Hi all, a great time was enjoyed by all at the Modified Nationals. There was so much to do and well into the early hours of the morning, so, we were Voltzed to the max!
 
Clicking the pic will take you to the Voltz official videos of this event and you can see what everyone was getting up to, from the Kiss FM stage to the fun fair and of course the cars and babes!!! Energy levels kept to the max by ourselves!
 
You can also click here to see the videos.

Click on the image to see the Victoria Hart show powered by Voltz at The Studio!

CLICK on the the picture to see the video of the Voltz / Max Power Scooby P1 FINAL - The Race!

Here are some pics of the final for the Scooby P1. A great day and fun all round. (more info to follow)

Voltz and Max Power take over Peterborough Raceway for an evening of karting!

After last month’s snow-covered assault course, we all felt a little bit bad subjecting a group of Impreza-winning hopefuls to Arctic conditions. So, for Round 2 of the Voltz competition, we decided to focus more on genuine driving skill as opposed to all-out stupidity (and a bit of physical fitness).

Now there’s always a slight twist!

It just so happens that Peterborough Raceway is in fact the fastest course in the UK. It’d be rude not to add a bit of danger, wouldn’t it?

Reaching 40mph in just a few seconds, the 11-strong grid was always going to be ‘interesting’, especially with a 380bhp Impreza P1 up for grabs!

Whether it was a good idea or not, we loaded each contender with a few shots of Voltz to give ’em all the energy they’ll need to floor it. What could possibly go wrong?

Qualifying

 
Unaware of how fast anyone was, qualifying consisted of a 10-minute free-for-all purely to set fast laps. Just to add a bit more fun to the equation, the qualifying grid was then reversed, sticking the slowest qualifiers up front and the fastest at the rear…

The Race

Karting may be all about skill, but we don’t want any one-lap wonders winning the event. We want the hardest, most-skilled drivers to get to the final.

With that in mind, we set all 11 contestants into a 30-minute ‘Iron Man’ tournament. After an initial practice/qualifying it’s then half hour of non-stop racing in the cars.
Fastest three go to the final – the rest go home.

The Results

 
After half hour of solid racing with over 60 arm and arse-killing laps, the three finalists going into the Santa Pod final are: 

3^rd – Alan A: 71 laps

2^nd – Jonathan E: 71 laps

1^st – Phil A: 72 laps

Come and see the Final

Santa Pod’s quarter-mile will play host to our Voltz competition final as our six contenders will battle it out at The Fast Show on 21^st March.
All they have to do is make their way down the drag strip. Easy, right?  
Thing is, they’ll be doing it in tiny pedal karts! 
Make sure you’re at the Fast Show on the 21^st to see who takes our Impreza P1.

Restocked for another fun packed week on the street!

Says it all in the picture! Come along and enjoy the power of Voltz with some tasting and party the night away with our evening entertainments. For more info click here

Win the Voltz Impreza: Round 1 complete!
 
To prove their worthy to win £15,000 of Subaru Impreza P1 we put the bravest, hardest and downright stupid Max readers through a snow-covered Army Assault Course.
 
The competition to win the Voltz Energy Shots Impreza P1 is hotting up with the first three contenders now through to the final. At 8am, Tuesday, the lucky hopefuls descended on Dorking’s Army Assault Course to face a serious amount of pain to bring them a step closer to 380bhp.

Course manager and general loony Wayne Monkman explained how arctic explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes uses the same course to test himself prior to a trip… and that’s without the snow. ‘You can either listen, or die’ explains Wayne to the six hopefuls. They may giggle, but Wayne’s deadly serious. ‘As soon as you finish the course, you must head back to the briefing room - in this weather, hyperthermia wont take long and now you’ve signed disclaimers, it’s your own fault’. Er, fecking hell…

Each contender was loaded with Voltz and a few wise words from Team Max before hitting the course for real. Oh, and we forgot to tell them it’s a 1/4-mile trek through the snow just to get to the course… they’re winning a car! Why make it easy?

Make sure you check out the March issue of Max Power out in Feb to find out the lucky buggers who made it through.

Get involved in Round 2!

We’ve tested bravery, now it’s time to find genuine driving skill. To find our second finalists, Max Power and Voltz are taking over the Peterborough Karting Raceway for an evening of non-stop racing.
 
