Barn Door, all tracker positions are real time, meaning there is no more delay. At 0600 this morning we saw where all are competitors were and more importantly how close we all are on corrected time except Horizon who continues to be uncatchable at this time. More on that tomorrow.

One of the blog commentors asked "What are iridium files?" mentioned in Gowies Day 3 blog. Well, they are just any download that comes across the satellite phone (Iridium). We receive GRIB files from the National Weather Service and/or the US Navy. These are weather files that give current and future wind velocity and direction in a graphical form that we can display on the Pacific Ocean chart. These files can also be used in routing programs to help the navigator decide where to go for the best wind. We also receive Transpac position reports, and the tracker feed that tells us where the other boats are. This file is basically a bunch of numbers that make little sense until they are loaded into a routing/navigating program (we use Expedition). Once loaded in the yachts track and name appear on our chart. Very handy tool. Other questions are welcome, just may take a little time to respond as we cannot see the blog directly.

ALOHA, from a happy crew

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Allure Day 6

ALLURE DAY 6 -WE SUCKED

So this is Thursday afternoon and time for an update to all of you great friends and family. We sucked. It didn't start out that way but here's what happened.

For 18 of the last 24 hours noon yesterday to noon today we sailed like rock stars (in our own minds) and for a while gained on nearly all the boats in our class by a substantial number of miles. We had second place in our sights and planning our next move on first place Horizon. Our south position that Al put us into a couple days ago was paying off like we planned. For 18 hours we sailed like we actually knew want we were doing and spirits were as high as I've ever seen on a boat. Then, and this is sailboat racing, at midnight, we sailed right into a mysterious, evil, Neptune inhabited, sea dragon infested, Jason and the golden fleece, vortex of a wind hole. All right out in the middle of nowhere and for no apparent reason (like being on the back of a passing storm). We went from 12 to 14 knots of wind, to next to nothing in a matter of an hour. What's going on here? Did everyone fall into the same hole?

We struggled with a collapsed chute, headed up to try and sail around this patch of flogging sails and frustrated crew, all to no avail. Then at 3 am it really got ugly. We caught an easterly shift, not what we wanted, and started sailing due north. Now, our course to Hawaii is 250 degrees on the compass which is south of west (west being 270) and so we found ourselves going AWAY from our destination. We jibed and sailed for about 40 minutes sort of toward Hawaii when the wind shifted 90 degrees back to North. Our next gibe at 4 in the morning was a nightmare. The chute was heavy with rain, hardly any wind, it got stuck going around the head stay in the front of the boat, we had to reverse the procedure and try again, what a mess. We lost so many miles to the competition from midnight to 6am that it's not even funny

This morning's 6 am standings indicate the 24 hour period was sailed evenly with most of the fleet, everyone making a slow 168 miles. But we could have been so far ahead if not for that 6 hour period. Oh well, we eagled one hole, then triple bogie the next. Now the wind is up and we're sailing smartly on a slightly north route that will put us in contact with the fleet sometime Friday…probably a stretch where not much will happen in the standings save for another black hole. We still like our position, because around Saturday the north boats will have to dive south toward us and lose some ground in the process. We're most defiantly not losing our motivation or passion for this race. We feel we're sailing the boat better and better, selecting the right sails, picking the right wind angles for speed and working hard. After last night's fiasco, we resolved to do whatever it takes from an effort standpoint to get ourselves on the podium.

All doing great, looking forward to a halfway party this evening.
Jim Barber

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ALLURE DAY 5 - MINOR PAYOFF AFTER HARD NIGHT OF SAILING

So here we are, the afternoon of Wednesday July 13th, slowly inching our way towards Diamond Head in light and variable winds that go from 7 to 15 knots and osculate from N to NE within a few minutes. Boat speed falls to 5kts then a puff accelerates us to 8 or 9 kts, bringing hope to the crew as the kite is trimmed to the new wind. Then just as suddenly as the new wind appeared it is gone and we fall back to 5 kts. The weather ahead does not look encouraging until mid-day Friday. The wind pressure looks good from that point on. We sure hope so, as the real enjoyment of this race is captured in Transpac Commodore Bill Lee's motto "FAST IS FUN". Our current ETA is now Tuesday noon-ish HST. So we should have some nice daylight sailing down Molokai Channel for helicopter photos.

