Captains log: Whooping and hollering...

Date: July 5, 2022

Time: 12:43

Location:36.29N/123.42W

Is what this crew was doing as we crossed the starting line with near perfect form. We felt like celebrities as people cheered from shore, a camera crew live streamed the start and police escorts kept the fans away. I also felt like and RV camper among F1 racers as my boat is clearly a blue-water cruising boat while the kevlar sails and carbon fiber wheels of the other boats were a sure giveaway that we were in our own class. 

We made a nice run all the way across the bay to nearly the north tower of the Golden Gate Bridge. We tacked to the south and made a nice crossing under the iron starting line. Our official photo start was the Sir Francis Yacht club in San Francisco, however, in my mind this bridge is the symbolic of the real departure, the real start, the real beginning of our epic voyage. 

Once we cleared the land, about 3 miles out from the Golden Gate, the wind unfortunately dwindled to the point where forward propulsion was essentially not working. I quickly assed several factors: 1. The class of racing we are doing, which is the "cruising class" where using your engine is legal, 2. the high pressure system on the way in (meaning more of this "no wind" situation and 3. my ability as captain to influence the landing time in Hawaii for which all 4 of us has wagered $100. 

Oh, and since we're on that note, I'll share with you the predicted Hawaii cross-the-finish-line wager times:

Nick: 7/22  3PM

Darshaun:7/21  9PM

Joe: 7/18  8PM

Gene:7/20  9PM

A few more notes:

1. If we keep eating like we are, don't expect a scrawny malnourished crew when we arrive. Thus far gourmet has been the theme. 

2. Don't be deceived by the distance we've covered, there's no wind out here and we've motored around 12 hours out of 30. This is NOT what we want to be doing. We hate the sound of that engine and even at 124 gallons onboard, fuel only last so long (and certainly nowhere the amount to get us even close to Hawaii)

3. Watch system is going well. It was hard that first night to adjust to the all-nighter, but we will all be fully adjusted in another day or two. 

Our spirits are great, our bellies are full, our conversations are long. Stay tuned for our next update tomorrow. ...

Date: July 5, 2022

Time: 12:43

Location:36.29N/123.42W

Is what this crew was doing as we crossed the starting line with near perfect form. We felt like celebrities as people cheered from shore, a camera crew live streamed the start and police escorts kept the fans away. I also felt like and RV camper among F1 racers as my boat is clearly a blue-water cruising boat while the kevlar sails and carbon fiber wheels of the other boats were a sure giveaway that we were in our own class. 

We made a nice run all the way across the bay to nearly the north tower of the Golden Gate Bridge. We tacked to the south and made a nice crossing under the iron starting line. Our official photo start was the Sir Francis Yacht club in San Francisco, however, in my mind this bridge is the symbolic of the real departure, the real start, the real beginning of our epic voyage. 

Once we cleared the land, about 3 miles out from the Golden Gate, the wind unfortunately dwindled to the point where forward propulsion was essentially not working. I quickly assed several factors: 1. The class of racing we are doing, which is the "cruising class" where using your engine is legal, 2. the high pressure system on the way in (meaning more of this "no wind" situation and 3. my ability as captain to influence the landing time in Hawaii for which all 4 of us has wagered $100. 

Oh, and since we're on that note, I'll share with you the predicted Hawaii cross-the-finish-line wager times:

Nick: 7/22  3PM

Darshaun:7/21  9PM

Joe: 7/18  8PM

Gene:7/20  9PM

A few more notes:

1. If we keep eating like we are, don't expect a scrawny malnourished crew when we arrive. Thus far gourmet has been the theme. 

2. Don't be deceived by the distance we've covered, there's no wind out here and we've motored around 12 hours out of 30. This is NOT what we want to be doing. We hate the sound of that engine and even at 124 gallons onboard, fuel only last so long (and certainly nowhere the amount to get us even close to Hawaii)

3. Watch system is going well. It was hard that first night to adjust to the all-nighter, but we will all be fully adjusted in another day or two. 

Our spirits are great, our bellies are full, our conversations are long. Stay tuned for our next update tomorrow.