We want the fastest racer - points will be given for fastest laps alongside finishing position before the top 10 highest scoring battle it out for the remaining finalist slots.
 
To get involved, you must be free on Tuesday 9^th February from 6.30pm to make your way over to Peterborough Karting (PE3 8YD). All you need is your driving skills, the rest will be provided by us.
 
e-mail mark.riccioni@bauermedia.co.uk to confirm your place, and remember to include the following or you wont be entered:

Name

Age

Mobile

Location

Driving/racing experience

Why you’ll win

Hi all, the Voltz / Max Power comp is on to win this beast and the heats have started!

We are waiting for more info from the Max Power headquarters and we will get some images up for you to see how its progressing very soon, good luck to those involved.

Check out this months issue of Max Power and their website!

Have you got what it takes to win this!

Yes! The rumours are true, Voltz has teamed up with Max Power to give you the chance of winning our energised Subaru Impreza P1.

The Subaru Impreza is one of the greatest motors and they don’t come much better than the P1. With 276bhp from the factory, the two door P1 features a carbon tipped blade, additional front splitter, meaty Prodrive brakes and bucket seats all as standard.

Here though is a different matter!!!!

Thanks to tuners Scooby clinic this P1 now develops a much more healthy 380bhp thanks to a large intercooler, turbo, oil cooler and remapped ECU meaning 0-60mph in just 4 seconds and a top speed of over 160mph.

We are all about energy and Max Power has set up a full army assault course for our competitors where the fastest 15 go through to a head to head….. Bring it on!

For more info please join our facebook family and group. Link on the left of this page! And to see more images goto http://www.youtube.com/user/VoltzUK

To enter the competition go to http://www.maxpower.co.uk/article.asp?asset=11262 and check out the Voltz entry for full details. (if direct link does not work, copy and paste into address bar).

Good luck!

A couple of Images from our friends @ Martin & Co Mini Twin Race Team!

Think i prefer Voltz!

How is it healthy?
Voltz contains NO sugar, NO herbal stimulants and contains just 3 calories. It also contains a blend of B vitamins, amino acids and essential nutrients.
___________________________________________________________________________

Where is it from?
Voltz was designed in the UK and is produced in the UK. Its unique composition was specially designed for one purpose - to provide sustained energy throughout your day.
___________________________________________________________________________

What is it for?
Voltz is meant for use at times when you need a quick, healthy energy boost but don’t want to down a calorie laden energy drink. Good examples of people who use Voltz are: Office workers, security guards, lorry drivers, sports people and professional athletes, busy mums and hard working dads.

So what’s in a bottle of Voltz?

B6 - Aids the conversion of carbohydrates into energy, increases the level of oxygen in the blood as well as aiding in the production of red blood cells.  It also has a function in helping the nervous system.  Deficiency of this important Vitamin is linked to depression and other mental disorders.
___________________________________________________________________________

B12 - Promotes energy metabolism, immune and nerve function.  Like B6 it also has a role in the development of red blood cells.
___________________________________________________________________________

B3 (Niacin) - Niacin is a regulator of blood sugars.  It helps in energy production by aiding in the breakdown of carbohydrates, protein, fats and starches for sustainable energy.  Niacin also opens the blood capillaries and in doing so takes more blood, nutrients and oxygen to the extremities and the skin, thereby aiding circulation.
___________________________________________________________________________

B9 (Folic Acid) - Is critical to cellular division and DNA synthesis.  Like B6 and B12 it has a synergistic role in red blood cell formation.
___________________________________________________________________________

Citicoline - Interest is growing in Citicoline, a form of the B Vitamin Choline.  Citicoline protects brain cells in two critical ways.  It helps to restore membrane components called Phospholidpids and counteracts the effects of free radical damage to the membrane.  Citicoline “protects” the brain and in doing so helps to preserve memory function and thinking ability.
___________________________________________________________________________

L Tyrosine / L Phenylalanine - These two amino acids are precursors of several neurotransmitters including – L Dopa, Dopamine, Norepinephine and Epinephine.  Consequently these amino acids have been shown to elevate the mood, improve memory and boost mental alertness.
___________________________________________________________________________