In the last 24 hours there have been a number of small squalls come thru that bring and take wind, and produce light rain. The sea state is as near flat as I have ever seen the Pacific in this my 6th crossing.

This morning's roll call showed Allure recapturing 3rd and tied for the best performance in terms of miles made good to Hawaii in our class. This was the payoff for the southing we did on Day 4. We over took Flaca by 10 miles but still owe 2 hours of corrected time (Allure must finish 4 hours and 32 minutes ahead of Flaca to beat her on corrected time - roughly 45 miles). We cut into Horizon's growing lead, but Horizon moved south, covering us, thereby minimizing our gain on her (the downside of trackers when trying to sneak around the race course). So small victory here, but much hard sailing ahead as it is clear to us that Horizon is a very fast and well sailed yacht, that will require some doing to get around. BTW, the tracker somehow gave a false report that made it seem, after correction, that Allure suddenly decided to go north after fighting hard to get south. I believe the tracker position prior to the radical North position was the erroneous report.

The MacGyver fixit list has been reduced to one item: the external Iridium antenna. We have no solvents or abrasives to clean what appears to be salt corrosion on the final connection. My fault for not taping. Thank goodness, the small antenna stuck out the hatch works the old fashion way.

Crew spirit is high as we start to plan our now one day delayed half way party. Our calendar of Sailor Jerry's Pin-Up Girls (provocatively dressed and very "Inked") has given our Captain Morgan the opportunity to tell us of his uncanny personal knowledge of each of these ladies and the night he has spent with each one. The stories are great, even if the facts might be a little amiss.

Aloha,
Navigator Al

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ALLURE DAY 3 - FLYING SQUID ON DECK

After reading the 3 previous blogs, the question that probably went through your mind is "why would any sane person do this?" Well, with the Transpac, you pay your dues for the first few days (and believe me, I did!) and then you wake up on about the 3rd morning to a beautiful sunrise with the winds moving aft, a spinnaker up and you realize you are getting close to sailing nirvana. We are there and it will only get better as we get deeper into the trade winds and closer to the islands. We are all pushing the boat hard and totally adjusted to the life at sea on a sailing yacht. We haven't discussed world events or politics yet - that stuff can wait till we return to the mainland. We talk about family, friendships, bucket lists, and just how to get the most out of this great life we all live.

This trip is different for me as I skippered my own boat in this race in 2005 and 2007. This boat is faster and a much different motion than my Cal 40. As in past races, the enjoyment is in direct correlation to the guys you sail with. I am fortunate again to be with not only great sailors, but great guys.

As I look out the companionway to the ocean, it is the most brilliant blue you could ever imagine. Absolutely spectacular!

Last night was challenging sailing as we were going through rain squalls. You feel the moisture moving in on you and you look behind and see the dark cloud bearing down on you. The squall represents an excellent opportunity for accelerated winds but it can get very dark. You really don't mind the rain as the air is somewhat warm anyway, but trying to stay on course when it is pitch black and raining can sometimes play tricks on your eyes. You can't see the horizon so you can get vertigo.

I am fortunate to be out here, but more fortunate to have a great wife and daughters who are so supportive of my love for offshore sailing. I love you guys and can't wait to see you with my scruffy gray beard.

All is well on Allure and Aloha,
Steve - AKA - Hooner

P.S. from JB: If you haven't been told yet, you can follow the race at www.transpacrace.com. Then click on the link that tracks the boats down the course. We are division 5 sailing against other similar 50 foot boats. All the boats carry a transponder to send an hourly satellite position, but there is a 6 hour delay. Why the delay? Well, Transpac is about boat preparation, boat handling, crew work, speed but also it's about lots of strategy. You might think we all go along the same path from LA to Honolulu like the runners in a cross country track meet do, but that is not the case. Navigators' work night and day receiving (legal) downloads of very sophisticated weather information that changes several times a day. The trick is to interpret where the wind strength and direction will be most favorable a day, 2 days, 3 days out from now. And then sail where you think the puck will be. If you have been paying attention to the tracks, you will see boats zig-zagging across the course going north or south and north again hoping to get into the best slot of wind to take them to the finish.

