Interview with Unai Basurko

(to pass the Cape of Good Hope)

Unai Basurko finishes back leaving to the Cape of Good Hope and the feared zone of the Needles, after passing a strong storm with winds of up to 40 knots. From it will begin there to lower towards the south and to enter themselves in the Austral ocean. On the contrary that his more direct competitors, Sir Robin and Graham Dalton, whom they will have to stop in the Kerguelen to refuel, the Pakea has the sufficient fuel to maintain the generator in march until Australia.   
 
“I go a little better yesterday than, I go with three curls and the trinqueta, and now he has lowered a little, but I am here, fighting to pass the Cape of Good Hope because I have wind of the south, sometimes of the south-east and he is costing to me. I had 35 knots yesterday, with gusts of wind of 40, and much sea, with very ugly waves, but already has lowered just a little bit and I am fighting not to lose windward, being fought to move away to me of the end and the zone of the Needles, that are of low bottoms and dangerous.”
 
“I am going so beaten to earth because I have wind of the south-east south and is the unique course that I can do, I am trying to win more to the possible south but I cannot more, would like to go to 38º, that they are the calculations that had done, but as the wind has been put, impossible.”
 
“In a pair of days already I put in the East Indian; it is important to win South so that more favorable winds enter, the boat has given many pantocazos but it has responded well, is put sometimes to 9 or 10 knots, but soon it is stopped. Much water by cover and much salt enters, but everything is either, I have desire to have a calm day to review it all or and to order.”
 
“I believe that I will have someday calmer than this one since whenever the wind is favorable, he will be calmer; now it is I inconvenience to be fighting against wind and sea because the boat moves much sticks many blows, if the part confirms the wind goes more to favor, although makes more cold and more wave, but to favor.”
 
“The conditions of I see them well to the boat. We are well, we followed with the problem of the rudder but he is stable, I have put two equipments of retention, one on the inside and one by outside, with pulleys. And the rudder goes half meter outside I compensate but it with the drift of port. The boat goes stable and the rest goes well, only has a problem with the compass when I go to southwestern course, but hopes not to have to do plus that course.”
“I am not going to stop to refuel, this is a sailboat! But aside from being a sailboat, I have a generator that consume very little and I have a Aeolian generator working for 15 days and solar panels that to which there are a little sun do not save half to me of consumption either and consumption too much on board. In addition, I have more than 100 liters of diesel oil, so without problem… I am very foresighted.”
 
“The problem with my boat is not the hydraulic arm, is the same helmet, the carbon fiber has a crack so what I have done it is to very hard put an equipment with two pulleys and an end, that which holds in is the piece to clear pressure to him to the fiber. I have been working several days in this and also it has been encalmando several days, reason why the speed has not been the wished one but of the others I am in favor here and here itself. The rudder is stable, the structure of the helmet is well, whenever the rudder does not put much the water, that does not take much pressure.”
 
“For chilly, but as I am of Bilbao likes, wind of the south, 17-18ºC, but anything that is not solved with a pair of lycras and a cap.”
 
“Of food I have left richest; I have been reserving for the cold all the subject of lentils and string beans, and I have left more than 20 tins and am of easy preparation, feed much and still I have left mountain ham. I have waited from the Equator the food for the cold; I kept it in a different compartment so that once it has passed the Cape of Good Hope… contributes heat to me.”
 
“Constantly I am making calculations of when to arrive at Australia, it is a defect of all the navigators, you always calculate when you are going to arrive and always you equivocations. It would conform to me to arriving before year end and if it does not stop my it fulfills that he is the 4 of January.”
 
“I have not had any contact with the other landlords. The truth is that these last ten days that had been easier to speak, have been most difficult for me, with problems in the boat and holding those course that I did not like anything but I have seen forced to do and surviving badly since I have been able. But now I hope that the things go better, than can speak with them and give spirits us.”
“My idea was to lower to the south long before, until 40º or 38º but it was coming a very high storm and a cold front and much sea and rain, reason why I have been forced to come to see the seals of Cape Town, on the other hand I also shorten a pile of way, so now what I want it is to lower the sooner to 38º or 40º.”

“I trust that the boat holds well, for not many months that I was this way in the austral ocean, already we have been knowing those seas… As I cannot accelerate much we will go most preservative, with good letter, without going slowly but without making madnesses. It desires to me to enter the Austral ocean because these parts of the world are very hard but they are quite noble winds with a very clear meteorology. You know when the storm arrives and when it happens, without great interferences, you do not have anything shock, of currents, nor of winds… not like here that this is a mess… we have strong winds there, great seas, cold but I am or in those conditions whenever he is stable although he is strong but that he is stable.”
 
“To see if step the end that me is returning majara.”