Taurine - Taurine is an amino acid that helps to regulate the heartbeat, maintain cell membrane stability and prevent brain cell over-activity.  We use more Taurine when our body is carrying out physical activity or mental stress; if the body is lacking this nutrient the body will not be able to form at its peak.
___________________________________________________________________________

Malic Acid - Malicacid is primary in the complex process of deriving ATP from food (ATP is the energy that runs the body).
___________________________________________________________________________

Glucuronolactone - Glucuronolactone is metabolised in the human liver from glucose.  It helps the body to fight fatigue and provides a sense of well-being.
___________________________________________________________________________

N Acetyl (NAC) - It is a very powerful antioxidant that helps to “mop up” free radicals that are produced by physical activity and in doing so NAC helps to protect the body from harmful cellular oxidation damage.
___________________________________________________________________________

Glutamine - Glutamine, an amino acid, is converted to glucose when more glucose is required by the body as an energy source.  It also assists in protein metabolism and can speed recovery after exercise.
___________________________________________________________________________

COQ10 - A powerful antioxidant and free radical scavenger, it acts as a stabiliser for this complex formulation.  It is also an ingredient of the electron transport chain and helps generate energy in the form of ATP (Adenosine tri-phosphate).

Powered by Voltz! The crew have achieved a new record for crossing the Atlantic!!!!

Dear All

This will be the last update from Lancelot – as the team completed their epic voyage at 22:29hrs last night.

2 landmarks and major achievements for the team are as follows:

· The team have set a new record for the fastest Atlantic ARC crossing by a Beneteau 40.7 in history, beating the previous record that was set in 2006 [set by Lancelot by the way!] by an impressive 34 minutes. The new record is 15 days, 9 hours and 49 minutes, beating the old record of 15 days, 10 hours and 23 minutes.

· The team have achieved a very impressive 3^rd place in Racing Division 2 and 4^th place overall in all Racing Divisions. A podium finish for a group of inexperienced sailors with several technical problems is an incredible result! Well done Team Lancelot.

You can read Lancelot’s last few blogs on the ARC website by following this link - http://www.worldcruising.com/arc/dailylogs.aspx?EIValue1=3914

The team are all well. They were very tired last night and had an early night to get their first night of proper sleep in over 2 weeks. The official team celebration is apparently taking place tonight – so look out St Lucia!

Thank you all for following and supporting the Lancelot team and thank you to Lancelot’s sponsors for the ARC 2009 – Gleeds ( www.gleeds.co.uk ) and Voltz (http://www.voltzenergyshot.co.uk ).

This is Lancelot HQ signing off until ARC 2010!

Regards

Simon

Speed             8.5 knots

Heading          272

Wind speed    10-25 knots

Day 11

‘I’m an amateur get me out of here’

From a master-class in helming in 28 knot winds to keeping us ship shape and upright in all respects Jacko and Mick have been exceptional. We all realise that  in their company our positions are as amateurs in a professional game and are grateful for their patience and understanding. This is ocean racing and they know what’s what, that’s for sure. I’m an amateur get  me out of here, don’t think so, we’re here till the end J

Although each day is different they have begun to blend into one and the realisation has begun to dawn on us what an extraordinary journey we have all undertaken together and that all too soon it will come to an end. This is our world, there is thoughts of family at home but very little conversation of the issues that perplex us in our normal daily lives instead  our talk is of weather, our position and of food we even have our own time zone for gods sake , ‘Jacko Time’

Speaking of food you will all be delighted to know that we broke our duck on the fish front catching a 3kg Durado. To date the boat had caught two flying fish and  Terry a  baby wipe so it was a welcome addition to the menu, the baby wipe was too chewy!!

What makes a great leader? Attitude, ability, strength, technical knowledge, talent to deal with people and issues as they arise. Yes, all of these and more. Jacko known to his Mum as Christopher (or when she is really really annoyed  as Christopher Charles Jackson) possesses all these attributes in abundance. That’s what gives him the talent to earn and maintain the respect of people way older than him and all this is coupled with a boyish charm and impish good humour and the slightly creepy habit of sleeping with his eyes open. Captain my Captain.