Horizon, in our opinion the pre-race favorite in our class, went south early, then crossed us going north, and then crossed us again a day later going south again. They are doing very well and are quite far ahead at this point. We believe south is the best and so we jibed to port pole yesterday evening at 6, sailed for three hours or about 24 miles almost due south, then jibed back to resume our westerly direction. We want separation from the boats north. We took a hit in the standings to get into this position, but hope it will pay off to be down here 3 or 4 days from now. We'll see if it does or not, or whether other boats will come down here too or stay up north.

We are going to be in different wind for the next few days than the guys north because of this 50 mile separation between us and our northern most competitor. For the next few days, sometimes we'll gain and sometimes they will gain on us. Friday will be the moment of truth when we figure we will all start to converge again on our 3 day approach to the islands. That approach itself has quite a bit of strategy and it will be interesting to see how our competitors' thinking differs from ours. So back to the 6 hour delay. Competitors want to sneak around the course not giving away their intentions for at least the 6 hours, thinking by then it will be too late for another competitor to react. It's a little of a cat and mouse game.

By the way, my first blog contained some bad errors: our instruments were not calibrated and were reading about 20% fast, both boat speed and wind speed. So those fantastic numbers were false! Sorry about that.

Everyone is healthy and eating great dinners prepared by all our wives - a very nice touch of home out here. The macaroni and cheese by Andrea was a hit (the cut up hot dogs everyone loved even though Andrea thought it was tacky), and the turkey meat loaf stew by Sissy was fantastic.

Out ETA is probably Tuesday at midnight, so it will be a slower race than we anticipated. Andrea , you might want to cancel the Ilikai hotel reservation, and keep on standby at the condo. Love to all, Jim Barber.

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Allure Day 3

Allure Day 3: Reaching for the Gateway Point. By Bill Megowan

July 11, 2011 1300 hours. Currently in 3rd place SC 50 class.

I have always considered myself a pretty good sailor. But when you make your first ocean crossing, especially in a Transpac Race, you learn that you still have a lot to learn. Trying to get the hang of steering this boat with all the variables of true and apparent wind angles and speed, mixed with the challenges of the wind and waves in the open Pacific is a real challenge. Add to that, doing it at night with the running lights and instruments being the only thing visible to your eyes. Trying to sleep with the water rushing by at 15 knots right next to your head. Trying to keep anything down with a 40 degree heel in pitching seas. You learn you're not as tough as you thought you were. I am indeed fortunate to be sailing this race with six Transpac veterans, who I also consider to be my good friends.

We spent yesterday afternoon and this morning reaching toward our "gateway" point: A spot on the chart that represents the optimal position for crossing the high pressure ridge and entering the preferred "slot". That being the track under the high which represents the sweet spot in the trade winds and the fastest route to Hawaii, given the current weather predictions. At first it was almost a beam reach with our sturdy 6A kite in 20-25 knot winds . A wild ride for sure with even the best helmsmen on board suffering regular round ups every half hour or so. As the winds have dropped and gone aft, we have progressively switched to our larger and lighter #4 spinnaker and then to our even larger and lighter #2 Currently we are enjoying a rather pleasant afternoon off the wind, but don't be fooled. Everyone is racing their butts off on this boat.

"Allure" is fast and furious on the race course. An E ticket ride for sure. The Santa Cruz 50 is famous for many things, including the fact that it does not go over waves. Instead, it punches through them like a hot knife through butter. The decks are almost always awash, and everyone on deck wears a safety harness at all times. Below decks, she is like most race boats: noisy, leaky, and somewhat smelly. But she is very well stocked and quite comfy.

Al, our navigator, works round the clock with the computer, iridium files, weather charts and Expedition software trying to get us to the right place at the right time. We have a couple boats ahead of us at the moment, but we have a strategy and with any luck, we'll reel them in.

The skipper, Jim Morgan, has more sea miles on this boat than you can count. Our watch captains, Jim Barber and Tom Jorgensen, are eagerly tweaking and working the boat, while taking time to coach the rest of us. Eric is our workhorse on the foredeck and without him, we would be up a creek.

I am dedicating my participation in this race to my late parents, who gave me the gift of sailing, starting with the first time they put me in a wooden sabot on Balboa Island when I was 5. And they loved Hawaii like no place else on earth. I know they are with me every mile.

Yes, Robbie, the stars are magnificent out here, when you can see them through the overcast. We'll have a full moon later this week. The open ocean is truly awesome. To all of my family, I love you and miss you.

