La Rochelle to Rio – Leg 1, Race 2 – 17th Oct
Posted by Della Parsons on Sunday, October 18, 2009
Saturday 17th – Food & Fantasies...
Qingdao came out of stealth mode at midnight and are back up to 57 miles in front of us. We've been trying to chip away at their lead over the last few days and now the chance of catching them is starting to seem unlikely. It was our last realistic goal for this race and the leg and although there are still a thousand miles left to race, the route choice and weather conditions are pretty well going to be the same for both of us – so unless they hit a wind-hole or make a silly mistake that costs them time and miles, an additional point for us now seems like a million miles away. It's a difficult pill to swallow for everyone - but especially for those that are on this first leg only. This is the end of their experience and they obviously wanted it to end in glory. We all desperately want to win every leg but those of us who are going all the way round can at least console ourselves with the thought that we'll work harder, sail better, be faster and finish stronger next time. We tell our fellow Race Team One-ers that their legacy of helping set the boat up from the start will still continue with us – and while we all know that once home and back behind their desks, computers, trucks etc they will be living every wave we crash through and every spinnaker we hoist, right now it seems like it's all going to be over far too soon.
Having said that, focus is gradually turning to Rio and what we might see and do there – but mostly what we might eat when we get there! The eight-day menu rota is now ingrained in everyone's heads. If yesterday was macaroni cheese for lunch then today it must be soup and then cottage pie for supper! Lovely though our hearty soup with lots of tinned veg and butter beans and pulses thrown in is – it's not necessarily what you want to eat when it's 29° on deck and you're sitting in your bikini top and shorts! So our food fantasies range from a lump of hard cheese like cheddar or Lancashire (Duncan), a really good Burger (not McDonald's but a real hand made one - Tom), a roast chicken Sunday lunch with all the trimmings cooked by his Nana (Glen) and I'm looking forward to some nice fresh king prawns with a crisp green salad... Although as we sipped our mid morning tea this morning I did start to fantasize about a Cinnabon roll (Gooey cinnamon Danish with lots of frosting – a chain that I discovered in America years ago). Ollie gets on my 'elevenses' bandwagon and chips in with a fresh cream Apple turnover. I make a mental note to get on the internet when I get to Rio to see if there are any Cinnabon franchises in Rio or Cape Town. I suppose finding one at the top of Sugar Loaf mountain would be too much to hope for?! It's a great thought to fantasize over though....
Qingdao came out of stealth mode at midnight and are back up to 57 miles in front of us. We've been trying to chip away at their lead over the last few days and now the chance of catching them is starting to seem unlikely. It was our last realistic goal for this race and the leg and although there are still a thousand miles left to race, the route choice and weather conditions are pretty well going to be the same for both of us – so unless they hit a wind-hole or make a silly mistake that costs them time and miles, an additional point for us now seems like a million miles away. It's a difficult pill to swallow for everyone - but especially for those that are on this first leg only. This is the end of their experience and they obviously wanted it to end in glory. We all desperately want to win every leg but those of us who are going all the way round can at least console ourselves with the thought that we'll work harder, sail better, be faster and finish stronger next time. We tell our fellow Race Team One-ers that their legacy of helping set the boat up from the start will still continue with us – and while we all know that once home and back behind their desks, computers, trucks etc they will be living every wave we crash through and every spinnaker we hoist, right now it seems like it's all going to be over far too soon.
Having said that, focus is gradually turning to Rio and what we might see and do there – but mostly what we might eat when we get there! The eight-day menu rota is now ingrained in everyone's heads. If yesterday was macaroni cheese for lunch then today it must be soup and then cottage pie for supper! Lovely though our hearty soup with lots of tinned veg and butter beans and pulses thrown in is – it's not necessarily what you want to eat when it's 29° on deck and you're sitting in your bikini top and shorts! So our food fantasies range from a lump of hard cheese like cheddar or Lancashire (Duncan), a really good Burger (not McDonald's but a real hand made one - Tom), a roast chicken Sunday lunch with all the trimmings cooked by his Nana (Glen) and I'm looking forward to some nice fresh king prawns with a crisp green salad... Although as we sipped our mid morning tea this morning I did start to fantasize about a Cinnabon roll (Gooey cinnamon Danish with lots of frosting – a chain that I discovered in America years ago). Ollie gets on my 'elevenses' bandwagon and chips in with a fresh cream Apple turnover. I make a mental note to get on the internet when I get to Rio to see if there are any Cinnabon franchises in Rio or Cape Town. I suppose finding one at the top of Sugar Loaf mountain would be too much to hope for?! It's a great thought to fantasize over though....
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