The leader needs a crew to lead:  Mick (now an honorary Irish Man) the teacher always giving the advice , Terry and Mondo with their ability and strength at the helm, Des with his honesty decency and deft touches, Conor with his analytical mind and humour and of course Debs with her admirable deep strength of character and ability to maintain ladylike standards in a tough male environment.

For those of you who understand sailing terminology (and I’m not one btw) we have for the last 24 hours been on a broad reach in other word the wind is coming from the side and the boat has alternated from upright to severe listing sometimes with no notice whatsoever of the change. Every simple task is massively complicated by the G forces being constantly applied and having to pick that moment to move and have already picked that spot to move to.. Yesterday during the wash up process Mondo was horizontally suspended in mid air for what seemed like 10 seconds in the lounge. It was at the same time hilarious and exhausting.

We have had interesting, to say the least, weather over the last 36 hours with rain and squalls however morale is very high and our focus now is on the race and our position in it. We do that for Jacko.

All the best

Eugene

Position         16.40′ N      51.25′ WSpeed             8.5 knotsHeading          272Wind speed    15-20 knots

‬ Things that go thwang in the night

‬ Thursday morning brought a beautiful sunrise and both watches enjoyed a very pleasant breakfast together in the sun.  Light enough winds for most of the morning made for leisurely progress following on from very disappointing progress during the night with speeds of 0.00kts for long periods making Lancelot the proverbial cork bobbing about   Winds picked up around lunchtime and we got on with the usual daily chores including washing, scrubbing the decks and sharing relatively relaxed turns at the helm.  No fish but there’s always tomorrow!   Dinner over and the first night watch of Jacko, Debs, Terry and myself took over at 7pm just as it was about to start getting dark. Great sunset ahead of us as we head West followed almost immediately by the moon rising behind Lancelot low on the horizon.  Reasonable winds allowed Jacko, Debs and Terry make reasonable progress during their turns at helm. I took over at the helm at 9pm and the winds picked up further allowing good progress and making up to some degree for the disappointing winds the previous night.  “That’s more like it” was my last comment just before 9.30pm when a big roller tried to push Lancelot northwards off our 270 degree course as they had been doing all night.  I made the usual right hand adjustment on the wheel and it appeared to respond initially with a bit of a groan and then there was a sudden thwang as the “unbreakable” 10 day old steering cable, rated for up to 5tonnes load snapped.  ” No steering Jacko - cables gone” were my next words which took a moment to register as the boat lurched off and into a broach with Lancelot being carried along by the wind at 80degrees to the water Jacko sprang into action calmly and reassuringly issuing instructions. Heavy rain added to the misery. Debs went below as instructed to get Mick and the guys - all hands on deck and reappeared to help with the ropes.   Mick dropped the spinnaker which flew sideways and was flapping about like a huge flag out to starboard and as he was struggling to pull it in Conor arrived and managed to drag the corner to the hatch and Mondo and Eugene gathered it below.  Mick and Jacko were awesome as always and there was no sense of panic as they got the autosteering to eventually engage as it struggled to cope with the seas and wind and Lancelot steadied up just as the winds and swell dies down.   Jacko was immediately down below being messaged by raw fibreglass as he crawled into the stern to replace the broken cable and by 11pm it was back to business as usual.  The second watch took over and Mick then stayed on for the following watch with Terry, Debs and myself to allow Jacko some recovery time.   Are we upset or deflated?  Hell no, we havn’t lost too much time as it turns out. Winds are back and the crew of Lancelot are in high spirits and even more determined to get to St.Lucia by Monday evening weather and boat permitting. Tough boat, tough if inexperienced crew and brilliant captain and first mate.  Go Lancelot.
‬ Des

Position         15.25′ N      54.16′ W

Speed             8 knots

Heading          280

Wind speed    12-18 knots

Day 13 – Saturday 5 December 09

Decent winds have returned so we’re making good progress again - touch wood. We had great conditions with mostly clear skies, 17 knot winds and no unexpected surprises which was appreciated following our adventure the previous night

A spectacular moonrise of a huge full moon are nightly treats as are balmy nights and countless stars. We had a sing song to bluegrass music yesterday and despite all our efforts Debs wouldn’t do a solo - ah well, it’s early days yet…..

