Greetings all,

well here we sit on the last day of our first record attempt... and well may we sit for the rest of the day. A stubborn little NWesterly is blowing which indicates the same weather pattern that has been messing with us for the past weeks. It's pretty annoying as it just holds the otherwise forecast winds back enough so that you can't make a reliable decision on standing by or down. No lunchtime drinks on xmas day... just in case. We can't even begin packing up now and to make things worse... tomorrows forecast is now picking up. We can extend by a day no problem... and we almost have to as nothing would be worse than having the boat half pulled apart with a record breaking day on your doorstep.

So all this means that our work is not done and we will have to come back one more time if we are going to reach the summit of speed-sailing. If that's what it takes then of course that is what we will do.

Anyway, let's see what the day does... and maybe the next if we are pushed. I have heard that they are predicting minus 2 degrees back in the UK... so no rush to get back there just yet.

Cheers, Paul.

It was great to get back out on the water yesterday after all the windless days. I must admit that it all felt a bit strange though. Just that morning Richy and Brad had left for Windhoek so we had to bolster the team with friends and supporters who were offering to help. We were also endeavouring to sail during the low tide which would mean we would have to finish the run a little prematurely so as to stop before the shallows at the end of the course. The wind was building nicely but it did seem a little gusty. There are a number of ways to get an average wind strength and todays method wasn't optimal i.e. a large gust range will give the same mean average as a solid steady number. This makes it hard to know when to time the run. At the tight angles we are sailing at in relation to the wind, we don't really sail along with gusts but rather we bi-sect them quickly.

Helena is looking at the wind data now so we will see what the range was for our first run. The set up all went well but it's always a nervous affair when new hands are involved. You sort of need to be 'stung' by this boat a few times to fully appreciate the situation you are in. It was pretty cool to have Hendrick, one of our keen supporters, out on the course holding VESTAS SAILROCKET nose into the wind. Hendrick follows us from all sorts of wierd and wonderful locations on a whole rage of media gadgetry. Today he would get to see what is involved in a run behind the scenes.

Once released from the tether I noticed that VESTAS SAILROCKET wasn't so 'bullish' to get onto the plane which would indicate a slightly lower wind range. Still, when she did 'hook-up' she burst through 40 knots in short time. I got the wing into around 13 degrees and began working on the flap. The course was good but already I noticed an increase in the spray coming off the front planing surface. The steering response was excellent and the nose felt well and truly planted in the water. It was a wet ride and I commented that it wasn't that fast. I bailed out early and tried to slow down quickly before the shallows. I could here the main foil clipping the shingles as I came into the shore. I wasn't feeling too happy about the run as a few of the little details weren't quite right. When I checked the run statistics on the hand-held GPS I saw that we had peaked at 47.3 and averaged 43.6 something. We used to jump for joy over numbers like that but now they just won't do. Still, it's nice to be able to do them with complete ease in relatively moderate winds. The fact that we still went quick with the nose pressing harder on the water is also a good sign for faster runs to come.

(Helena just processed the wind data from the shore station which showed wind gusting from 17 knots even to over 25 during the run period. Mean average is around 21... so not so moderate and certainly not steady. The wind was also swinging through 20 degrees. Interesting.)

Everyone commented that the wind was dropping but I checked in with the guys in the timing hut who said to the contrary. Maybe it was the fact that it was unusually warm over at 'speed-spot' that lead us to feel it wasn't so windy. I decided to go for another run as these days are too valuable to be casual with. We pulled into the timing hut so I could watch the wind for myself. It just didn't feel that strong... and yet the TACKTICK display was reading gusts to 28 knots. I didn't want to believe it. I wanted to bag the magic run and be done with it. My mind was racing through the pro's and con's as the light softened and the African sun headed for the western Horizon. I recognised a hint of 'Summit Fever' and considered if this might have been involved in Hydroptere's recent mishap. Going for a genuine Outright record attempt... and by 'genuine' I mean giving VESTAS SAILROCKET her head with a near on a full-throttle setting... in winds gusting like that would be tempting fate. It would be a gamble. We might be lucky. I had to weigh up whether the risk was worth it. What was the forecast for the remaining three days, how good was the boats new settings during that last run, how much risk is involved with this tide, if we wipe-out will we get the bits back before dark... all the while staying glued to the wind-meter watching every gust. I knew Malcolm wouldn't want us to go but I also knew that it might be our last chance in this record attempt... and that would mean it is effectively over (for now) and that this has longer reaching time and cost implications. The sun got lower. Half an hour until sun set and now just past low-tide. People were getting cold.

