Five weeks ago my crew and I left La Rochelle,
France with the new ECO 60
racing machine headed for Charleston.
W
inter not often considered the best time to make a delivery from Europe to the
U.S.,
we knew it might be rough and we knew it might take a long time. But no one
anticipated the marathon horseshoe of the Atlantic
that would be required. After a brief stop in Tenerife, Spain
to let me depart for sponsorship meetings and add more provisions for the
extended journey, the boat is within 300 miles of its new home port.
(photo by Vanessa Kauffmann)The low pressure systems coming off of the Southeast made
for some extreme sailing conditions in the last leg of this delivery, including
50-60 knots of breeze and 30+ foot seas. At one point the crew even made the
painful decision to turn South away from their destination, out of concern for
the boat and their safety. I wholeheartedly endorse that decision and am
grateful for their care and considerable experience. Steering in 30 minute
shifts on a very wet ECO 60, these three skilled and determined crew members
deserve medals upon arrival, or at least a cold beer. As of today, I expected the
boat will arrive in Charleston
Harbor on Sunday, March 7th
and dock at the Seabreeze Marina on Immigration
Street.
Get updates as the boat makes progress toward the harbor at
www.oceanracing.org under the blog
section, or follow us on
Twitter.
Cheers, Brad