Aloha, Gowie

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Allure Day 2

ALLURE DAY 2 - JIM BARBER WRITING FIRST BLOG EVER

Full foul weather gear, all our warm cloths, on Gowie says more gear than skiing. This is typical of the first couple days, defiantly not the tropical conditions we will get into soon and why we go on this race. Strong and gusty wind in the high teens and 20+ Jim Morgan hit 18.8 knots speed with the small #3 jib and the boat is going great. We are north of where traditional routing would take us, but confident we'll pay off later, but we'll have to see about that. Gowie, Hooner and Barber sick as dogs…bad night last night. The boat smells bad because of the mystery water coming in…all fixed now sort of, and we have to bail and sponge it out, not a pleasant job. So the boat is on its ear going fast but very and I mean very uncomfortable down below. Getting dressed in full gear, harness, head lamp, gloves, etc. is a real chore in pitch dark inside what feels like a barrel being kicked down the road. Lots of bumps and bad language. I'm appalled. Second day meals postponed again until tomorrow. No one wants to try and cook anything.

At 10am we did a sail change from the big #1 jib to the small #3 and that was a real adventure in wind and waves crashing over the bow. Took 4 guys on the foredeck to wrestle the big heavy jib on deck and folded. Took about 30 min of manpower…Eric leading the foredeck crew and doing a superstar effort.

Al is our navigator and is up almost constantly working his computer getting us to the right point on the course for the first real strategic decision of where to enter the constant off shore wind synoptic wind its called where it will turn more Easterly from north and we'll set our spinnaker and start surfing toward Hawaii.

So now its 6:00 am Sunday and what a difference from yesterday. The wind has swung around enough behind us to set a chicken chute - that's a small spinnaker of very heavy material that allows us to sail close to the wind The call is made and up it goes with the #3 jib down. That sets the boat rocketing forward Al driving hits 22 knots of boat speed in 25 knots of wind right off the bat. It's hard to control for those of us with no experience on this boat in a blow with a chute up and a very difficult quarter sea behind us kicking the stern up, the bow down pushing the bow deep toward the water and making the boat want to sort of pitch pole…not really but that's what it feels like. What actually happens is the boat rounds up into the wind tipping way over flogging the sails and making for a tense few moments until the sheets are eased and the boat comes back up on its feet. Well, yours truly got on the wheel and 5 minutes later that's exactly what happened. Very embarrassing but I get the feeling it won't be the last round-up on this trip. Jim M, Al and Eric have some good experience on this boat in weather, but the rest of us have not. Believe it or not, boats have their own personality and handling traits that need getting used to. These are all very good sailors on Allure and have many thousands of miles on races like this, but still it is a learning experience. That's all for now. Jim

PS from navigator - Watermaker operational after finding booby-trap! A ground wire had an inline fuse holder apart, without fuse. Found only fuse that would fit in the chart table cubby. Real Cute! - DG???

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Allure Day 2

ALLURE DAY 2 - JIM BARBER WRITING FIRST BLOG EVER

Full foul weather gear, all our warm cloths, on Gowie says more gear than skiing. This is typical of the first couple days, defiantly not the tropical conditions we will get into soon and why we go on this race. Strong and gusty wind in the high teens and 20+ Jim Morgan hit 18.8 knots speed with the small #3 jib and the boat is going great. We are north of where traditional routing would take us, but confident we'll pay off later, but we'll have to see about that. Gowie, Hooner and Barber sick as dogs…bad night last night. The boat smells bad because of the mystery water coming in…all fixed now sort of, and we have to bail and sponge it out, not a pleasant job. So the boat is on its ear going fast but very and I mean very uncomfortable down below. Getting dressed in full gear, harness, head lamp, gloves, etc. is a real chore in pitch dark inside what feels like a barrel being kicked down the road. Lots of bumps and bad language. I'm appalled. Second day meals postponed again until tomorrow. No one wants to try and cook anything.

At 10am we did a sail change from the big #1 jib to the small #3 and that was a real adventure in wind and waves crashing over the bow. Took 4 guys on the foredeck to wrestle the big heavy jib on deck and folded. Took about 30 min of manpower…Eric leading the foredeck crew and doing a superstar effort.

Al is our navigator and is up almost constantly working his computer getting us to the right point on the course for the first real strategic decision of where to enter the constant off shore wind synoptic wind its called where it will turn more Easterly from north and we'll set our spinnaker and start surfing toward Hawaii.

