09.10.09 – After the intense racing during the Archipelago Raid in Sweden, I managed to take a week off and had a relaxing time back at home in Devon. It was great to be back and enjoy the local beaches and catch up with my family.
I’ve since been busy with continuing work on The Blue Mile (www.thebluemile.org), which will take place July 2010 in Plymouth. We have had an enormous amount of enthusiasm about the mass-participation event, from every corner of the planet from Hawaii, to Australia as well as nationally and locally and will soon be formally taking entries via our website.
I’ve also been working in collaboration with the Global Sports Alliance who has published a new book called “Champions for Change: Athletes Making a World of Difference”. Along with five of our Ambassadors for The Blue Climate and Oceans Project (www.theblueproject.org), I feel privileged to have been asked to be one of the 38 athletes to contribute towards this book which includes three-times Tour de France winner Greg LeMond, four Olympic Gold Medallist sprinter Michael Johnson, world-record breaking long-distance runner Haile Gebrselassie, and surfer Jack Johnson amongst other athletes. The book is due to be launched on 4th November at the United Nations in New York.
More locally, I am pleased to be invited as the special guest for the Jubilee Sailing Trust’s (JST) Charity Black Tie Ball to be held at the New Continental Hotel on Saturday 24th October. The JST is a charity which aims to integrate able-bodied and disabled people through sailing their two magnificent tall-ships, Lord Nelson and Tenacious. If you are interested in getting togged up, having a three-course dinner and dancing the night away in support of the charity, please contact Alan Puddicombe the Secretary of the JST Plymouth branch for more details (01752 862868 or email thepuds@toucansurf.com).
The following weekend (30th October-1st November) The Drake Foundation (www.drakefoundation.co.uk) is organising an event with one of our Blue Project Ambassadors, Antony Jinman. The challenge is to “virtually ski” 600 miles to the North Pole in just three days and this will be taking place in the Drake Circus Shopping Mall, Plymouth, using three cross-trainers provided by Nuffield Gym. Antony will be helping the Drake Foundation to raise funds for the Plymouth community and volunteer groups – so do come along to show your support, see Antony’s great photos and video footage and ask him questions about his polar expeditions. Everyone can take part and can “ski” alongside Antony in teams of six. There will be also be prizes provided by Cotswold Outdoor. For more information contact The Drake Foundation on 01752 764455 or email drakefroundation@gmail.com
Our love affair with the Archipelago Raid came to a close yesterday, at least for another year. The pain of the last few days subsided as we hobbled across the finish line off Lindingo.
The previous six days’ raiding now seem like a blur, but the blisters on the hands, the bruises on the knees and the broken daggerboards are the evidence of another enduring event.
A mixed result overall, we came with high hopes of repeating our 2008 result, where perhaps a more conservative approach yielded a strong closing performance. This year we took too many risks and were not on top of our navigation, which resulted in broken daggerboards. To win this event you need to balance the risk. I think we pushed too hard at times.
This event is for me still the highlight of the sailing calender. It produces amazing friendships between competitors, who are drawn from all over the world to test themselves. It is brilliantly organised by Christine Salen and the Atlant team who understand how to push the boundaries of sailing and the limits of the sailors.
The real magic of the event is that over the six days you are forced to make good with what you have. It’s a wonderful metaphor for today’s world where we must learn to be more resourceful. Onboard you carry just enough food and spares and if you break something you find a way to fix it.
It is also an event that perfectly complements the ambitions of the Blue Project. It is a “quest through nature” with every competitor experiencing the breath taking surroundings of the Archipelago through the power of extreme sport.
Today was without question the toughest day for me personally. The course was set back in the Swedish Archielago and involved six checkpoints, scattered about hidden in small beaches and narrow gullies.
We got off well and by the third checkpoint we were up to 4th and going fast. We were sailing downwind in the gusty conditions following Will Sunnucks and Eric Proust when suddenly a rock appeared under the water and we smashed both daggerboards.
Ryan was flung around the forestay slamming his knee against the hull. The boat survived but both daggerboards were in pieces. We carried on to wards the next checkpoint and tried to tape the flailing carbon skins together to effect a repair.
We arrived at the finish in 9th andset about relaminating one of the boards. We only had a two hour pitstop, to eat, rest and rebuild the boards.
I was ony knees, tired, hungry and feeling like the race was beating me. It’s un- understatement to say this race is hard. Everything aches, hands are covered in blisters, arms and legs are stiff and you a contantly feeling like you need more calories.
With no rest your off again for another 100 mile leg. Somehow you dig deep enough to find the strength. Ryan and I have eaten 5000 calories today and still need more food
And sleep…..
Final day tomorrow back to Stockholm. A top ten finish is on the cards, assuming we get through the day without hitting another rock at high speed.
Cheers
Conrad
Leg position: 9th
Top Speed: 22knts
Blue Miles covered: 100+
British team Conrad Humphreys and team mate Ryan Crawford look healthy but worn after five days of racing when we meet them in Sandhamn of the finish of leg 2, day 5 in the Archipelago Raid. They are just mending their jib halyard that broke earlier today. Not the only thing that broke. Two dagger boards went in two pieces when they hit a rock. Fixing the damages is not their main mission, though. Humphreys explain why they are in this race: “In a nutshell – it is about engaging people in our natural environment, using sports”, he says. Many people today are not aware of what the nature can offer them or how to treat it. The reason for the Blue project to take interest and promote the Archipelago Raid is because it is an environmental friendly and sustainable race. The best example of that is that each team sail without using power, just sails. Each team bring onboard just what they need for five days of racing, food, spares and tents to sleep in. “- We are not allowed to get outside assistance so we have to be happy with what we got – and we are”, says Conrad. Conrad Humphreys is a professional sailor that used to sail full time, one of the youngest persons to have competed in the Whitbread at age 19. Nowadays he is heavily involved in promoting the Blue project through different sports events. Conrad continues “- In a planet where we have limited resources, the Archipelago Raid is like a micro cosmos of that and that is what the Blue Project tries to promote. To try and get people to understand to be content with what they have got”. For more information about the Blue Project visit www.blueproject.org
21.08.09 – Day 5 of the Archipelago Raid
08:21:10 hrs
The teams gave the best of themselves in a very intense start of leg 7 this morning off Norra Stavsudda. A southerly 10 knots breeze helped the show. It was clear that the overall leaders wanted to start strong with just two days to go. Citus did the best start in the right side of the line, while in the pin side it was the German team W4 who got the best spot.
