BT Global Challenge - Leg 1 - 14th September

Mind games, little sleep and tough calls ... Conrad Humphreys writes from LG FLATRON

The BT Global Challenge started on Sunday, and for most of the first five days, since they broke into open water, LG FLATRON have held the lead. Both our madforsailing.com diary writers are aboard, and we've just received the first report from the second of our diarists, the skipper of LG FLATRON, Conrad Humphreys.

Like Andy Magrath, Conrad has been sailing for most of his life. From Plymouth, he's a professional sailor and has already done a lap of the globe - and regards sailing with the Russian team in the 1993-94 Whitbread as his greatest achievement. He also reached the final stages of crew selection to join Pete Goss on board Team Philips.

By the end of a successfully completed circumnavigation in the 2000/2001 BT Global Challenge, Conrad reckons he will be among only three sailors to have sailed both ways around the planet, at least in modern times. The other two we know about are Sir Chay Blyth and Pete Goss.

It's the challenge that motivates him, and right now he's getting to grips with what that challenge means, when you're leading.
Conrad Humphreys, Skipper LG FLATRON Thursday, 14th September, 2000

"If I thought those last few days before we left were tough, then I was in for a shock. Trying to maintain a slim lead over this fleet has been as challenging as any race before. Each sked may show a mile or two gain or loss - everyone is the same speed. Trying to eke any more from the boat brings only small reward, a gained mile perhaps, as everyone else is driving for the same gains.

If I could or should have spent more time on one single thing, it would be learning to read the weather. So far, boat for boat we seem to have good pace. Looking at the mountains of kit other crews had when leaving the dock, we are probably one of the lightest in the fleet. This helps, I'm sure. Getting the guys to leave behind cd's and books and any other luxury item was something ingrained from the start. They can now appreciate the difference. In the last sked we sailed no more than 15 miles, one more than the rest of the fleet ...

I put this down to weight - and luck! What I held back on when I told the others this, was that the watch onboard trimmed non-stop for six hours and sailed the boat like a dinghy. Maybe after the leg is over I'll tell them the real reason for that extra mile.

Weather is the key, you cannot sail anywhere with out it. Options are aplenty when you are moving. At the moment we want to get north to get above this ridge of high pressure (and light air) threatening the southerly track we are on. We need to move 120 miles further north. Normally that would be no more than a day's sailing, but at our current speed it's too far.

Option two is to sail the course we're on and worry about dealing with the high pressure later. I wish I had spent more time learning to read the weather.

Another sked due in a couple of minutes. Life revolves around this small table of information at the moment. I'm already starting to sweat."