2006

The fight by the third position continues between Sir Robin Knox with its Insurance SAGA and Open 50 of Graham Dalton. At the moment Dalton is in third position, more to the south than Sir Robin and more near the circular route towards the following forced step of regata, the Kerguelen islands.  “It is still much way ahead in this stage and I have gained the assault, but desire the fight not to gain an assault. All the boats have problems right now and the key is in knowing arreglártelas with those problems. I, just as Robin, I am going to have to stop in the Kerguelen. I have remained without alternator, so any advantage that can have, will go away when it arrives there.”

The Austral ocean is a hard site really. To work in the cover at night with 50 wind knots and making snow-white, and waves of 10 meters sweeping the boat…

It is not a place for politicians nor for supporters of the rights of gays, this is hard really! Dalton commented.

The reason by that Dalton and Knox-Johnston are considering to stop in this remote French enclave in the middle of the austral ocean, is because both are remaining without fuel due to the time that are investing in completing this stage. “I have the fuel sufficient to arrive at Kerguelen,” explains Dalton. “It is not a good site to have to go, but it is the paradise if you do not have another site where to go. (click to know the Kerguelen Islands). So or they have warned the French and they will have the ready fuel, and if they have sufficient fuel like so that it can arrive until Fremantle or if I must take the boat by hand, without autopilot, it is about to see. But good, he is one of the challenges which there are to face to finish this regata.”

Days ago it was with 20 knots prow sea, which made difficult its navigation. “I always sail with the boat more quickly possible. It has been very difficult these last days, now has lessened a little, but equal there is much sea, reason why I have not been able to go as fast as it would want. All the candle cannot be hoisted because those waves arrive that cross to you and it changes the course suddenly to you.”

“The Austral Ocean is the place of the world where the sky and hell were born”
In spite of this it is making very good progresses with ends of speed of 22-23 knots. “You always feel as if you had the put hand brake, but more candle cannot be hoisted, cannot be gone more express.”

The worse thing for Dalton is the exhaustion. Recently one went away to sleep in his bunk of stern and one awoke almost in the closet of the candles in prow. “I awoke completely soaked and dead of cold. How demons I arrived until there and what it was doing, I do not have the most remote idea. That is the fatigue level in which I am, the body begins to close itself. The closet of the candles is not a place readily accessible, so obvious it had been working in cover, but I do not decide to me don't mention it. So I must have well-taken care of. The people who do this have the ability to control to the exhaustion, to remake the head, and you must have well-taken care of because she can be very very dangerous.”
 

Dalton describes to the Austral ocean like a place of resistances, primitive, with albatross flying over the boat and dolphins jumping in the prow. Dalton, that is not characterized for being a politically correct man, explains: “It is a hard site really. To work in the cover at night long ago, with 50 knots of wind and making snow-white, and waves of 10 meters crossing the boat. It is not a place for politicians nor for supporters of the rights of gays, this is hard really, I believe that this it is the place of the world where the sky and hell were born.”

“What does people leaving all that sweepings floating by the oceans”
While, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston still felt the effects of the plunge in the frosts austral waters of two days ago, something, that according to its own words him “had cabreado excessively”: “The water was to 4-5ºC, the problem is that you lose sensitivity very quickly, in the hands and the face. It had them to the feet within the dry suit, reason why they were well and the suit is very good, really maintained to me dry, although it did not wear much clothes underneath, reason why I passed much cold, if it had worn clothes had floated and it had not been able to submerge to me. What it bothers to me is what that sweepings does people leaving all floating by the oceans. One assumes that we do not have to throw plastics to the sea, why they leave that there”

But Sir Robin trusts recovering the position of podio that lost due to the argument of the network. “I will already take,” says to him talking about to Dalton.