Atlantic Odyssey has started Day 20 today at 1 pm. After three days of great weather conditions and great rowing mileage, the crew faced the knock on effects of a hurricane which was active in the North Atlantic yesterday. They are still ahead of the World Record, but only with a minimal few nautical miles. The next days are going to be really important for the crew’s progress.
Aodhán wrote the following: We had a horrible day yesterday – a hurricane in the North Atlantic messed up our wind pattern and we hit a mid ocean current going the wrong way so our speed dropped massively. At the start of today we are only 5 miles ahead of world record pace and its going to probably be a very close and difficult call, which is starting to get to everyone.
I am having trouble with the 7 til 9am shift – the last of the dark ones each night – can’t seem to wake my body up. The 3 til 5pm shift is incredidly hot – around 35 degrees or more and I find that hard too. After the afternoon shift we practically rest in an oven of a cabin before going back out to the grill – not getting burned but feeling drained.
Have got hit in the head by a couple of whopper flying fish alright – lightens the mood watching the other guys trying to grab the bloody thing to throw back in the sea. They stink by the way. Will have my revenge in Barbados – flying fish sandwich is a speciality.
Getting some amazing views of the milky way at the moment as there is not much moonlight time. Right well I better get back to business. Love to all.
- Listen to Mark’s 25th pod casts talking about the effects of the hurricane, the close race against the current world record pace and the amazing spirit in the crew: http://embed.ipadio.com/embed/v1/embed-352×200.swf?callInView=98969&channelInView=&phlogId=41329&phonecastId=123753
- And for a positive last note, a message skipper Matt wrote before the effects of the hurricane impacted on the direction and speed of the boat:
For the last 2 weeks I’ve been sick, exhausted, blistered, burnt, battered and bruised by my boat and the Atlantic Ocean! I’ve passed my crisis point of questioning myself as to the reasons for me being here for a 4th year running and I had struggled to come up with the right answer until today!
The boat just took off, the weather was perfect, the crew (a tightly bonded group of men who I can now call friends) were all smiles and the energy here is almost electric! And it was while pushing myself as hard as ever today that it came to me; I do this every year because I truly love it and to do something you love as a part of your working life is a total privilege!
It’s a shame there is only 2 weeks of it left before I go back to the normal part of my life (as a gas engineer)!!
Atlantic 2012 
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