About 1 week ago on Sat.16th the 2004/5 Global Challenge race finished at Portsmouth. I was there along with 1000`s of supporters; crew- friends & family, sponsors, and other people not even connected with the race. It was a fantastic day- wall to wall sunshine and just enough wind to be interesting, the finish line was just offshore from Southsea castle, 30 mins. walk from Gunwharf Quays where the yachts would eventually moor and receive the official welcome.

The finish for `Stelmar` was really exciting with her holding on to her spinnaker to overtake `Me to You`, who had dropped their spinnaker before rounding the last buoy, we all held our breath as `Stelmar` slipped between `Me to You` and the buoy, their spinnaker looking very unstable due to the new angle of the wind, but they managed to hang on to it and crossed the finish line just ahead of ` Me to You` to finish in 6th. position of this, the last leg. Her overall position for the entire race was also 6th.

I have attached Susan's last actual race report, written on the Friday. I suspect that she will write a final message to you all, (when she eventually wakes up!!!) and include some pictures.

David

Friday 15 July 2005

It is Friday the 15th July and one of our final waypoints, Eddystone Lighthouse has just become visible on the horizon. I am trimming the spinnaker from the shrouds and every now and then from behind the port clew of the sail, the lighthouse can be discerned. As we get closer and closer
the small white stick that was noticeable from a distance becomes a beautiful and dramatic monument standing alone in the sea, surrounded by rocks, with the welcoming coastline of Plymouth in the background.

There was great excitement on board as we all stared fixedly at the lighthouse, an important waypoint in this last leg of the race, and prepared to sail the boat around it. In the final moments to the approach everyone was nervous as we meticulously trimmed and altered course. It was so
important that this manoeuvre should be carried out smoothly as most of the boats in our fleet are very close together and the slightest error could lose us a valuable place. Voices were raised and a few minutes of panic
followed as a jammer slipped and the inboard end of the spinnaker pole suddenly came crashing down. However Tim Wright who skilfully put the pole back into its position soon resolved the problem.

Sailing back to the South coast of England brought back many memories of the start of this race on the 3rd October last year. It was in these very waters that we experienced our first extreme difficulties as we sailed from Portsmouth to Buenos Aires. We reminisced on the storm that had torn our
storm staysail in half and brought us wind speeds as high as 56 knots leaving the crew literally exhausted.

Sailing today was exhilarating but also tinged with sadness. We are approaching the end of an exciting leg where all the yachts in our fleet are fighting closely for podium places. However, whilst we are all very much looking forward to seeing friends and families on home ground, this is also
the end of a very long, exciting and challenging adventure.

Deep in thought during our last sunset at sea, I thought about my future and what I would be likely to do next. But whatever that may be, I sincerely hope that there will be many more adventures and challenges in my life, as this is making me feel happy and fulfilled. Anyway, you never know what is round the corner!

Susan Lyons

WEDNESDAY 13 JULY 2005

I am delighted that in addition to the trophies won by Stelmar for arriving into La Rochelle in 1st position and for sailing the fastest 24 hour run, I was personally awarded the Unisys/EMC Prize for the best video footage during Leg 6 of the race. This prize is supported by ITV News Meridian. (In addition to all the work involved with physically sailing the yacht, each boat has one crewmember who is responsible for media during the trip which includes video footage, photographs and overseeing daily logs for the whole crew. On Stelmar this has been my responsibility).' The prize is to be a professionally edited video of the footage taken during leg 6.

Sue in the Bay of
Biscay.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (PORTSMOUTH, UK)

All events and timings are provisional and subject to change.

IMPORTANT NOTES ON RACE FINISH
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!

The Events in More Detail

· Grand Carnival (Saturday morning): This carnival will feature almost 1000 entertainers and dance troupes celebrating the Global Challenge. The costumes will be themed around the seven stopovers on the race route. The carnival will start at 11:00am at Portsmouth Guildhall and will finish at Gunwharf Quays at 12:30pm.

· Play Festival (Saturday afternoon): This is an annual event in Portsmouth – aimed at families. A great way to entertain children as your families wait for the yachts to finish at Southsea Castle on the Saturday afternoon! There will be lots of games and entertainment for all ages.

· Newnet Aerobatic Air Display: Newnet, one of our Business Club Members, also sponsor Mark Jefferies, Great Britain’s top aerobatic pilot. The aircraft will ‘throw’ his Laser 200 aircraft across the skies above the finish line on the arrival of the first yacht.

· Bar 38 Crew Party (Saturday night): This event is being organised by all the Yacht Sponsors and they will organise ticket allocation between all the yachts.

· Challenge Business Sponsors On-board Reception (Sunday afternoon): Challenge Business will host a drinks reception (by invitation only) for Sponsors and Business Club Members on board the Challenge 72’ prototype yacht

· Prize Giving (Sunday afternoon): see below

· Challenge Business Crew Party (Sunday night): This end-of-race celebration will take place in Tiger Tiger nightclub. All crew and all race leggers will receive a free ticket. Sponsors, family and friends can purchase tickets direct from Challenge Business for £25 each which includes food and four drinks.

· Schools Visits (Tuesday morning): Many Portsmouth schools have been following their adopted yachts around the world. A programme of schools visits will last from 10:00am – 1:00pm. This is organised by Portsmouth City Council.

Yacht Arrivals
· The finish line is off a Committee Boat situated close to Southsea Castle (very similar to the start line). A lunchtime low tide will mean the line will be slightly further out from the shore.
· The course from La Rochelle is variable to reduce or extend the course according to the wind conditions, to try and ‘time’ their arrival in Portsmouth.
· We cannot emphasise enough though that the variables in yacht racing (i.e. wind and currents!) mean that the predicted arrival of the first yacht will be very hard to estimate accurately.
· There is a foul tide in the Solent on the Saturday morning. Light winds will therefore mean that the yachts will struggle to get up the Western Solent and could get ‘parked’. As one option the Race Committee may decide therefore to send the yachts around the southern side of the Isle of Wight bring the yachts in past the Nab Tower.
· There is no VIP event organised at Southsea Castle for the finish and the Castle will be open to the public (unless booked for a private function).
· The yachts will each be given at least 15 minutes of ‘glory’ before another yacht is allowed into GWQ…so if the yachts finish very close together this may mean that yachts are held back in the harbour.
· Each yacht will be pre-allocated a berth dependant on their race finish position that will allow us to control crowding on the pontoons.

Pontoon Security
· All crew will be issued the wristbands again to wear as will project managers (2 max per sponsor), press and Challenge Business staff.
· We will allocate 2 passes per Leg 7 crew volunteer for family and friends. These passes will be coded per yacht and each person will only be allowed onto the pontoon when their yacht is arriving – not before. They will also only be allowed onto the pontoons once and will be asked to leave the pontoons for other yacht arrivals. All crew have been asked to submit these names and addresses by 1st June.
· We have ensured that there is enough space for reunions off the pontoons!
· We aim to be much more lenient on Sunday – with accompanied visits subject to numbers!
· We have also allocated the Monday as a ‘family and friends’ day.
· Due to the number restriction it is not possible for spectator boats to use the Gunwharf Quays berths on Saturday 16th July.

Prize Giving

· The Prize Giving Ceremony will be an open-air ceremony on Sunday afternoon.
· An area will be reserved for crew, but public are more than welcome to watch.
· Space will be limited. One option that we have recommended to sponsors is to reserve the outdoor tables at Sante Fe, Yellow Fever, Pizza Express, La Tasca or Tootsies – which will give you chairs, tables, food and drink and prime viewing whilst the event is going on!
· The Prize Giving for Leg 7 will take place immediately before the overall Race Prize Giving.

Traffic Congestion

· Roads into Portsmouth will be grid locked in the morning due to the carnival (starting at the Guildhall at 11.00am)…please advise everyone to travel down the night before or very early.
· Parking for your supporters – we recommend to everyone the £5 daily charge for the special event parking in place at Southsea Common. The roads will be a lot clearer here and your guests can either walk down to Gunwharf Quays (30 minutes) for the Carnival or stay at Southsea to watch the yachts finish.

Offices and Facilities

· The Challenge Business offices and media centre will be upstairs in the Old Customs House
· There will not be a crew internet café at Bar 38 for the finish
· There will be a branded family and friends meeting area up at ‘The Plaza’ – near the Holiday Inn, with tables, chairs, food concessions etc. A PA system will cover this area, as well as the waterfront, announcing yacht arrivals.
· A large stage will also be situated on the Waterfront where the commentary will be based – along with live entertainment throughout Saturday and Sunday. The Prize Giving will also take place here on the Sunday afternoon.

