“We’ve only had a few days to try the boat out…”

I remember seeing the BBC Spotlight interview last week with the crew of the Class40 “Concise8”, before they set out for the Transat race (Le Havre to Brazil). Both Kathy and I thought they had a plucky positivism given that Concise8 is a brand new boat. They moored alongside Athena this morning in Ria de Muros (just round Finisterre) having suffered failure to both rudders last night, which sounds a little challenging given the huge following seas and 30 knot wind.

Meanwhile, the only excitement on Athena came when a high-pitched shriek from Allan in the cockpit signalled that our autohelm had given in to exhaustion and we actually had to steer. They never told me about this stuff on my Day Skipper course.

Ria de Muros

Chris Hogg

Submitted on 13th November 2013