We caught another fish yesterday - we are not sure how such a huge ocean could hold such a little fish so we sent him home to his mammy. Instead we enjoyed another chemically induced treat - Fray Bentos and smash again along with a cheeky little Rioja. I have to say the robust nose, intense blackberry flavour, long finish and aged acidity of this excellent red wine complement the fat and grease of the suet pastry and the monosodium finish to the non descript meat ?? of the pies excellently . Still - it beats All Day Breakfast in a can - yes they do exist - think of boiled sausages, white pudding (I think that’s what it is) and a scotch egg swimming in a sea of baked beans - yummy!!! Des has come to the rescue with delicious daily porridge.

We’re not sure of our position in the race because the stats from the ARC organisation are currently unreliable. We’ll update you when we know. We think we’re somewhere between 2nd and 5th.

There is much talk about arriving in St Lucia, meeting loved ones, what we will do ashore, fresh fruit and veg, fresh fish  and partaking in the local tradition of Rum Punch! So far it has been an amazing and unforgettable experience and has given all of us novices a taste of offshore sailing and what it takes to sail a boat relying only on ourselves (of course under the leadership and guidance of Jacko and Mick) in dealing with challenges that arise along the way.

It’s been a great trip so far.

Look out  ST. Lucia!!!!!!!

All the best from Lancelot.

Terry ( and the rest of the gang)

Day 14 Sunday 6th December

We are now over two weeks at sea and the countdown clock has commenced with various calculations of expected arrival time being calculated depending on wind conditions at the particular time. At the time of writing e are 220 NM from St Lucia and expected to arrive tomorrow Monday albeit sometime late in the evening. Hopefully Lancelot will beat it’s and the boat type Beneteau 40.1. time record. Progress at the moment is slow with good waves but light wind with a present speed of approx 8 knots.

A lot of our time is now spent deciding what we we will do when we get to Rodney Bay with food and drink ranking high in our  conversations. Among the most suggested are steak and chips with a nice fresh green salad. Jacko wants a beef wellington and a cold beer achieving unanimous desirability. However I suspect that sleep will also rank high as the maximum period of sleep in the last two weeks has been three hours or less.

Mondo continues to impart his sailing kowledge reading from a recent edition of yachting world on what not to do when crossing the Atlantic. This reading was accompanied by our ration of one can of beer. We have all started to convince ourselves that it is very palatable even though it is the opposite of ice cold.

No fish yesterday so Debs to the rescue with a Spanish tortilla on a bed of lentils which was excellent. The moon took a while to appear during the first watch which gave rise to a bit of moaning, not mentioning Mick by name or anything, but progress was uneventful through the night.

After the morning wash with seawater(Terry adopting a more Manish approach of late) and a bowl of Des’s porridge Jacko decided to make a Gybe. All was going well until Mick got hit by a spinnaker pole leaving him with a small but not serious cut at the side of his eye. It was the first time he has been hit by a pole swung by a paddy than one swung by a pole! Next up was a tear in he corner of the spinnaker sheet which necessitated that we take it in and repair it  which Jacko and Debs succeeded in doing. we are underway again with further calculation and recalculation and hope

fully Joining the air support unit of Tina Kate and Liz in Rodney bay tomorrow night……very hopefully!

Conor

]]> http://www.voltzenergyshot.co.uk/live/570/follow-jacko/latest-logs-from-the-atlantic/feed/ http://www.voltzenergyshot.co.uk/live/563/follow-jacko/lancelot-update/ http://www.voltzenergyshot.co.uk/live/563/follow-jacko/lancelot-update/#comments Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:17:02 +0000 admin http://www.voltzenergyshot.co.uk/live/?p=563

‘Lancelot’, at sea.

20 30.65N  37 09.17W

Day 7

Mick writes:

Chrismas came early for Lancelot last night - as darkness fell the wind & swell  steadily increased with the wind-speed topping out at 29 Knots. With full main & 1.5 oz spinnaker we   were treated to a sleigh ride not soon to be forgotten. Jacko & I have a watch each - I am looking after Eugene, Connor & ‘Mondo’. These fine Irishmen  are not sailors however they are coming on leaps & bounds & their helming skills are improving day by day in conditions that would put many experienced yachtsmen to shame. However last night was a bit over the top & in the interests of safety & boat preservation Jacko & I did all the steering until things calmed down. Tiredness was replaced with Adrenalin & we flew. Jacko nearly replaced my record of 17 knots with a 16.3 after the boat leapt off a wave with inconceivable ferocity. He will beat my record for sure - in 35 years of sailing I have not been on a boat with a better helmsman.