FRIDAY 1 JULY 2005

Sailing Goose-Winged

Sailing at night under a star lit sky with our headsails goose-winged is truly exhilarating, all the more so because we are also currently in first position, with the next yacht, Unisys, a good twenty miles behind us.

We are sailing in the early hours of the morning on Friday 1st July and Stelmar is surging forward at high speed with her foresails open before her like a huge bird. Her steel hull is cutting ruthlessly through the Atlantic rollers creating large brilliant white foaming bow waves that rush past her sides and light up the night. Every now and then a mighty gust of up to 35 knots blows straight into her sails and she bursts forward with tremendous power achieving boat speeds as high as 20.4 knots. With every burst of speed the on watch crew can be heard letting out a triumphant cheer. We are exuberant and almost willing the boat forwards as fast as she can go and yet we are still not satisfied and try to alter our course slightly to make her go even faster.

As Stelmar's steel body sways from side to side the end of the boom sometimes crashes into the sea with a deafening bang and is dragged through the water with a thunderous roar creating masses of white foam and sea spray that travels high up into the air and then rains down onto the crew. The noise of the water rushing past us builds up to a crescendo with every gust and the wind whistles and howls through her sails creating a surreal atmosphere.

I look through the narrow gap between the yankee and the staysail and spot a lone star shining brightly in the night sky and then to the top of the main sail where the masthead light is proudly lighting our way.

Down below I am restless and cannot sleep in my bunk as I am aware of the movement of the boat with every burst of speed. I have the urge to rush up on deck and cheer with the others every time I feel one of Stelmar's
supersonic battle charges forward. But exhaustion is kicking in and I do my best to try and relax a little.

We have nearly arrived at our destination now and have approximately 450 miles to go. I will be truly sad to leave this part of the ocean and all the wonders that I have experienced here.

Susan Lyons

Team Stelmar - SAFE, HAPPY, FAST

First Place on the Podium!

YES! We have done it; at 05 37 33 GMT precisely we crossed the finishing line and won leg 6 of the Global Challenge - the leg from Boston to La Rochelle. This is just unbelievable and the skipper and all the crew are going mad right now, jumping and whooping for joy. We are all hugging and kissing each other and the excitement is overwhelming. What a wonderful feeling.

We would just love to have a drink or two to celebrate our success but unfortunately rules and regulations will not allow us to drink whilst sailing. As there will not be enough water for us to enter the loch at La Rochelle until high water at 12 noon GMT (2pm local time), we are sailing around in circles with somewhat dazed expressions on our faces attempting to be serious and do some boat jobs.

After our arrival we watched BG SPIRIT arrive in 2nd place, Imagine It. Done. in 3rd place, BP Explorer in 4th place and Me to You in 5th place. Cheers could be heard emanating from each boat in turn on crossing the finishing line and then we proceeded to circle round and cheer each other.

We commenced this leg on the 19th June and it has taken us 16 days to finish. We have had all kinds of weather and have experienced some brilliant sailing. Overall this really has been the adventure of a lifetime and one that we would like to share with you all.

We would like to say a big thank you to all friends, family and sponsors for your wonderful support. We are overjoyed.

Susan Lyons
On behalf of 18 ecstatic crew

Team Stelmar - SAFE, HAPPY, FAST

Susan Lyons

SATURDAY 25TH JUNE 2005

It is 11.30 pm on Saturday 25th June and our position is 43 11.99 N and 46 54.7 W. We are approximately one third of the way across the North Atlantic Ocean on our voyage from Boston to La Rochelle. Tension is running high and the crew look very serious indeed as we constantly monitor the progress of our fellow competitors who can be seen all around us.

The reason we are all within sight of each other is that part of our course was to pass an imaginary waypoint in the ocean, named 'Waypoint Charlie.' This was in order to avoid going too far north into iceberg territory thus avoiding any itinerant icebergs that might be drifting along the Labrador Current from Greenland. As most of us are more or less equidistant we all converged at this point and have probably been spying on each other ever since through the binoculars in order to see who is dropping which spinnaker at any given moment. This is just like taking part in a thriller movie and quite exciting!

Today the weather has been warm and sunny and with a wind speed of between 14 and 18 knots from a south westerly direction, making very pleasant downwind sailing with our racing kite flying peacefully ahead of us. We are sailing in a high-pressure system and as we are also skirting the northern edge of the Gulf Stream where the water is warmer, this has the effect of warming the air and increasing the wind strength slightly.

At one point this afternoon there was great consternation as BP Explorer virtually caught up with us. However we continued to focus on trimming and gradually they started to fall behind us, however we have to stay ahead of them and hopefully gain on the others who are just ahead of us. No time for any relaxation and the competition is fierce.

Whilst in the snakepit I suddenly noticed a jet of water shooting into the air from a patch of sea off our starboard beam. This was followed by a big heavy sigh and the huge black body of a lone whale surfaced just enough for us to admire it. Then it submerged again and we followed its trail of jets as it meandered past us in the opposite direction.

Just 30 miles south of us lies the place where the Titanic went down all those years ago and I immediately though of the movie on the Titanic. In my mind I pictured the heroine of this story standing on the bow of the huge ship with her hero behind her, holding her arms out to the side and her long hair streaming. I felt tempted to rush to the bow of our yacht but decided not to try it! I have far more important things to do right now, such as helping my team to win this leg of the race!

Susan Lyons
Team Stelmar - SAFE, HAPPY, FAST

MONDAY 20 JUNE 2005

Exciting Start to Leg 6 - Boston to La Rochelle

Excitement, fun, nervousness, anxiety and sheer determination were the key words for today's brilliant start to Leg 6 of The Global Challenge. The tension was nail-biting as the entire fleet approached the start line, tacking backwards and forwards and jostling for places. Then the usual countdown began - ten minutes, five minutes and a chorus of skippers' voices could be heard as they agitatedly shouted out final commands to their crews. Supporters' boats in all shapes and sizes surrounded us and helicopters with press photographers flew above getting aerial footage. The final seconds were counted down Clive yelled frantically at us to ease the yankee sail to slow the boat down. Too late - we crossed the line just a few seconds too soon.

As we tacked away from Boston's stunning harbour in 9.7 knots of wind we knew all too well that the penalty for crossing the line prematurely would be a 720 degree turn. This meant that we would have to stop racing and turn our 72 foot yacht around twice, which would most likely lose us a place in the race. 'What's 720 degrees between friends?' yelled Sir Chay Blyth humorously as he whizzed past us in the committee boat. Grrrrrr!

Tacking our way out of Boston I looked back at the landscape of skyscrapers and historical buildings, which was becoming smaller and smaller. As usual the leaving ceremony was highly charged emotionally with a vicar giving a beautiful service reminding us of our smallness in the face of the huge ocean we were about to cross.

As a High Pressure System moved above us the wind became calmer and with a tide moving against us we were virtually at a standstill by 3pm local time. We prepared the anchor roller in case things got worse and we found ourselves drifting. Fortunately this did not happen and instead a breeze appeared and allowed us to edge forwards a little. All the yachts were in sight of each other, more or less equidistant and serenely gliding forward like a peaceful flock of swans. What a contrast to our turbulent start to this leg of the race.

When I awoke for the 10pm watch this evening the wind had come round and we had the spinnaker sail up. Nothing else had changed apart from the night and visibility and all our contenders were still around us, their places on the ocean marked only by their port and starboard lights. It was a lovely night with a more or less full moon lighting up the sky and casting a reflection on the still waters. The crew appeared to be peaceful and as I admired the scenery the music of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata came to mind and I could hear every note in my head exactly as if it was being played live. This must be precisely the scenario that inspired the composer to write this music. I am enjoying the peace now but I know that it will not last and that far more turbulent times are waiting for us just round the corner.

Susan Lyons

SATURDAY 4 JUNE 2005

From Susan Lyons - Team Stelmar

Difficult but Exciting Times

Just 24 hours ago Stelmar was racing through the high seas in waves the size of pyramids as we sailed through a low-pressure system. Lashings of water were pounding over the side of the yacht and the crew, well wrapped up in rough weather gear, struggled to keep Stelmar on a straight course. However, today we are back under a high-pressure system in warm sunny weather at times with very light winds and due to the Gulf Stream moving in the opposite direction, progress to Boston has been slower than we would like. Such are the variable conditions we are struggling with at the moment.

Sailing in these conditions is frustrating to say the least, however our tactics are to sail north of the high-pressure system and to get through the Gulf Stream as soon as possible before sailing west again towards Boston. The crew are still in high spirits although a little tired and tension is running high as we approach the finish line. We are all putting in the maximum effort to make the boat go as fast as possible against all the odds and it is impossible to predict in which position we will arrive in Boston, which makes sailing very exciting just now.