So now its 6:00 am Sunday and what a difference from yesterday. The wind has swung around enough behind us to set a chicken chute - that's a small spinnaker of very heavy material that allows us to sail close to the wind The call is made and up it goes with the #3 jib down. That sets the boat rocketing forward Al driving hits 22 knots of boat speed in 25 knots of wind right off the bat. It's hard to control for those of us with no experience on this boat in a blow with a chute up and a very difficult quarter sea behind us kicking the stern up, the bow down pushing the bow deep toward the water and making the boat want to sort of pitch pole…not really but that's what it feels like. What actually happens is the boat rounds up into the wind tipping way over flogging the sails and making for a tense few moments until the sheets are eased and the boat comes back up on its feet. Well, yours truly got on the wheel and 5 minutes later that's exactly what happened. Very embarrassing but I get the feeling it won't be the last round-up on this trip. Jim M, Al and Eric have some good experience on this boat in weather, but the rest of us have not. Believe it or not, boats have their own personality and handling traits that need getting used to. These are all very good sailors on Allure and have many thousands of miles on races like this, but still it is a learning experience. That's all for now. Jim

PS from navigator - Watermaker operational after finding booby-trap! A ground wire had an inline fuse holder apart, without fuse. Found only fuse that would fit in the chart table cubby. Real Cute! - DG???

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DAY ONE - WE GIT OUT OF DODGE!

For the record, the crew members of Allure are:
Jim Morgan Skipper
Jim Barber Watch Captain
Tom Jorgensen Watch Captain
Al Garnier Navigator
Eric Caras Bow
Steve Calhoun Trimmer
Bill Megowan Trimmer

The Friday July 8th start of Transpac 2011 was picture perfect under blue skies and 12-15 knots of breeze that looked like we would be able to clear the west end of Catalina without a tack. We had great boat at the start, on the line 1/3 way from the pin end, but not clear air. Soon the big guys swept passed us and we found ourselves kind of the leeward boat. The wind lifted us a little, but not as much as expected and we arrived at Catalina near Dunigan's rock and began to tack our way towards the West End in the company of all our completion, splitting tacks with Flaca and Horizon. We continued passed Catalina on port tack for about 15 miles. Flaca hung with us, but Horizon and a number of the SC 52's turned south an hour before us. We did have to shift to the No. 3 on the approach to Catalina as the winds built not unexpectedly to 18- 20 knots. Once clear of the island the wind dropped back to 11 knots and so we went back to the No. 1 (147% headsail)

Most of the night we were pretty hard on the wind sailing 220, having set a waypoint to cross the Ridge at 27 55 N, 130 00 W, then some 654 nm away bearing 230 m. Our 0600 Position compared to our competition is not surprising as both Horizon and Flaca have scoops, extending their waterlines 2 + feet.

It is now 1400 and I just got off the wheel, sailing boat for boat with Flaca on our starboard beam just 100 yards away, There are still 3 other boats around too far off to know for sure who they are. In the last 4 hours we have averaged 10 plus knots seeing 14.4 k best so far.

Life is good for most of us. A few (3) have experienced seasickness so not much food is being consumed. Tonight's meal will be pushed back as we continue to eat the leftover chicken and Friday sandwiches.

In the problems area, there are 3 things of concern. 1st - you guessed it - THE WATERMAKER! The raw water pump is not running, so nothing can happen without it. Once our heel angle improves we will tackle this issue. 2nd is a few mysterious leaks, some fresh, some salt. We think we have stopped the fresh water loss, and part of the salt water was the speedo thruhull leaking when Allure pounds coming of a wave. The 3rd is the Iridium antenna. It worked fine all thru the night, but by morning roll call time, it suddenly became intermittent and now dead. So its back to the old method of holding the phone up thru the hatch while sending and receiving. What can you say; it's a sailboat race!

Aloha,
Al

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30 Hours to the Start and preparations continue.  Today, all the food goes on plus personal gear.  Weather remains interesting, but definitely better than for the Monday starters as there is a good chance we will make it to the outer coastal winds before the local winds die.  Al

Test Blog

Allure will depart Los Angeles just off the Pt. Fermin Buoy on July 8, 2011
at 1300 Hours in the 46th running of the Transpac Honolulu Race.