BT Global Challenge - Leg 1 - 14th September

Madforsailing.com's diary writer, Andy Magrath, reports from LG FLATRON

Andy Magrath is one of our two diarists aboard the BT Global Challenge race leader, LG FLATRON. Here he gives us his view on the great milk disaster - and leading the fleet.
Andy Magrath, LG FLATRON, Thursday, 14th September, 2000

"Our current position is first place! However it's early days. We are slowly beginning to settle down to life onboard LG FLATRON. Even typing this is a problem. We are heeled over at 25 degrees and I am perched next to Dickon, aka Juan, who is working on some video editing to send back to the UK.

After a relatively poor start, it was light winds, spinnaker peels and neck and neck past Hurst Castle. There were many of our supporters at Hurst and it was great to see them waving us on. We all worked very hard on the spinnaker trim, which paid off as we started to pull ahead.

Neck and neck with Compaq along the South Coast the first night - under the spinnaker - was exciting stuff. When under spinnaker, working on the bow is a mix of flurries of activity when launching, gybing and dropping - but involves a bit of sitting around in between. The most exciting part of the trip so far was after a spinnaker peel. One halyard ends up on the wrong side of the sail, twisted around the second halyard at the top. Fixing it involves me going up the mast on that halyard, then sliding over the top of the spinnaker - this is like no-mans land at 90 feet - and coming down the other side of the mast.

Then we hit tragedy - it was discovered after much searching that we had run out of milk! With cereal every other day this was going to be enough to make me look forward to eating porridge. The alternative to milk is refresh - a fruit drink made up with powder and water - believe me, it's an acquired taste.

We are still only just getting used to life onboard. When the off-watch is woken up, there are eight or nine bodies which need to get dressed in a very confined area, with the boat heeled over at 30 degrees. It is hot down below, so most people sleep in underwear. The first job is to stow your sleeping bag, next it is on with a thermal top, followed by socks, another middle layer top and bottom - some find this bit is easiest to achieve sitting on the floor, then on with the socks and boots.

Then it's a question of wrestling your way to the wet locker. On with the Musto trousers and jacket, and the climbing harness for me when under spinnaker. If it's night, the life jacket and ordinary harness go on - and finally you are ready to go. And if you thought you were warm in your underwear, then you certainly are now.

Our tactics are going well so far. We made the most of the tides up to Start Point then headed offshore. We went south of the rhumbline to pick up a weather system which came in Thursday. Hopefully we got it before the rest of the fleet. The current plan is to head north - but to be honest our navigator, Cian, and skipper, Conrad, keep their cards very close to their chests."

If you want to read Conrad's view on matters, click on his name.