Kristen Berry's blog

It is election day here in the states and if you are registered to vote you should take your ocean conservation mind and head to the polls.

In other news the Washington Post is reporting an important story about the environmental legacy of the Bush Administration.  While widely criticized by conservation groups, President Bush and the Administration have received praise for their marine conservation initiatives.  Check out what the Washington Post has to say:

Ericsson 4 skipper Torben Grael was in no mood for brash
statements after winning the first leg on ysterday morning. “Is this race over?”
he asked. “No chance whatsoever. It is impossible to say who will win at this
stage.” It flies in the face of the stat which shows that the winner of the
first leg in the last five races has gone on to win overall. “It was such a
close race,” he added. “Our speeds between the boats are so close. We had visual

Winter is approaching, and for this sea (and seafood) loving foodie that means Oyster season.  But as with all our lifestyle choices seafood is something that we need to think long and hard about - even if the gooey goodness is calling our name.

There is quite a panoply of issues when it comes to sea food choices - including oysters.  Some of these include, mercury contamination, overfishing, and destructive fishing methods - including aquaculture.  It is enough to drive a seafood lover straight to chicken dinner.

At 13:10 UTC today, Ericsson 4 skippered by Brazilian Torben GRAEL obliterated the 24-hour record run for a monohull when the team recorded a run of 593.23 nautical miles during leg one of the Volvo Ocean Race.  The previous record (562.96 nm) was set by ABN AMRO TWO, with Sebastian JOSSE (FRA) as skipper, during leg two of the previous Volvo Ocean Race in 2006. The new mark is subject to ratification by the World Sailing Speed Record Council.

PUMA (Ken READ/USA), in second place, has covered 561nm, just short of ABN AMRO TWO’s record. The new mark translates into an incredible average speed of 24.71 knots in conditions not best suited for a record-setting run.

Skipper Torben GRAEL (BRA) and his crew have been pushing the boat hard all night, first eclipsing the previous mark at 03:55 UTC. They have been adding to the record since then, although the current 30 knots of wind is likely to ease.

“It is a great achievement, but we were not really looking for it,” said GRAEL in a radio interview this morning. “What we were looking for was a good ride on this weather system, and to stay in it as long as possible.”

GRAEL said: “We are doing 30 knots of boat speed. The wind is around 28-32 knots but the waves (around eight metres) are not very good for us. Conditions are marginal. I think we have been pretty much on the edge. Perhaps if we had a better sea state, we might be able to go faster, but it is hard to go faster with waves like this.”

This will be the third time that Juan KOUYOUMDJIAN has produced a record-breaking design. The Argentinean was responsible for drawing the lines of the two ABN AMRO boats both of whom held the record in the previous edition of the race, as well as the current Ericsson 4.

For some days now the teams have been anticipating the possibility of a record-breaking run as they ride the current weather system, but concern over damage has led some to back off a little bit. 

Simon FISHER (GBR), navigator of Telefónica Blue (Bouwe BEKKING/NED) paid tribute to GRAEL and the crew of Ericsson 4. FISHER was the navigator on ABN AMRO TWO when it set the previous record.

“We have been way too close to the edge too early and, consequently, had to throttle back whilst watching the leaders streaking off into the sunset with a new 24 hour record,” FISHER wrote this morning. “Each position report has had the same frustrating story – more lost miles to the leaders. However at the same time it has been hard not to smile a little when you see the pace that Ericsson 4 has laid down. Deeply, deeply impressive to say the least. It is a shame to see our old record from ABN AMRO TWO go, but, at the same time, these things are made to be broken and those boys are certainly doing it with style.”

Last night, Ian WALKER (GBR), skipper of third-placed Green Dragon, and a newcomer to this race, wrote: “This is insane. Thirty-five knots of wind, pitch black, 1500 miles from land and we are desperately trying to squeeze more speed from a boat that feels and sounds like it is going to self destruct any second.” The boat is currently sailing at around 29 knots.

From Team Russia (Andreas HANAKAMP/AUT), navigator Wouter VERBRAAK (NED) says that on deck the spray-helmets are out and everybody on deck has their harness clipped on. “Below decks we are desperately trying to hang on in our bunks. The crashing, banging and squeaking of the rudders, the roaring of the water over the deck and the rushing of the water along the hull are just insane, and it is only when you put some music on your iPod that you can escape from this world of violence.” Both Team Russia and Delta Lloyd (Ger O'ROURKE/IRL) have taken a dive south to reach the favourable westerlies.