We have experienced a few difficulties on board such as running very short of gas for cooking which has limited us to one hot drink during each watch and our diet has been changed considerably to food that needs the least amount of cooking. For breakfast we have been eating cereals as we do not have enough gas to make bread. Also, as the boat has been heeled so far over the water maker has not been making a lot of water. This means that we are limiting our showers for the moment and we have temporarily been using extra supplies of water stored in containers.

However all of this is part of the adventure of sailing round the world and I personally believe that it is not a bad thing to experience hardships. In our lucrative western society we take everything for granted without any
notion of just how privileged we are. To be restricted on a yacht in the middle of one of the world's largest oceans means that you have to make the very best of the situation you are in and this is precisely what we are all doing, constantly in good humour, laughing and joking.

Surviving through difficult times can only help you to appreciate how lucky you are to be living in an affluent society with everything you want close to hand. I will certainly think carefully before I complain about anything
again!

Susan Lyons
Team Stelmar - SAFE, HAPPY, FAST

SUNDAY 29 MAY 2005

I am sitting bolt upright in the snake pit staring fixedly at 2 tiny little yachts straight ahead of me on the horizon. These yachts are BP Explorer and Spirit of Sark and to be perfectly honest we have been chasing them all day, trying to catch up with them and hopefully even overtake them. As the night draws in the tension is nail biting and I inform Clive that the yachts have definitely got much bigger, meaning of course that we are getting closer to them. Clive smiles at my enthusiasm but tells me that he would be much happier if they could be behind us and getting smaller. All in good time I muse - just wait and see and we will show them.

As the daylight fades and a pitch-black starless sky envelopes our tiny bit of the universe all you can see are the white masthead lights of our competitors. Reluctantly I crawl into my bunk as the next watch take over the manning of the boat.

This was yesterday evening, Friday 27th May and today, Saturday 28th May at midday I am pleased to say that we have overtaken both BP Explorer and Spirit of Sark and are now in second position behind BG who are about 100 miles ahead of us. This afternoon we can see BP Explorer on our starboard quarter and Sark, not quite level with us off our starboard beam. This is a great feeling but the race is not over yet. With still 1200 miles to go the next 5 front runners, all within 25 miles of each other, are constantly jostling for places, overtaking or falling behind each other depending on the varying wind conditions in our little bits of this enormous ocean.

Heading west, we are trapped under a high-pressure system with only a knot of current in our favour and this afternoon the winds are exceptionally light and variable, hardly what a competitive sailor desires in a race. But Sir Chay Blyth's words stick firmly in my mind: "races are won and lost in light airs - trim, trim, trim." Well this is our big opportunity to prove that we can do it I think, as the true wind speed drops to 1.3 knots and the racing kite collapses on our heads. With a boat speed down to 0.0 knots we make the decision to drop the kite and put up the yankee and staysail instead, not that it makes a big difference but then every little helps.

The afternoon sun is burning hot and I am running wet with perspiration. To add to our discomfort the water maker broke down the other day, which means that we have now had 4 days with no water to wash in. The water maker broke down on the day when my watch were supposed to have their showers and each watch has a shower on alternate days. This meant that we missed our turn and had to wait 4 days until our next shower. Philip Beck repaired the water maker within 8 hours but during this short time we had to drink water conserved in plastic containers in the bilges.

I feel terribly hot and am aware that I reek but this is not important at all right now. This race leaves no time or space for you to think about the way you are feeling, personal desires or needs. The team and the sailing are the only things that matter and you must constantly strive to make the boat go faster, an ideal that is a far cry from the comforts of modern day living in a Western society and one that is making me rethink my whole life.

As a small gust of wind suddenly makes the boat surge forwards I can feel a strange churning in my stomach and my feelings of desolation turn into anger, driving me to think positively again. There is only one thought in my mind as we sail into the evening light 'let's go get them,' and now at peace with myself and with the world I take up my position on the boat.

Team Stelmar - SAFE, HAPPY, FAST

Susan Lyons

MONDAY 23 MAY 2005

A loud bang in the night!

Suddenly there was a loud bang followed by voices shouting and a general commotion. Instantly I knew that something was wrong and I jumped up from a deep sleep and stumbled out of my bunk. "All hands on deck" came a loud cry from above and I pulled on my clothes and ran to see what was happening. The flanker had blown and, somewhat agitated, the on-watch crew were getting it down as fast as they could. Still bleary eyed with sleep I joined in with the team.

This news was somewhat disconcerting considering that we have only just finished repairing our racing kite. However it is just one of the routine hazards of racing around the world and I have come to take it all in my stride. We systematically set up another sewing circle and are now working in relays round the clock to repair it. I have no doubt that it will soon be ready again.

Apart from this, sailing conditions during the past 24 hours have been very pleasant indeed. We are still heading northwest and making the most of the northeast trade winds predominant in the North Atlantic Ocean, although the wind direction does often come round to southeast in which case we put up the kite or flanker, depending on the wind strength. The true wind strength that has ranged from 13 to 21 knots and we have all been keeping a very close eye on it, constantly monitoring it.

The team spirit is very competitive indeed and we are all too aware of the position of other yachts around us. At the moment we have BP Explorer just forward of us, Spirit of Sark just behind us and Barclays Adventurer on our port side and slightly behind
us. The first thing that we all do after waking is to enquire about the schedule and our position. On deck these other 3 yachts are just about visible and this has the effect of increasing our determination to either keep ahead of them or catch up with them.

The weather has been warm and sunny and we are all wearing our shorts, floppy hats, sunglasses and plenty of factor 60+ sun cream. However, now that we have passed through the Equator and Doldrums, the weather is thankfully becoming a little cooler and I think we are all managing to sleep a little more.

It is now nearly midnight boat time on Sunday 22nd May and our position is 19 02.23N & 40 03.73 W. I am going off to join the sewing team and of course, to see how much ground we have made on the leaders! More later.

Susan Lyons

Wednesday the 18th of May

Double Celebration on board Team Stelmar

The 15 core crewmembers on board Team Stelmar are delighted to announce that today, Tuesday 17th May 2005 at 21:46 GMT we crossed our outbound track and can now say that we have circumnavigated the globe. Tonight in the darkness a cheer could be heard from the on-watch at the precise moment when this crossing occurred. The off-watch got up from their bunks, came up on deck and a couple of bottles of champagne were handed round from which, in true 'seadog style' everyone took a couple of swigs.

The mood was ecstatic as we all congratulated each other on our great achievement and nothing could spoil our happiness. This is a once in a lifetime adventure that has been fulfilled - 15 ordinary people who have just done something extraordinary in their lives. All the tremendous effort and hard work that we have put into this adventure has been well worth the while and I am personally so pleased that I decided to take it on. Has it changed us or the way we perceive the world? Well I would have to say that having gone through so many ups and downs and experienced so many dramatic adventures on board, that it has changed the way I think for the better.

Earlier on today we had another celebration as we put the three leggers: Sharon Callaghan, David Hulf and Rob Packham through their paces with the traditional 'initiation ceremony' on their achievement of having sailed across the equator for the first time. Over the past two days the crew have been preparing a ghastly 'goop' from all the food slops and left over meals which were poured into a bucket, left to swelter in the tropical heat conditions and then ceremoniously poured over their heads on deck.

The core crewmembers, having already undergone this experience on the outbound crossing of this venture, formed a court and in fancy dress created out of the rubbish that was available on board, formally accused the trio of any crimes they could dream up. Having decided unanimously that they were guilty, the 'gooping' commenced. Clive Cosby, playing the part of King Neptune, accompanied by Paula Reid, who was Queen Codfish, had the privilege of dishing out the slops. Some respite was had for the leggers however as Clive looked hilarious in his Neptune costume designed by myself. (Pictures of this event have been sent to the web).

The adventure is not quite over yet however as we still have to finish this leg to Boston and then, of course we still have to complete the leg from Boston to La Rochelle and then from La Rochelle back to Portsmouth. But we have made it this far and so we are going to thoroughly enjoy completely the rest of this wonderful adventure and who knows what new adventures are lying in store for us just round the corner.

Team Stelmar - SAFE, HAPPY, FAST

Sue Lyons

Monday the 16th of May

It always happens in the dark, it will always happen when least convenient and it will usually involve a spinnaker. So the story goes - so far we can concur. After an eventful week which you will have read about, another episode en route to Boston.

Yesterday, as we have been for several days now, we were powering along in brisk tradewind conditions, tracking the squalls ever ready for a swift takedown. Pole out to yankee, repack and re-hoist an exercise that takes about an hour and costs anywhere from a mile to two. In a leg of these proportions we need to preserve our kit and crew, we cannot risk damaging our strongest 2.2oz kite.

