Global Challenge
Week 6 - Arrival in Buenos Aires

Made it! I'm relieved to be compiling my latest thoughts from the safety of the dock at Yacht Club Argentino, here in Buenos Aires. Early spring sunshine promises a pleasantly warm day, tempered only by a moderate breeze off the River Plate. The boat is deserted, except for your correspondent, and looks in fine shape after a few days of restoring and vigorous cleaning. Time, at last, to reflect on the final third of the leg from Portsmouth.

When I last wrote, we had just crossed the Equator in first place and survived most of the potential pitfalls of the Doldrums. The plan, once south of the Equator, was to pick up the trade winds on the western flank of the southern hemisphere's equivalent of the Azores high and ride those most of the way to the River Plate.

Given the distance involved, 3000 miles or so, there was plenty of scope for variation on the theme. Our tactical team had set a waypoint off the northeast coast of Brazil to avoid three potential windless zones. Whilst we kept decent wind strengths, the waypoint may well have pulled the course a little too far east and caused us to lose a couple of places, never to be regained.

The long passage down the east coast of Brazil was made notable by some torrential, tropical downpours. The intensity of the rainfall reduced visibility to just a few hundred metres. From a yachting perspective, wind shifts in excess of 100 degrees were a fairly common occurrence and defeated even some of the more astute tacticians!

Despite some research into currents in the area, we were perpetually flummoxed by a counter current of anything up to a knot. All our charts and pilots suggested we should have been helped not hindered at this stage. Whilst a knot may not sound much, if I tell you that the first two boats were separated by a couple of miles at the finish and that the first six boats came home within just a few hours of each other, you'll understand just how well matched these yachts are.

Having conceded up to 60 miles to the lead boats, we found a better point of sail from our more easterly position as we closed on the River Plate, and reduced the distance to around 15 miles by the finish.

The last 150 miles up the river proved to be seriously demanding for a host of reasons, not, thankfully from my viewpoint, all weather related. Very shallow water, unmarked or unlit wrecks and the occasional 30 knots of wind made for a gruelling final few hours. The skyline of downtown Buenos Aires in the distance was a very welcome sight, as were, the first beer, the champagne (mostly sprayed across the crew in true Formula 1 fashion by an overjoyed skipper), and the burger and chips!

I have delayed writing this particular report until after the safe arrival of 'Save The Children', who finished a few days behind the body of the fleet. Like many crews, damage to sails and a spinnaker pole partially caused them to miss weather opportunities and, as is often the way, fall into less favourable weather patterns.

Becalmed, 45 knots then becalmed seemed to be their lot in the last few days. Their reception from the massed crews of supposed competitors was very moving and embodied the spirit of this race. For them at least, the Southern Ocean conditions we are all to experience from the end of the month will be less daunting given their first leg experiences.

Our team have learnt a few good lessons too. Seventeen years of weather experience on my part certainly doesn't guarantee infallibility and I continue to be humbled on an almost daily basis. There's time though for relaxation, reflection and a little exploration here in Argentina before leg two and the passage to Wellington. In a quiet moment, have a look at your globe or atlas........long way,isn't it?