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11:10 AM Sun 11 Jan 2009 GMT
British yachtswoman Dee Caffari has discovered further deterioration to Aviva's mainsail as she continues towards Cape Horn in the Southern Ocean. The solo skipper realised that the mainsail had continued to delaminate despite her recent repairs to the sail last week.
In her latest diary Caffari reports, 'I realised with horror that . it is the layer on the good side of the main [that is blowing away]. In fact the only layer of mainsail I have left!
'With the forecast set for the winds to increase and knowing that moving the sail up and down cannot be good for the cloth I have elected to remain at three reefs and keep my fingers crossed.'
Otherwise concerned by the state of her mainsail Caffari consulted with her shore team and Aviva Ocean Racing campaign manager, Harry Spedding reported this morning:
'We spoke to Dee last night and she was obviously very worried about the state of the mainsail and is extremely frustrated. As Joff Brown [Aviva Ocean Racing project manager] reported last week there was always going to come a time when the sail deteriorated further and Dee would be forced to find alternative sail plans as repairs alone would not be sufficient. It seems as though we may be coming to that point in time.
'The weather forecast for the next 72 hours looks like it will be tough for her but she will be thinking about protecting the sail as much as possible. Her priority at the moment is to ride out the coming storm, it will be a waiting game to see how the sail fares but one thing is for sure she is determined to finish this race. We'll just have to wait and see how competitive she'll be.'
Caffari's ultimate goal is to become the first woman to sail solo, non-stop both ways around the world. To achieve this she must complete the Vend?e Globe race so whilst her mainsail issues may slow her down she remains committed to completing the race. She is currently in eight position and some 8,350 miles from the finish in Les Sables d'Olonne, France.
Dee Caffari's latest diary entry received Saturday 10 January, 15H30 GMT:
'It is the stuff nightmares are made of. I woke from my slumber and saw a slow boat speed and immediately dropped the ballast tank. I couldn't decide if south was better than heading east, but one thing was for sure, I couldn't actually head the direction I wanted to go in.
'I went on deck to take a look around. The dawn was just breaking so it was light enough to see everything. I was looking at my mainsail, which has been a concern for the whole of the Southern Ocean, and I noticed some more sail flapping in the breeze. My shoulders slumped and as I continued to look I realised with horror that it wasn't the layer that is blowing away daily but the layer on the good side of the mainsail. In fact the only layer of mainsail left!
'I cursed, gybed quickly and dropped the mainsail to the third reef. I grabbed my sail repair kit, which is now running extremely low, and spent an hour patching the tear in the cloth. With the forecast set for the winds to increase and knowing that moving the sail up and down cannot be good for the cloth I have elected to remain at three reefs and keep my fingers crossed. If it can just get me to the Atlantic then I can choose a route with no scary wind and nurse my sail home.
'My biggest fear now is will the sail last the final big blow from the Southern Ocean depression before I turn left? So miles won and miles lost, the important thing for me is to stay in the race.'
Dee and Aviva
by Caroline Ayling
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Lord Howe Island Windy Point, NSW
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