One squall rolled in early afternoon, the intensity of which could be judged from the radar by its yellowness. (Large areas of yellow indicate a strong downpour under a mature cloud with winds to 30-35 knots, more blueish less defined clouds may still be building, sucking up air at the front with a slight increase behind.) As the day goes by, right through to dawn the strength of clouds tends to increase as they reach their peak. Full of moisture the tops cool off and air tumbles down gathering pace before hitting the surface and fanning out, creating strong squalls and wind shifts.

One squall early in the afternoon necessitated a takedown, later another was avoided by gybing away and then back again, during the evening they kept coming, some avoided, others manageable. Once we have a target it is tracked on the radar, everyone goes to drop positions. Bow ready to climb to the end of the pole and spike, Pit ready to blow the halyard, Helm, Trim and Grinder remain on jobs, everyone else is prepared to gather. On a standard drop the Bow spikes the tack of the kite, releasing it from the end of the pole to float around behind the main, Pit blows the halyard 20ft and then eases the rest, Trimmer and Grinder ease the sheet as the gatherers pull on the lazy guy led through the letterbox (over the boom under the loose footed main sail) the other end of which is through a toerail block and on a winch as a retrieval method in case it ends up in the ocean. A method used throughout the fleet and hundreds of times onboard Team Stelmar, perfected after over 27,000nm of racing.

Around midnight we were tracking a line of three squalls, we came up and sailed high to skirt the edge of the first, the next was coming our way, we went to drop positions. The wind, at about 20-25 knots, shot to 30 then 35, it had hit more quickly than expected. The boat rounded up violently before the kicker could be blown. The kite, now flogging wildly as the apparent wind had increased to around 40 knots, was shaking the pole and whole rig. Plan B, blow the guy, too dangerous for a spike, kite sailed away to leeward, but attached to the sheet and guy, flew to leeward rather than floated around the back of the main. The load pulled the sheet away from the boat and the lazy guy out of the crews' control. The winch held it and it was re-led. Now as it came down slowly, but again refilled, eight crew were not enough to tame it. We blew the halyard all the way. Bowman, Julian Smith was lifted off his feet to the limit of his lifeline and was flipped around the guy, the Flanker pulled tight as it refilled but was held by his lifeline, trapping him.

In the dark and confusion and what seemed an eternity a watch mate grabbed his knife and cut through his safety line as others held him down. The webbing strop parted released the guy and deployed the spinnaker fully as a sea anchor. Julian and all other members of the Groaner watch were safe, most importantly and no damage was sustained. Julian has bruising and rope burn to his upper torso from being pulled by the guy on his lifejacket lifeline when he was spun the wrong side of it. A freak occurrence and one we cannot legislate for.

From my perspective as skipper and in this instance helm, what happened was for all of us sobering, inexplicable, but as ever the strong safety ethos we have onboard when tested, worked. Crew matter more than the boat, we put the spinnaker in the water, we always clip on for a drop in any conditions and every crewmember carries a knife.

In an environment where we are subject to the uncontrollable nature of the elements we are continually having to plan, learn and adapt. Safety procedures worked and worked well when tested here we could have done no more.

Now we are back on track and taking miles out of the boats ahead again.

Clive Cosby
Skipper - Team Stelmar

Monday the 16th of May

Sailing downwind in the South Atlantic Ocean is the most wonderful feeling in the world. I am standing here trimming the spinnaker sail in a true wind speed of between 22 to 27 knots, pulling on the spinnaker sheet with all the strength that I can muster up from my slightly built frame. Every now and then a gust of up to 34 knots hits us by surprise, the boat surges forward with great power reaching speeds of up to 15 knots and I yell the command 'grind.' Then as the winch man grinds I pull, heave and lean on the sheet in a tremendous effort to keep the spinnaker sail full of wind and prevent it from collapsing. My hair is streaming and my hands, arms, shoulders and legs are aching from the physical exertion, but it does not matter to me at all. Nothing can blight the adrenalin rush that you get from racing through a
beautiful blue sea in a wind like this.

The prevailing southeast trade winds are typically inconsistent and as the wind constantly veers and backs we are obliged to gybe the boat. The teamwork required for this manoeuvre is intricate and precise and each crewmember must act like clockwork at exactly the right moment. If this does not happen then there is a high risk of damaging the sail, which then has to be dropped, another high-tech operation, and repaired. Mending sails take time and space and our racing kite, damaged a few days ago is still spread
over the saloon area severely restricting our personal time, manoeuvrability and dining. But then you get used to it and after all, the sailing comes first above everything else.

The night comes and we are keeping a particularly close eye on the radar as yellow blobs in various sizes appear on it indicating the presence of rain clouds. Tonight we have to rapidly drop the sail as a huge squall caches up with us, the wind strength increases and it literally pours with rain. I
struggle with the sheet as the boat rattles, shakes and shudders under the attack and there is a feeling of anticipation as voices are raised and everyone works as quickly as they can. Buckets of cool rain come down on us,
at first a welcome respite from the heat of the day in this equatorial latitude, although later on I am shivering as the cooler wind behind the squall whistles through my wet clothes and hair.

But who cares, out in an awesomely beautiful starlit sky, alone with the elements in a wild and windy night is exhilarating. My imagination is running rife and I feel free, free as the bird, emblem of Team Stelmar flying high on our spinnaker sail. This is nature in all its glory, totally unspoiled and I feel so very privileged to be here.

Susan Lyons

Friday the 13th of May

The day begins and ends with a 'cry!'

It is just after 6am boat time on Thursday the 12th of May, I have just come off watch and am down below in the stifling heat packing the flanker with my crewmates. Suddenly a loud cry of distress from the deck stops us all in our tracks. Hearts racing and jaws dropped open there was an agonising silence for a few seconds until the news was relayed that the racing kite, our biggest and most important spinnaker sail, had unexplainably ripped along the foot and luff. Our spirits plummeted. This tear was enormous and would take literally hours of work to repair.

We have now set up a sewing circle around the saloon table and are all taking it in turns to mend the precious kite. Under a burning hot sun, conditions have been unbearably sticky and this heat is intensified down below where of course you cannot benefit from the cooling effects of the consistent southeast trade winds that we have been so enjoying. Not to worry, Team Stelmar always look on the bright side no matter how serious the problem might be and we know that if we work together as a team, the missing kite from our wardrobe will not affect our position in the race enough to matter over the long term.

Sailing conditions today have been very exciting although hard work physically, exacerbated of course by the additional work of mending our kite. The true wind speed has been between 15 and 23 knots and the boat speed as high as 15 knots. We are literally flying through a deep blue sea with white horses, chased by a swell that is helping us along. Flying fish are beginning to appear again, reminding us of our first leg from Portsmouth to Buenos Aires, when such creatures were a complete novelty to us. How we have changed and how much more experienced we are now.

Tactically we are heading as far west as we can in order to reach and cross the Doldrums as soon as possible. Although this might mean that we drop back in our fleet position for the moment, it will hopefully give us the advantage of crossing the windless zone first and then picking up a freshening breeze sooner than other yachts that might be heading further north in stronger winds at the current time.

It is now midnight and the sewing circle continues. We are all laughing and joking and I have taken photos and video clips of our saloon with the massive racing kite spread out, surrounded by crew trying to repair it. Just to finish the day off, another loud cry can suddenly be heard on deck, but this time it is only Newton who has just come across a rather smelly dead flying fish, which must have landed, unnoticed earlier on this evening. Screams of laughter fill the atmosphere at Newton's disgust as he washes the dead fish off deck with a bucket of water.

It is now 2am boat time on Friday 13th May and our position is 09 40.33 S and 14 09.9 W. Unbelievably another problem has just reared its ugly head in this rich round the world adventure - but I will tell you about this later.

I am going to retire to my bunk now. Good night!

Susan Lyons

THURSDAY 5 MAY 2005

Team Stelmar has got the 'blues!'

The crew on board Team Stelmar have definitely got the blues, or, should I say the 'blues and whites!' In an attempt to represent the colours of our new sponsor, OSG, and also to attain our own outstanding team image, most of the crew, including the skipper, decided to have their hair died white with bright blue streaks before leaving Cape Town. This most certainly brought us a great deal of attention from the general public who all took double looks as we boarded Stelmar. As for those of us who did not choose to join the cult, such as myself (waist length hair would have taken me personally a good few years to grow out - well that is my excuse anyway), we wore white and blue ostrich feathers in our hair in order to keep in with the team image.
Possibly partly due to this influx of bright and cheerful colours, Team Stelmar has had a very positive start to this leg of the race and now into day four of this leg we are still at the front of the fleet, oscillating between first, second and third positions. Today, Wednesday 4th May at 23:00 boat time we appear to be in the lead as we look around us. On our port quarter we can see the starboard light of BP Explorer and on our starboard beam we can see the port light of VAIO in the distance whilst coming up in our rear there is Spirit of Sark and Barclays Adventurer. Occasionally in daylight we can see a faint matchstick in the background, which indicates the mast of another one of our contenders.