At 13:00 today, Ericsson 4 was positioned slightly north of PUMA with Green Dragon behind them. Further north still is Ericsson 3 (Anders LEWANDER/SWE) with Telefónica Blue and Telefónica Black (Fernando ECHAVARRI/ESP) behind and to windward.

Telefónica Black has ripped two sails, which according to Media Crew Member Mikel PASABANT (ESP), made last night even harder, but the team was cheered to see their first Albatross, considered to be a good omen.

“Let’s see what happens. He is a magic bird, the way he flies, without moving a single feather, effortless… amazing,” described PASABANT.

Leg One Day 19: 13:15 UTC Volvo Ocean Race Positions
(boat name/country/skipper/nationality/distance to leader)

Ericsson 4 SWE (Torben GRAEL/BRA) DTF 1694
PUMA Racing Team USA (Ken READ/USA) +34
Green Dragon IRL/CHN (Ian WALKER/GBR) +76
Ericsson 3 SWE (Anders LEWANDER/SWE) +113
Telefónica Blue ESP (Bouwe BEKKING/NED) +145
Telefónica Black ESP (Fernando ECHAVARRI/ESP) +155
Delta Lloyd IRL (Ger O'ROURKE/IRL) +315
Team Russia RUS (Andreas HANAKAMP/AUT) +337

Volvo Ocean Race Leaderboard*
(After Leg One Scoring Gate)

1. Telefónica Blue (Bouwe BEKKING/Iker MARTINEZ), 6 points
2. Telefónica Black (Fernando ECHAVARRI), 6 points
3. Puma Il Mostro (Ken READ), 6 points
4. Ericsson 4 (Torben GRAEL), 6 points
5. Green Dragon (Ian WALKER), 6 points
6. Delta Lloyd (Ger O'ROURKE), 2 point
7. Ericsson 3 (Anders LEWANDER), 1 points
8. Team Russia (Andreas HANAKAMP), 1 points

*Provisional standings

Nearly a billion people worldwide depend on fish as their primary source of protein, and there are millions more who live in coastal communities which count on fishing for all or part of their income. The threat to the health and welfare of these people is brought into stark perspective that the world's fisheries are close to irreversible collapse.

Consider that many fish populations are significantly depleted and scientists project the permanent collapse of all commercial species within the next 50 years if significant action is not taken to reverse overfishing. Government subsidies to the fishing sector, totaling approximately $20 billion annually, represent one of the principal forces behind the overfishing crisis. These harmful subsidies push fishing fleets to fish longer, harder and farther away than would otherwise be possible.

Right now thousands of crusiers are headed down the ICW for winter destinations.  Many of those cruisers will find their way to the beautiful islands of the Bahamas.

While you might think of the Bahamas as a place of great natural beauty, believe it or not, it is perfectly legal there to kill every species of sea turtle except the hawksbill. Since turtles are highly migratory, what happens in the Bahamas affects turtle populations in the U.S.

Renowned non-profit organizations, Sailors for the Sea and
the Pacific Science Center, recently announced a one-year environmental sailing
expedition and circumnavigation, Around the Americas.

To launch this education-based voyage and awareness project, Sailors for the Sea , a
national organization co-founded by David Rockefeller, Jr. that educates and
empowers the boating community to protect and restore our oceans and coastal
waters, has partnered with the Pacific Science Center, a Seattle-based
science foundation and nationally recognized leader in informal science and
environmental education.

"North and South America are surrounded by a large, complex, and
frighteningly fragile ocean environment -- and these oceans are changing in
large part as a result of human activity," said Rockefeller, president of
the board, Sailors for the Sea founder, and member of the Pew Ocean
Commission. "The goal of this expedition is to build broad awareness among
everyday citizens of the precipitous changes occurring throughout the
world's oceans and the impact these changes have on various ecosystems and
human life." -- Read on here.

If you ever hear me say (again) that all the communications equipment on the Volvo 70's is taking away from the mystique of the race and adventure - kick me.  There are camera's, high speed connections, and nearly constant updates from the boats.  And it really makes you feel like you are right there.  Amazing. 

