DAY TWO - SUN 13 JUNE

Falmouth to Baltimore 200nm 

0600 - Skippers Briefing included the all-important weather briefing which reveals deteriorating weather today especially off SW Ireland.

0630 - fleet departs Falmouth for Baltimore (200nm) with the exception of Trinity (Patrick Byrne) and Scooby Doo (Christian Braish) who were the tail end Charley's needing to fuel up - 0905 they left Falmouth for Baltimore.

Peta Stuart-Hunt

Latest update:

A very rough day, winds NW Force 5-6 and 3m seas (data from 'active buoys').

At 25 miles from Long Ships, Cool Runnings had a problem with one of their passenger and rightly decided to return to Falmouth.

At 60 mles out the fleet decided to run for Kinsale to avoid running into the waves, which helped, but at 10 miles from shore Andrew Bell on Evolution hurt his back and was in great pain.  Quickflash his Buddy boat stood by, while the Life boat came and escorted Evolution and Andrew into Cork.  Quickflash and Skeelig joined up and preceeded to Kinsale  Rooster which had concerns about an engine leg also went into Kinsale; the rest of the fleet continued in the lee of the Land and made Baltimore at about 1530.

Trinity and Scooby Doo continued to beat into the weather until 60 miles from Baltimore when they altered course to Kinsale.  At the Old Head of Kinsale the sea was flat in the lee of the land and both run down the coast to Baltimore arriving at 2100hrs, so one of the smallest boats had the longest crossing of 12 hours.   Quickflash and Skellig left Rooster in Kinsale and arrived in Baltimore shortly before 2200hrs. 

By the end of the day, all boats were in Baltimore except  Rooster, Cool Running and Evolution.

The plan seems that night to be for those in Baltimore to have a lay day while the other boats joined up if they could.  Skippers briefing was called for 1000hrs in the morning.  All felt battered and brused.

PB from hotel room Bangor - at last I have a connection to the Internet.