Our position is 25 03.43 S and 007 19.66 E and we are heading northwest into the centre of a high-pressure system where the winds are gradually becoming very light indeed. During the past 24 hours we have experienced a true wind strength as high as 20 knots and as low as 6.8 knots and a boat speed between 11.4 and 4 knots. The wind this time yesterday was coming from a southwesterly direction but has been slowly backing to a southeasterly direction. We have the 1.5 spinnaker up and a full main and at this precise moment trimming has become extremely difficult as the wind strength keeps dropping to virtually nothing.

My personal feeling is that this is going to be one of the most challenging legs in the race. Although we are not fighting the gales and heaped up seas that we experienced in the Southern Ocean the trials and frustrations of trying to race in virtually no wind are going to be arduous and mentally draining. But not to worry as my crewmates are showing tenacity and optimism in their quest to stay in the front of the fleet, and, no doubt our bright colours will always liven up the most depressing days that we might come across.

Susan Lyons

SUNDAY 1 MAY 2005

The weather was wet and drizzly this morning when the customary blessing of the fleet was made before departure. This service is always beautiful and has a way of reaching into the depths of me, making me aware of just how small and insignificant we are in relation to the oceans we are about to cross. Then as our fleet departed, one yacht at a time the crowds cheered us all on and as usual I was fighting to hold back the tears.

As the gun went off my wistful mood changed into one of grim determination and Team Stelmar, as competitive as ever raced into the battle. The winds were gentle as we started but our moods were just as intense as they have always been and in my position as media officer, filming the start and taking photos, I was aware of the determined and serious expressions etched onto the faces of all the crew.

Just one hour later and we were at the front end of the fleet looking back at Table Mountain and a wealth of good memories. Then our attention was concentrated forwards to the yachts just ahead of us and the competition and adventures that were lying in store for us. By the end of the afternoon we were in third position with SAIC La Jolla and Spirit of Sark on our port side just ahead of us. We had the flanker up and were making every effort possible to trim it to our advantage.

As the night drew in we were heading north west with freshening winds from a south easterly direction. The wind picked up in strength to as high as 32 knots and we took down the flanker, hoisted the yankee and sailed goose winged. Team Stelmar rocked her heavy body from side to side and I knew that many of the crew, including myself, were struggling with seasickness. In the pitch black night you could only tell where the nearby yachts were by looking at their lights. On our port side and apparently slightly behind us was the green starboard light of SAIC La Jolla and just behind us on our starboard quarter was the red port light of BP Explorer.

It was time for our watch to head down below now and feeling as sick as a dog I stumbled into my bunk with the knowledge that I would be on mother watch at 2am for the next 24 hours. But I will think about that when I wake up.

Team Stelmar - SAFE, HAPPY, FAST

Susan Lyons

WEDNESDAY 6 APRIL 2005

Yippee! It is nearly 2am and we have just crossed the finish line in 3rd place. Loud cheers are now emanating from an excited crew on board Team Stelmar and a bottle of champagne is currently being passed round. We are all ecstatic and nothing can spoil our happiness, this is the most wonderful feeling in the world.

This has been a very tense and nail bighting day as we were in contention for the top 3 places with Spirit of Sark, BP Explorer and Imagine It. Done. and have all been jostling for places. Nerves have been frayed and voices raised, but of course none of this is to be taken personally as it is just part of the game. The crew have been committed and determined and have put in the maximum effort to make the boat go as fast as possible.

The past few hours have provided some tricky sailing conditions in variable winds ranging between 14.1 and 3.8 knots which meant numerous sail changes. The night was pitch black and a thick fog left us all feeling damp and chilly with poor visibility and the inevitable blast of foghorns ringing in our ears. Only our white spinnaker sail lit up by the masthead light stood out in stark contrast to the darkness.

One slight 'hiccup' with the spinnaker, which got horribly caught up in the rigging and boom as we dropped it, made the atmosphere particularly stressful. Of course these mishaps always tend to happen at a crucial moment and the entire crew were clambering around trying to untangle it, but we managed.

And now, as we approach our mooring the only thought on all our minds is CELEBRATION! I think we are all about to have a few drinks, unwind and celebrate our well-deserved reward for our tremendous hard work during this leg.

Sussan Lyons

SUNDAY 3 APRIL 2005

Part 1
Memories of just 2 days ago!
It seems really impossible to believe, but this was the weather situation only 2 days ago:-

'Easing the main' I yelled with urgency as the boat heeled right over and the guard wire and low side were completely submerged in a white frothy bubble bath. Clipped onto the high side with the main sheet in my hand I strained as far backwards as was physically possible in a powerful gust and gripped like hell with my legs and feet. Terrified, I hardly dared to ease my grip on the sheet for fear of losing my balance and being catapulted into the cockpit. Finally, with my heart racing I found the courage to ease the line and with one mighty great jolt the boat came back upright again - thank God for that!

We were sailing with one reef in the main and the yankee number 2 in up to 25 knots of true wind and had just experienced a gust of 30 knots. I was under instruction on how to control the trimming of the mainsail in strong winds and was either rapidly easing the sheet or giving the order to grind the winch and bring the sail back in again whenever the wind strength abruptly dropped. I was keeping a close eye on the wind speed so that I could react quickly when the speed went above 25 knots. However, as Tim explained, trimming in these conditions is more a question of feeling and with experience you intuitively know when to ease or wind. 'It's a bit like dinghy sailing really' he said.

I chuckled when I recalled my early experiences of sailing Toppers and Lasers. I remember being catapulted out of a Laser on numerous occasions, the boat often capsizing on top of me in the process, which meant that I had to bring it upright again afterwards. However, I tried not to contemplate this idea right now.

As Stelmar's steel bow cut through the waves in a rough sea state huge splashes of water were thrown half way up the forestay and a fine mist of sea spray surrounded the boat. Suddenly a huge wave crashed across the bow and tore along the side of the boat to where I was perched. However I noticed a startling difference this time when I received the customary soaking of seawater down my neck - the water was warm! The sea temperature is now 18 degrees, which of course means that we are not far at all from Cape Town and our long arduous leg is nearing its end.

As of today's date, Saturday 2nd April at midnight, boat time, we have precisely 472 miles to go to our destination and although the sailing experience is exhilarating, I must admit that I am very much looking forward to warm sunny Cape Town.

Part 2
From Rough Weather Sailing to Flat Calm Implausible it might seem, but the exhilarating rough weather sailing we were experiencing just 2 days ago has changed into what you might expect to find on a Caribbean cruise.

It is 8am boat time on Sunday 3rd April, the boat speed is currently 0.0 and to be perfectly honest, there have been short periods during the night when the boat was even going backwards. The weather is warm and sunny and all the crew are dressed in shorts, t-shirts, sunglasses and a layer of factor 60 sun tan lotion. This of course is not what we were hoping for in an international yachting race but, not to worry, the morale of the crew is high and we have a good explanation as to how we got ourselves into this predicament:

We are currently sailing out of the centre of a high-pressure system whereas most of the fleet are sailing straight towards the centre where the winds are considerably lighter. Stelmar is the most northerly boat in the fleet, a direction where we expect to pick up the freshening breeze first. This will also give us the advantage of sailing into the Aghulas current sooner where there is a strong westerly flow, which would take us all the way round the Cape of Good Hope. So there is definitely some method in this madness.

In the meantime the crew are chilling out and attempting to trim the somewhat floppy sails but we never give up hope. Occasionally tacking in light northwesterly winds we are even walking the foresails round the stays ourselves. The sea state is like a mirror and you can clearly see your own reflections in the water when you look over the side of the boat. Sometimes there is a light breeze, which covers the surface of the sea in ripples, but nothing more than this right now.

Well if nothing else, this leg of the race has provided us with a wide range of weather conditions to play with and, we are making the very best of them all.

Susan Lyons

FRIDAY 18 MARCH 2005

A Cold Windy Night

Tucked up in my cosy warm bunk, I was aware of the bangs and groans made by a boat being tossed around like a cork in 35 knots of true wind. I was constantly thrown from one side to the other in a disturbed and restless sleep. Then the dreaded wake up call came and semi-dazed we all eventually slithered reluctantly out of our bunks, donned our soaking wet gear and went up on deck.

The roaring noise made by the boat as it fought against the howling gale hit you immediately and I shuddered in the rawness of a bitterly cold northerly wind. As I struggled with my night vision in the pitch black, I was aware that the watch on deck were waiting impatiently for us to relieve them. Still in a stupor, I took my place at the mainsheet and observed the billowing clouds of white frothy lava being pushed towards the back of the boat as Team Stelmar's steel bow cut through the volcanic waves. It was drizzling now and I was getting colder by the minute.