 The only American entry is a boat sponsored by Puma.  Ken Read - one of the best sailor's ever and an American - is the skipper and a great storyteller.  Here's what he had to say last night:

The tag line "Life at the Extreme" is not exactly telling the truth tonight.  It is one of those nights that you wonder will ever happen again when crashing head on through waves when the entire boat and every article of clothing you own is soaking wet.  But tonight is none of that.  Full moon.  Every ounce of sail we can get up is up.  For a while we were ripping along in the mid teens with just a slight ocean swell and not a drop on deck.  T-shirts and shorts.  A slight lift and we are back on the chute and still cruising along with 13 knots of wind.  Which is a gale compared with most of today when we saw pretty much a glass off for a better part of the afternoon and our two closest friends--E3 and Telefónica Black both snuck by. Oh well, we have gotten E 3 back and press on.

Major issues below today as Salty (Rob Salthouse) lost one boot.  Seriously distressed (as he has no other shoes on board) he started to rip the boat apart and decided to wait it out until the boat was emptied by a little wind and getting all the stuff below back on deck.  Of course we all wound him up with stories that the boot may have been packed in the spinnaker and gone up and over on the last hoist.  The breeze finally filled and the gear went up and somehow the boot was found by the distressed owner as if he had placed a photo on a milk carton.

Everyone had a nice chance to catch up on their sleep today as the tack- gybe-sail change-stack fest that got us out of the Med is over.  Benign ocean sailing right now.

All good.
Kenny

(Ken Read – skipper)

Long Island Sound sailor and OCYC blogger Howie Koss is on an expedition to Antarctica. He sends this post from the ice:

Standing On Ye Shoulders Of Giants

"If I have seen further it is by standing on ye shoulders of Giants" -Sir Isaac Newton

There is a long and rich history of Terra Incognita. The place names identifying scientific research bases, mountain tops, nunataks, valleys, glaciers, ice shelves, penisulas, the surrounding oceans, and all of the conceivable minutia one can find on any map of the most inhospitable continent in the world barely scrape the frozen surface of understanding the breadth, scope, hardships, achievments, and contributions of those who have come before. One must dig a little deeper to appreciate the fullness of what Antarctica once was, how it became a frontier of exploration, what it means to the body of scientific research, and how further study will aid in our understanding, not only of past global climate, but of our future and how we as a human race will need to adapt in this time of prominent climate change.

I have read many of the classic tales of the Golden Age of Exploration. Each one of the first-person narratives, from Shackleton's South, Amundsen's Race to the South Pole, Scott's personal journals, Cherry-Garrard's The Worst Journey in the World, to the biographical sketches of Reginal Pound's Scott of the Antarctic, Roland Huntsford's The Last Place on Earth and Shackleton, and so many others, all convey the severe hardship that these men went through in the name of science and discovery. What comes across is that personal notoriety and accolade was not the motivation. Pushing the envelope of human understanding, furthering the knowledge base of the surrounding world, and broadening the global perspective all drove these men to reach deep within themselves to set out to achieve the unimaginable.

If you haven't watched the start of the Volvo Ocean Race, do it. It is, in a word, AMAZING!

And while the race is great, so is their effort to weave some conservation into the mix. On board the boats they are taking water samples as they travel around the globe. As they passed through the Straight of Gibraltar some of the boats found some pretty nasty evidence that there is a long way to go toward cleaning up the ocean:

Hi all
For those sailors who not only race around the globe, but also are to deal with the task of taking water samples to contribute in a huge research about the presence and state of marine biomass, it has been more than a shame to go across the Strait of Gibraltar in the middle of an oil slick. Imagine our faces when sailing across waters absolutely covered with floating tar, something of a shameful remembrance for many who lived it from a close distance in Galicia.

I wonder what might have happened if one of the boats had the water-maker seacocks open.

Let's sail and let's hope all the shit from the hull has gone before we need to put the water-maker to work.

Apart from that, we are happy to see ourselves pushing harder and harder forward, and getting step by step to the top positions of the fleet. That's the prize for the hard work done!

Cheers from TELEFONICA NEGRO
Mikel
(Mikel Pasabant MCM)