Thule passed in front of the bow of half the fleet right over the line. The wind picked up slowly afterwards to some 16 knots. Citus held their lead in the three first checkpoints, but followed very closely by Thule. The Swedish are far from giving up!
So far 2 teams have retired from the leg due to different problems and are sailing straight to the finish in Grinda. They are Ursuit and SWE 49.
10:49:44 hrs
Swedish Team Thule Strandberg/Örtendahl is increasing their lead doing 18 knots of boat speed in the strong southerly breeze. The wind has picked up since the start this morning and is averaging on 20 knots. Some boats have capsized due to the fairly rough conditions. Among them Team Audi Lewander/Thorslund and Team Blue Humphreys/Crawford that spent some time recuperating afterwards but then came back in the race. Team Mc Donald Huysman and team w4 also went on the nose. The fleet is now reduced with another two boats and 21 boats are now in the race. Conditions are again fantastic, good breeze, sunny and clear – what else could you ask for?
Just a short update as I’m shattered and need some sleep. The day got off to a great start as we led off the startline in big breeze and sailed out in front for most of the first checkpoint, not bad for the old tiger!
Problems with the starboard rudder caused an early swim leaving the checkpoint, but we made some ground and finished in the top ten.
Second leg the breeze had built to 20 knots and in true Archipelago Raid style we had an amazing down hill run through the rocks at blistering speed. We had some great speed and passed through the fleet to record our best finish of the Raid so far with a 5th.
Tomorrow we will cross back to Sweden before the wind picks up. It’s going to be a 30 miler upwind- ouch.
More tomorrow
Conrad
Leg position: 5th
Speed: supersonic
Blue Miles covered: 74
Downwind start at 05:10 in the morning in good windspeed and the F18 flying over the waves: that’s the raid. Team Blue made the best start off Ekerö on the right side of the line near the Comitee boat, closely followed by Audi and Garmin. Audio Network and the Nieminen Brothers onboard Ursuit made it right with good speed. Further right Swe 43 reached tremendous speed. While most of the fleet was flying in 20 knots, the Finnish-Kiwi boat Bohica was unfortunately dismasted in the middle of the course, but managed to get back on track. A few minutes later Audi capzized and lost the gains they made on the start.
At the first 3 minutes Check Point on Degersand beach Garmin took the lead, followed by Thule, Audio Network, Blue Marine and Swe 43. The 3 minutes checkpoint is nerve breaking for the sailors who have to stop for only 180 seconds before running back to their catamarans.
Night arrivals on day 1 and a lot of paddling on day 2.
Yesterday we left Stockholm with around 10-12 knots of wind heading north east for the nature reserve on the eastern side of Bjorko. There were 5 checkpoints before the finish. As the breeze died, the paddles came out and the slow progress caused the race to be shortened at checkpoint 5. The leaders crossed the line just before midnight with many of the fleet spread across the Swedish archipelago.
Day 2
An 4am start was delayed until 8am to allow time for the wind to fill in. With most of the teams still feeling the effect of the late arrival a large number of the boats were late for the start, including us.
We never really recovered, the late start meant that we were playing catch up for the crossing to Aland and with a dying breeze the back markers were left with a 10 mile paddle.
The good news is that the second leg has been postponed due to bad weather so we can catch up on some sleep tonight and start fresh at 3am tomorrow morning.
The start of leg 2 went underway at 08.45 this morning. The fleet has started their crossing of Ålands Sea towards Ekerö from head quarter 1 at Arsläjan on Arholma. With a westerly breeze of 4 knots the teams got a light wind start. The wind will turn east during the day and therefore the fleet is headed directly towards Ekerö to sail the northerly route around Åland island towards Finland. A happy crew on board Team Audio Network British Sunnucks/Farren won leg 1. An interview with team Audio Network can be found under Audio. Last team to arrive to Arsläjan was Team Piano at 02.20 am, literally living up to their name. The race management let the teams get some sleep and delayed the start until 08.45 this morning, due to that the last team came in early this morning. The teams had to be towed from checkpoint 5 to head quarter Arsläjan due to no wind after 22.00. Rudder problems were reported from the Italian team yesterday but nothing they couldn’t fix. Severe damage came upon Team FG Porsche while they hit a rock in the night. The dagger board opened the hull with the result of a lot of water filling the hull. While they were towed in the night they almost sank and they realized early this morning at Arsläjan that the damage was too big to repair without professional help. Team FG Porsche has therefore decided to withdraw from the competition. Still 25 teams in the race – stay tuned!
After a day of racing, Conrad Humphreys and Ryan Crawford onboard Team Blue are in 12th place on the results table.
Hobie Tiger F18 (2007)2007 race specked boat, Smoke STX Mainsail and Fully battened jib, Spare furling jib and furling system, 2 spinnakers, 2 tramps, new daggerboards, latest rudder system, spare rudder blades, Catrax, Covers and foil bags, large selection of spares, new refit complete (Sept 09), excellent condition, fast boat. £8195.00 (inc. VAT)