There were no stars in the sky and the only relief from the darkness was the glimmer of red light from the wind instruments, reflecting a warm glow on the steel winches and stanchions. Suddenly, as the wind heaved and gusted 35 knots, the helmsman bellowed for me to ease the mainsheet. I jumped up quickly placing my hot mug of tea on the ground. Balancing with difficulty, as I was constantly jolted, I eased the sheet and the boat came more upright as a result. Puffing and panting from the effort I sat down again and reached for my tea. But my mug had fallen onto its side and all the contents had disappeared into the sole of the cockpit.

The other half of my watch appeared in the hatchway, signalling the end of my half hour shift. I struggled down the steps to the heated core of Team Stelmar and tiptoed over the bodies lying exhausted on the floor waiting their turn.

Thus we continue watch after watch, all the days and nights rolling into each other in an endless struggle. Today is the 18th March 2005 and our position is 51 19.0 S and 87 20.2 E. We are approximately half way on our voyage to Cape Town and this really is proving to be a trial of strength and determination. But we will succeed.

Susan Lyons

SATURDAY 12 MARCH 2005

Endurance Test

We are still heading towards our waypoint in the Southern Ocean in 35 knots of true wind and gigantic waves. A gust of 52 knots was also recorded the night before.

The consistently cold weather is very wearing and I have a feeling that deep down we are all operating just above our tolerance levels. It is so difficult to get up out of a nice warm bunk, crawl into freezing cold soaking wet foul weather gear and then go up on deck into what seems like the freezer compartment of a fridge. The biting wind hits you immediately
and despite our high-tech sailing gear, toes and fingers start to freeze after only the first five minutes.

Trimming is a painful exercise as bare fingers, damp with condensation get unbearably cold when exposed to the icy wind and soaking wet lines. Then the large freak waves from a troubled and unbalanced sea are constantly throwing
themselves at you from all directions, the spray lashing sore red and windswept faces like darts.

Day after day we are continuing in an endless battle against the elements in order to complete the toughest of our ocean legs so far. Our high spirits have not been dampened however, far from it, and we are striving to win as always.

Yes the Southern Ocean is beautiful in its own desolate way and this harshest of environments is totally natural and unspoiled by human presence. However this really is an endurance test and you have to be strong both physically and mentally to keep going and to withstand the discipline of the constant routine on board.

Sitting on deck in the pitch black, all huddled up in order to keep warm, I glance down the hatchway at the light down below and I can hear the laughter of my crew mates who are all making the best of things in their own way. Inside, Team Stelmar is glowing with warmth and inwardly I am also smiling because I know that we are all going to withstand the pressure and come out on top. Just wait and see!

Susan Lyons

FRIDAY 4 MARCH 2005

It is Friday 4th March and our position is 46 46.1 S and 142 56.1 E. We are currently south of Australia under what has been termed 'The Great Australian Bight' and we are heading southwest on the great circle route to a waypoint, which is precisely 2001 miles away.

The crew on board Team Stelmar are just fine although I feel that we have all taken a little longer to cope with seasickness this time, possibly due to the somewhat abrupt change from Sydney's warm sunny shores to the rough weather and turbulent seas of the ocean. However Tim, our watch leader made the encouraging remark that we were all doing very well.

In high spirits, Clive began our evening watch with a rather naughty joke, which brought out the smiles on everyone's faces. This was followed by a very informative talk from Nicko, our calm, cool and collected navigator, on routing and weather conditions. Then we all focused our minds on trimming the sails and I stumbled into the snake pit with Kate to drop out a reef, whilst Ben, slightly more red-faced and wind burned than the rest of us, worked on the mainsheet.

None of us like doing the Mother Watches in rough weather but we have learned to take this duty in our stride. Earlier on today Rob Hooykaas appeared in the hatch to hand out drinks with his usual beaming smile and red whiskers glistening in the sunlight only to be categorically told by Paul that if he wanted to keep his 'mothering job' then he would have to get the drinks orders right in future!

Later I took James, bubbly, smiling and joking to the bow through lashings of waves to look at the trimming on the fore sails whilst Julian, a superb helmsman kept us on course.

And so the crew of Team Stelmar continue in high spirits, laughing and joking, making the best of this leg of the race to Cape Town. Win or lose, you can be certain that we will still be smiling when we arrive in South Africa.

Susan Lyons

WEDNESDAY 2 MARCH 2005

We are just at the bottom of Tasmania where the combination of a shallow continental sea shelf and a low pressure system are giving rise to some very steep waves and powerful winds. The true wind speed this afternoon has been as high as 39.5 knots and a gust of 44.1 knots was also recorded.

This is the sea in its wildest and most awesome beauty and a part of nature that I feel privileged to have witnessed for myself. The waves are fierce, treacherous and unforgiving and you have to learn to respect them, as there would be no second chances.

This afternoon Clive gave the order to put up the storm staysail and I was working on the sheet. As I attempted to grind the winch the boat lurched right over so that the guardrails were under the water on the port side. A couple of gigantic waves then swept over the side where I was sitting with such tremendous force that my legs and feet were swept backwards as I clung onto the winch. I looked as if I was about to go swimming and my boots were nearly swept away.

The conditions are becoming blizzardous and there is sea spray literally everywhere you look. As the spray flies past us and catches the last rays of sunlight I noted the phenomenal sight of little rainbows forming momentarily and then dissipating.

The crew are not perturbed by the rough weather and are constantly looking forward onto the horizon for sights of the boats in front of us. We are all just as determined to complete this leg now as we were when we left Sydney and no doubt we will have some adventures to recount when we arrive in Cape Town.

Susan Lyons

WEDNESDAY 2 MARCH 2005

We are now passing Tasmania on our starboard side. Over the past 24 hours we have experienced some very exciting weather as we passed through Bass Strait with wind speeds gusting as high as 45 knots. This was due to the both warm and cold fronts that went straight over us.

This morning our watch woke up with bleary eyes and stumbled through the boat to breakfast, which we ate in a stunned silence. We were all recovering from the previous night's wild, wet and windy weather with its sudden changes in wind strength, which led to multiple changes of sails. Lashings of waves kept breaking over the foredeck and snake pit where I worked with Kate on the reefs and my long hair was soaked with salty seawater and then matted by the wind.

This work is extremely demanding physically and a shock to the system after our lovely break in Sydney. However, we will soon get used to it again.

This afternoon the wind was coming from a south westerly direction and kept abruptly changing in strength. Once again we all worked non-stop for 6 hours changing the head sails and putting reefs into and out of the main sail in order to make the best advantage of the wind and catch up with those yachts that were still ahead of us.

One of our new leggers, Ben, appeared in the hatch with our tea orders which were welcome refreshments bringing some respite to the seriousness of our racing moods. Then the sun came out too and this always brings out the smiles on our faces. We may well be tired and exhausted but nothing will break our determination to win this leg of the race and one by one, we are slowly overtaking them all. Just wait and see who gets to Cape Town first!

Susan Lyons

MONDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2005

We are just passing Southern New South Wales in a true wind speed of 20 knots from a North Easterly direction and we have put up the kite. This afternoon hundreds of dolphins were swimming and jumping all around us, bidding us a lovely farewell from this part of the ocean.

Personally I am still adjusting to life on a yacht again, which always takes me a couple of days. At first I find it difficult to sleep on a bunk that sways with the motion of the boat and I have to get used to the constant noises around me made during sail changes, tacks and by crew moving around at close proximity.

The departure from Sydney was a particularly emotional one for me this time and I was sad to be leaving a country where I had experienced so many new adventures. I saw an opera, Tosca, at Sydney's famous Opera House by the harbour and I went on an organised climb of Sydney's Harbour Bridge, just 134 metres above sea level. The views of the harbour from the top of the bridge were stunning.

As we sailed out of the harbour for the beginning of the race I realised that this was a country and an adventure that I would probably never experience again. We passed under the bridge that I had climbed and I looked up and waved at the people who in their turn were enjoying the experience. It was so tragic to be leaving it all behind me but knowing that I was now about to embark on another fantastic adventure comforted me.

I am sailing to Cape Town in South Africa, a country that I have heard is beautiful and, who knows what experiences the sea is going to provide on the way?

Team Stelmar - SAFE, HAPPY, FAST

Susan Lyons

FRIDAY 11 FEBRUARY 2005

Hearts racing, skin sweaty and clammy, teeth clenched, eyes bulging, bodies tense in anticipation, like coiled springs ready to pounce, to manoeuvre, to winch, to pull lines or to do whatever may be necessary to make the boat go faster. Yes Team Stelmar are fully prepared to face whatever the sea might throw at us.