I decided to go for it. The gusts had dropped to 26 peaks. We all headed for the support RIB and began heading up the beach to the top of the course. It was rough... it was windy... it WAS summit fever.

We still had three days to go. Three cards in the pack. I decided not to risk it and we turned around. I hate those decisions. You will never know if they were right or wrong. We would have been stepping outside our safe margins and at least this way we will live to fight another day. The great days will come.

We were given yet another spectacular sunset as we nudged VESTAS SAILROCKET way out and around the shallows. At one stage the sun was framing the timing huts perfectly as it hit the horizon.

sigh.

Let's see what the next few days bring. So far it is the last day, the 27th, which is forecast to be windy. Then there will be no cards left in the pack. Maybe then I will go the other way.

Cheers, Paul.

The Walvis Bay wind seems to have gone somewhere else for Xmas. It is of course pretty frustrating from our perspective as we feel so close to finishing this grand project. The final few knots necessary for the outright record feel almost like a mere formal technicality. I know, I know... you don't need to tell me how far this may well be from the truth... but after all we have been through over the years... that's how it feels here and now. I'm just so eager to get out there and nail this once and for all. The time is ticking away and everything is running out on us. It would be perfect to get one or two windy days in the next four. We have to accept that it mightn't go our way.

Today is teasing us a little as the wind has swung into the west and it does have an inkling of oomph... but that is all. It could go either way.

Of course we have seen Hydroptere's antics and watch on with fascination trying to get any info we can on exactly what happened. 61 knots is an incredible speed no doubt about it...

I sincerely hope there isn't too much damage and that they can get back in action. Ultimately we are all fans of the sport and despite my competitive aspirations, I love watching all of these great sailors out on the water absolutely pushing their craft to the limits. The whole Hydroptere project is a brilliant effort and we much prefer them on the water than off it.

I very much look forward to hearing/seeing the details of the context surrounding the top speed so as to understand its relevance. Anyone of us can go into a corner faster than Lewis Hamilton... whether or not you come out the other side is the important bit. Naturally this applies to some of our own recent runs.

BUT WAIT... now the wind is filling in and the tide is dropping. We will try and get VESTAS SAILROCKET across the Lagoon and sail in a low tide environment. We have to use every opportunity. So I will leave it here and go and do the final details of preperation. If given half a chance we will take it.

Stay tuned,

Paul and the team.

Hi all, these North winds have been dogging us for some time now. They are making a mess of the typical SSW winds. We look at the forecasts and sit around in a state of readiness waiting for the shift... but no joy recently. Today looks set to be the same.

We dropped Malcolm off in Swakopmund this morning as he is set to fly back to the UK later today. The forecasts say we should get wind tomorrow but I will believe it when I see it. The morning high tides are beginning to overlap into the early afternoon and each day gets better for us.

So we all sit here in the container with VESTAS SAILROCKET outside under her covers hiding from the midday African sun. We are currently watching Hydroptere's website to see if they will go sailing today. It's great to know that they are chasing our numbers for a change... the trouble with this scenario is I also know how motivated they will be to beat them!!!

We have made the mods to VESTAS SAILROCKET which at this stage include tucking the foil under another 2 degrees to account for full-load structural flexing and fitting a reverse flap on the inboard end of the beam to put an aerodynamic downforce inboard which will work irrespective of the hydrodynamics. The outboard lifting flap has also been dialled up a notch to lift a fraction more. The higher the pod flies, the higher the negative angle of attack of the whole beam. One of the troubles with the flip scenario was that the whole front lifted without much roll. We will tread a little more carefully when we sail in ideal conditions and will do the first run with the wing eased a little to monitor the performance in case there are any other little demons waiting.

We have all looked at all the relevant videos in detail and considered all aspects of the boat and program in general. Some of the comments from people watching the project relate more to an entirely different boat and time line to what we have on the plate before us. We are well aware of the shortcomings of this Mk1 design as we approach its limits and we are equally well aware of the options at our disposal for a Mk2. Our objective is to get the outright speed sailing record and we still believe that we can do it with our current boat. We have put around another 70+kg's of down force on the front of the boat and coupled with a cautious approach we should be able to proceed in a safe enough manner.

We have six days left in this session and we won't be extending this particular session beyond this.

Fingers are crossed and thumbs are held.

Cheers, Paul.