After a memorable start day from Portsmouth , the three yachts set off for the Canary Islands into a deepening low and experienced Force 8/9 winds and very high seas as they crossed the Bay of Biscay. The crew on Challenger had to contend with a number of mainsail cars failing that required the mainsail to be dropped and repaired. The crew worked tirelessly to effect the repairs and were soon back on track for Lanzarote. People watching the track of the yachts on the website will have seen Discoverer make a very deep Southerly track to the North coast of Spain. The cause of this detour was the failure of the steering mechanism from the wheel to the rudder, so the crew had to fit and use the emergency tiller and seek shelter from the gale to reconnect the steering gear. Once fixed, Discoverer rejoined the rush to Lanzarote.

It is worth pausing a moment to explain about the mapping of the yachts. In order to minimise the cost of the expedition, we can only send one position report by satellite each day from the three yachts. Our position following software links each of those position reports directly and cannot interact with Google Maps to take account of the topography of the area, hence the two instances when the yachts seemed to complete land crossings of the Isle of Wight and the North West coast of Spain. Greater frequency of reporting would result in less “land crossings”, but unless we attract more sponsorship we cannot afford to do so.

Resuming the narrative of Leg 1 we’ll pick up the yachts off the coast of Portugal where all experienced a strong wind from the North West. With the wind on their starboard quarter, it was a downwind track to the destination and the heavy spinnakers were deployed. The optimum planning speed for Leg 1 was for an average of 7 knots (nautical miles per hour) for the 1,620 nautical miles between Portsmouth and Lanzarote, but we had allowed for poorer conditions when average speed could be as low as 4or 5 kts. On Adventure the top speed recorded on this later, downwind part was 14 kts and she was the first to arrive in Lanzarote late on Monday 20th, with Discoverer in the early morning of 22nd and Challenger later that afternoon. Adventure completed the distance in 9 days and 6 hours with an average speed of 7.3 kts. Discoverer was +12 hrs and Challenger + 22hrs (6.9kts and 6.6kts average speed respectively).

The crews now have 8 days to sail around the islands and prepare the yachts for hand over to the Leg 2 crews on 1st August. The skippers and crews of all three yachts have set a fine example to the crews yet to participate in Exercise TRANSGLOBE. They proved courageous and determined in appalling conditions across the Bay of Biscay and took gear failure and sea sickness in their stride. Through teamwork they effected the repairs and completed the passage efficiently and in the spirit of Corinthian competition. Well done to all.