Last night a front passed over us, the true wind speed went as high as 31.7 knots and the sea state was bumpy. Towards the end of the watch we were cold, wet and tired but not disheartened. All around us we could see the faint white masthead lights of our contenders and the positions of the lights standing out against the darkness of the sea and sky were the only means of determining who they were. Karen, who was on mother watch appeared at the top of the stairs with our hot drinks orders and a box of freshly made pop corn - a real touch of warmth on this bleak windy night. At the end of the watch we all fell down below into a boat which was slightly overheated due to the strength of the previous day's sun. I lay in my bunk in a pool of sweat and despite the rocky sea fell straight into a deep sleep. When I woke up for my watch at 12 noon boat time the first thing on my mind, as usual, was to find out where we were placed in relation to the other boats.

It is now 4pm boat time on Friday 11th February 2005 and our position is 36 37.78 S and 157 36.78 E. We are well on the way to Sydney in this short but truly exciting leg of the race. Clive appears on deck with the stunning news that we are in first position with a lead of 2.5 miles and the whole watch suddenly relaxes and lets out a cheer. Team Stelmar have been through a lot of trauma in this race and this has made us into a strong, determined and single-minded unit. Although the race is not over yet, nothing is going to stop us from striving to win.

Susan Lyons

WEDNESDAY 19 JANUARY 2005

It is the 19th January 2005 and our position is 41 32.5 S and 178 46.6 E. This is our 52nd day at sea and we have just 184 miles to go to Wellington. There is a strong feeling of anticipation on board Team Stelmar as we speculate that we may possibly arrive tomorrow night, the 20th January. But as everyone in our team knows only too well, you can never take anything for granted.

The past few days have been a time for great reflection on everything that has happened during this leg. We remember only too well our first Medivac when we had to take Karen to Ushuaia before rounding Cape Horn. Then there was the second Medivac when Tim broke his arm and we had to sail 1,000 miles from the Southern Ocean back to South America. I also recall my own minor injury from a freak wave.

Today the weather has been very exciting as we sailed along in 26 knots of wind gusting 38 knots. The sea has been particularly precarious throwing large waves over the bow and beam, the only warning being a shout from a team member 'wave - hold on' and everyone holds on tight. Perhaps this can be seen as a farewell party from the seas of the South Pacific Ocean.

However, the greatest memory that I will keep from this rich adventure is how everyone stuck together as a team. We are all looking out for each other and nothing is too much to handle. If you want something badly enough then with a little determination and single mindedness you can make it happen.

This may well be my last log at sea on this leg, but we will wait and see!

Susan Lyons
Team Stelmar - SAFE, HAPPY, FAST

Susan Lyons

MONDAY 17 JANUARY 2005

It is 7pm on the 16th January 2005 and our position is 40 55.75 S and 175 14.3 W and we still have 470 miles to go before we reach Wellington. Today the wind picked up considerably in complete contrast to the previous two day's light and variable winds and we have been sailing in up to 28 knots of true wind gusting 30 knots.

This afternoon we sped along through heaped up waves in a relatively warm and sunny climate. We had the number 2 yankee up and the staysail and during the afternoon we put two reefs into the main sail. Large waves kept breaking
over the bow and beam and then washing their way along the high side of the boat to the back.

This afternoon I was forced into a position where I absolutely had to use the heads. This really is a difficult task in strong winds as the boat is heeled over and it is a strenuous exercise trying to make your way down below, take off your oilskins and then climb your way along the walls to the
front of the boat. However the task is made all the more difficult when the heads keep constantly blocking and I had to ask Tim to flatten the boat out for a couple of minutes!

At 6pm boat time we all made our way down to a dinner of pasta and vegetables cooked in a cheese sauce by Julian. This was very much appreciated and was washed down with a little red wine - one bottle shared between all 7 of us.

Now here I am in my off watch time typing out this daily report and about to climb into my bunk. I wonder what tomorrow will bring?

Team Stelmar - SAFE, HAPPY, FAST

Susan Lyon

SUNDAY 16 JANUARY 2005

During the last 24 hours a high pressure system has been tracking across us and consequently the winds have been light and variable and coming mainly from a north westerly direction. In the early hours of the morning the true wind speed dropped to 1.4 knots and the boat speed was 0.0 -hardly ideal conditions for racing! This made sailing extremely difficult as the wind was swinging around all over the place and did not seem to be coming from any direction in particular.

Later on in the morning the wind picked up a little and the true wind speed varied between 6.7 and 12.2 knots at which point we changed the genoa sail for the number one yankee and the staysail. The true wind speed has remained more or less constant into the early evening.

It is now 8pm boat time and the high pressure system has moved north of us. According to the synoptic chart the wind strength is forecast to increase considerably during the next 12 hours. However we never take anything for granted and will have to wait and see what happens.

The sea state has been calm all day and we now have approximately 660 miles to go to Wellington.

Team Stelmar - SAFE, HAPPY, FAST

Susan Lyons

FRIDAY 7 JANUARY 2005

We are now the only yacht in the fleet that is still racing and we have just under two thousand miles to sail before we reach Wellington.

There are no other ships out here at all and we literally have the entire ocean to ourselves. This is a very strange feeling and a humbling experience, as you feel so small in the vastness of the environment.

Today we were sailing in up to thirty knots of true wind in a rough sea state with wind over tide. Team Stelmar was pounding her way through the waves, which got progressively bigger as the day went on. Eventually I could not bear to look ahead as we reached the top of mountainous waves and then shot down the back of them - it was like jumping off the top of a very high cliff. I sat down on the cockpit floor instead.

The crew all seem to be a little subdued at the moment as we have been at sea for a very long time and still have another two weeks to go. The relentless discipline of getting up for watches and working in physically demanding conditions for such a long period is exhausting. However we are all very determined people and no one is likely to give up.

Although we are all keen sailors and love the sailing I think we are a little envious of our competitors who have all arrived safely in port and are now enjoying a more relaxing life. Many of us have friends and family who have already arrived in Wellington and are impatiently awaiting our
arrival. Perhaps this might make our eventual reunion just a little more special.

Susan Lyons
Team Stelmar - SAFE, HAPPY, FAST

Susan Lyons

SUNDAY 2 JANUARY 2005

It is 15:00 hours boat time on the 2nd January 2005 and our position is 43 47.5 S and 123 45.7 W, which is still closer to South America than to New Zealand. I am sitting down below delirious, dazed from last night's events.

The sea yesterday was like a valley of enormous blue hills covered in white foam set against the background of a blue-grey sky with large puffy black clouds. Team Stelmar was completely at ease sailing up the elongated foamy waves
in thirty two knots of true wind and then sliding down the back of them into huge apparently bottomless valleys. Every now and then she would encounter a shorter wave and would subsequently crash land on the other side of it
sending up bucket loads of spray and foam across the bow. It really was wonderful to be experiencing this awesome wild beauty first hand.

Then suddenly, as I was sitting on the high side of the boat contemplating the most gorgeous sunset I was thumped unexpectedly in the back by a powerful force. I was flung to some distant place far away, completely engulfed in icy cold water and momentarily unable to breathe. I found myself
lying at the back of the boat with an excruciating pain in my right hip and it dawned on me that I had just encountered a freak wave.

The whole team suddenly seemed to appear by my side and I partly limped and was partly carried down below. Doctor Ruth examined me and diagnosed a bruised hip - nothing serious. Aided by Kate, our physiotherapist and Tim, a qualified nurse I was in the best possible hands. Overwhelmed by the readiness of Team Stelmar to jump in and help I realised how far we had all come since leaving Portsmouth in October 2004. I had the feeling that we are no longer a group of individuals who have come together for this adventure, but rather a closely bonded unit working together with a common aim.

As for the sea, I learned today that it is beautiful but treacherous and you have to respect it.

Susan Lyons

FRIDAY 31st DECEMBER 2004

It is the 31st December at 18:55 ship's time, or, that is to say 01:55 on the 1st January 2005 GMT. Team Stelmar has just been celebrating New Year with a single bottle of champagne between all fifteen of us. What a pity that you could not have joined us for this is the most unusual and memorable way to spend New Year that I have ever experienced.

I was on Mother Watch today as Team Stelmar tore her way through a rough sea in up to twenty-two knots of true wind. This was most frustrating as everything I tried to cook kept jumping out of my hands and rolling all over the place. Even my sultana and apricot muffins cooked completely lop-sided in the oven and then fell to pieces when I took them out.

To celebrate New Year both watches met on deck at 6pm for a communal dinner of rice with chicken and sweet corn. In order to serve dinner I had to take two bowls of food at a time, sliver along the walls from the galley at an angle of forty five degrees, get up the stairs to the hatch and then try to hand the bowls with the food still in them to the people up on deck. This is a technique that has to be mastered and requires plenty of practice.

Once on deck, amidst all the laughter and goodwill, Clive asked us all to remain silent for one minute in memory of the victims of the recent terrible earthquake in Asia. This thought paled all my problems and frustrations into insignificance and made me think how precious life is. I made a personal choice to sail around the world in treacherous seas but over one hundred thousand people have just lost their lives through no fault of their own and with no advance warning.

Down below after dinner my watch shared a bottle of wine and a few jokes whilst Old Lang Syne was quietly playing in the background. I felt warm, happy and privileged to be living life to the full, just the way I chose.
Susan Lyons

WEDNESDAY 29th DECEMBER 2004

It is Wednesday the 29th December 2004 and this is our 31st day at sea since leaving Buenos Aires. Having taken a more Northerly route our position is 46 07.05 S and 107 08.1 W and we are currently drifting in the South Pacific Ocean in 7.3 knots of true wind, thousands of miles from anywhere.

We really are living on our own little island totally isolated from the rest of the world and have not seen any shipping at all since leaving Ushuaia some eleven days ago. The only living creatures around are the sea birds and this feels really weird. It is likely that we might continue in this manner
for a further twenty-one days before arriving in Wellington.

Of course the weather is not usually as calm as this in the South Pacific Ocean and only yesterday we were driving our way through thirty knots of true wind whilst gigantic waves swept over the bow and into the cockpit, knocking us flying in the process. So this is a nice break giving us all time to replenish our energy and catch up on various odds and ends.

This morning, those who wished, joined in a class on rules and regulations at sea including light signals, sound signals, rights of way and so on. On deck the more experienced crewmembers were teaching others how to run lines and today I found myself running a preventer from the end of the boom onto one of the winches. All very good practice and you never know when you might need to use this knowledge.

Down below Paul was in the galley cooking a meal with the remainder of our fresh produce purchased in Ushuaia and some mouth watering food smells were wafting up to the deck. Kate and Ruth were chatting to him whilst simultaneously munching away at his freshly baked flapjacks. I retired to the PC area only to be disturbed by Tim knocking on the hatch window just above. This was his signal that we were going to hoist the genoa sail and my services were required on deck - and so life continues on board Team Stelmar.

Susan Lyons

SATURDAY 25 DECEMBER 2004

Well it felt very strange getting up this morning in approximately 30 knots of wind, in a boat that was lurching around all over the place and knowing that it was Christmas day. This is the most unusual way to spend Christmas that I have ever experienced. However we had a lovely day and each member of the team did their best to make it special.

All over the boat there are Christmas decorations made from whatever we could muster up and it is amazing what you can create from nothing. Christmas dinner was expertly made by Ruth and Newton from tins and dehydrated foods and included tinned turkey, stuffing, bread sauce, vegetables, potatoes and gravy followed by Christmas pudding and custard. The only problem of course was trying to keep your food in the bowl when you are sitting at an angle of 45 degrees and having a bumpy ride.

During the meal our skipper, Clive Cosby, came out dressed up as Santa Claus and carrying a sack of gifts for everyone. In Buenos Aires we all took names out of a hat and bought each other little gifts for the occasion. There was great hilarity as the gifts were opened and crackers were pulled. Most of us also used the occasion to make a phone call to loved ones at home.

However, sailing the yacht was still a priority and in the middle of the celebrations I was called to go on deck. I pulled on my soaking wet gear, made my way up the steps to the deck and got on with sailing the boat as usual.

I will remember this Christmas for the rest of my life.

Susan Lyons

WEDNESDAY 22ND DECEMBER 2004

It is 13:00 hrs on the 22nd December 2004 and we are making our third attempt to cross the Southern Ocean. We may well not win the Global Challenge now but this is not to say that everything is lost. Instead we are putting our thoughts and energies into lots of other areas including personal objectives. I have decided to use this opportunity to learn how to helm in rough weather.

Tim Wright, my watch leader let me have my first attempt the other day in 23 knots of true wind and a rough sea with waves that appeared to be pyramids to me. It really was a brilliant experience. The idea is to keep the boat sailing in as straight a line as possible, a bit like riding a bike really. To do this you need to get to a stage where you intuitively know when the bow is about to turn to port or starboard.

Having got to the stage where you instinctively know how the boat is going to react to the wind and waves I found that a lot of muscle power and strength is required to swing the wheel round and then back again until the apparent wind angle in just right. This is the best moment of all because the yacht literally surges forward in a burst of power and lashings of waves and spray fly over the bow. It is just magic to be at the helm when this happens although perhaps not so good to be on the bow as you literally get soaked.

At one point Tim instructed me to be more aggressive with the wheel and to let the boat know who was in charge. So I swung it round particularly hard to port, slipped and landed on my backside. Suspended upside down at the end of my harness I felt rather stupid, but I bounced up again and continued.

Who knows, if I keep practising helming then by the time I get to Wellington I might even be able to ride a bike in a straight line too!
Susan Lyons

SUNDAY19TH DECEMBER 2004

We left Ushuaia this morning, 19th December 2004 and then made the short trip to Puerto Williams where the Chilean authorities checked our passports and gave us permission to leave their waters. Now, as I helm down the Beagle Channel and admire what must be the most stunning mountains and glaciers in the world on the way, I reflect a little on the past week's events.

Our somewhat depleted crew of fifteen are working quietly, a little subdued as if overwhelmed by what has just passed. Watching a fellow crewmember who is clearly suffering and in pain is emotionally draining, and, brings home the fact that this could have happened to any one of us. Tim Johnston is in safe hands now in hospital and God bless him a speedy recovery and rapid return to our team.

We may have to retire from this leg of the race and I feel angry, demoralised and cheated. Our team has worked so hard and for so long to take part in The Global Challenge, a lifetime dream for most of us. We do not deserve so much bad luck.

Frustrated, exhausted and most of us suffering from minor strains and bruises, it would have been so easy to give up and take the next flight home from Ushuaia. Yet not one of us did. Sailing round the world in treacherous seas and adverse weather conditions in the most hostile environment in the world is already hard enough. So how are we managing to continue with all this additional strain?

As we motored down the Channel in an icy cold wind I felt the emotion welling up inside me and a few hot tears rolled down my frozen cheeks. The peace and stillness of the surrounding mountain seemed to have a calming effect on me and from somewhere deep inside myself I found the answer that I had been searching for. We have learned to operate as a team. Each one of us is an important part of the whole and none of us is going to willingly let the team down. This is why we are all still together, our trials and setbacks only serving to make us stronger and more determined all the time.
And so our fighting spirits will continue to grow.
Susan Lyons

FRIDAY 17TH DECEMBER 2004

It is 15:30 boat time on Friday 17th December 2004 and our position is 56 41.9 S and 76 38.5 W. We are still on our way back to Ushuaia in Argentina where we have arranged the best possible medical treatment for our dear crew mate, Tim Johnston.

Thoughts and feelings are running rife at the moment as we all face up to the reality that we are now more than likely going to be out of the Race for this leg. As a team we are having to redirect our energy, enthusiasm and drive into other areas of this challenge and I do not envy Clive the seriousness of his role and the decisions that he is facing at this moment.

Should we go south again and face the perils of the harshest of conditions the Southern Ocean has to offer alone, without the rest of the fleet to back us up? Or should we take the more sensible option of a Northerly route, albeit it longer, but where we would be able to find assistance more readily should we require it? Personally I am facing a decision between what my heart is telling me and what my head is saying.

In my own watch Tim Wright, our watch leader has had lengthy discussions with us all about what we might hope to achieve should we make the latter decision. As a group we have unearthed endless team and personal objectives, showing that there is always hope and you should never give up.

In the midst of all this chaos I feel a solidarity building up on board Team Stelmar - a bond between Clive and all the crew. We are in this together and for whatever reason we are experiencing so much bad luck we will come out the better for it. No matter which decision Clive finally makes regarding this rich adventure it will be for the best and you can be sure that we will all make the very most of it.

Susan Lyons

WEDNESDAY 8TH DECEMBER 2004

Wow! This is really the most exhilarating experience to date in my entire life. It is Wednesday 8th December and at 16:00 GMT we rounded Cape Horn. Now, as I am writing, approximately 5 hours later, we are sailing 60 miles south west of the Cape.

I am on Mother watch today but have been sticking my head out of the companion way at regular intervals to admire the view. We have 40 knots of wind and the sea state is extremely rough with mountainous waves and lashings of white foam and spray. We are constantly thrown around all over the place as if on a roller coaster ride at the funfair, with the only difference that this is not really a laughing matter. This is not to say that I am not enjoying myself, on the contrary, this wild kind of beauty is really quite awesome.

It is not the most convenient time to find yourself cooking for 16 fellow crewmembers however, in order to ke