It is now mid-afternoon & we are sailing in a gentle 15 knot breeze. After many days of sunshine we have had our first rainfall. Jacko’s watch (Debs, Des & Terry) are on deck  & the boat is closed up to keep out the water. From the comfort of the saloon I have just given them some appropriate music via the ipod - In the Summertime (when the weather is fine!),  Purple Rain etc, etc. We have a video of Jacko dancing as only he does - truly awesome - & it will find its way onto uTube for sure..

This crew is very special. On a long passage it is not ideal  to sail with people you have only just met. Small irritations can soon become major issues, & once we had put a stop to Eugene slinging food around the saloon whilst preparing meals, everything was fine. Joking aside, we have been treated to some excellent meals prepared in circumstances that would make that fellow on Hell’s  Kitchen stop his gob. We are all getting along fine & I think there will be some lifelong friendships made here.

That’s it for now. Tomorrow you will be treated to Jacko’s take on things, so love to all at home……

Mick

Position         20.14′.38 N       040.10′.56 W

Speed             8.5 knots

Heading          272

Wind speed    20 knots

Afternoon everyone, I hope it is as hot and sunny for you as it is on the good ship Lancelot! :- )

After the fun and games of the strong winds the night before last, things have calmed down slightly (which is not un-appreciated!) We have had slightly lighter winds over the last 24hrs however things are starting to pick up again. The wind has slowly tracked around to the east now which has allowed us to gybe over and head on a direct (bar a bit of weaving!!) course to St. Lucia (some 1249 NM ahead at time of writing so over half way there!!!!!!!)

Sailing conditions this good don’t come around that often, we have been surfing along with the spinnaker up for 6 days solid now without even a thought of dropping it until earlier on today. Mick and myself decided that it would be worth while combining the gybe with some checks of the ropes and spinnaker itself so we elected to drop it (for all of 10 minutes!) now re-hoisted and back up to top speeds I hope you will all be pleased to hear!

Spirits have been amazingly high aboard for the whole trip which I put down to, partly the sailing conditions, but mostly to the crew who have got stuck into every part of boat life without any complaints. Since day one started the abilities of all the crew has come on in leaps and bounds, everyone is more than happy (or at least is very good at hiding their fear!) at surfing down waves in pitch black conditions which is great to see (…or not see because its dark?!?!?).

Talk has now started about are arrival in St. Lucia (even though we are only just over half way!) with the main topic of conversation being from Eugene about where will be the best place to go and eat some fish when we get there as, yes, you guessed it, we still have not caught anything, I think it must just be that we are sailing to fast that the fish can’t keep up!! :- )

Anyway, enough from me, love to all friends and family back home from all the crew of Lancelot, see you all soon

Jacko

Connor, Debs, Des, Des, Eugene, Terry, & Mick

Updates from the intrepid crew of Lancelot during their Britannia Events Trans-Atlantic voyage from Las Palmas to St Lucia.

Part 1

Lancelot Daily Log, 23rd Nov 2009, 1300hrs GMT

Jacko Gets Wet, Wet, Wet

Goodbye Las Palmas and hello to the mighty Atlantic ocean. And what an introduction it has been!

Lancelot pushed off its moorings at 11am Sunday with crew of Skipper Jacko, First Mate Mick and the intrepid crew of Conor, Debs, Des, Eugene, Mondo (Des2) and Terry and straightaway sailed into our first mini crisis. On the way to the start line the radar deflector came loose and fell down with remaining bits hanging from the mast. Jacko had no option but to don the harness and climb to the top of the mast. Not something you want to do while lining up with other boats for a mass start.

Problem over, Lancelot was one of the first boats away but our wind was taken by two 80 footers and we fell into a wind hole. Our main rivals Coyote from Southampron and Beoga from Galway saied away from us. However we soon launched the main spinaker (big sail) and were steaming. We left Coyote for dead and chased and diced with Beoga all afternoon with no more than 400 yards in the distance. We were going so fast that the starboard side (right) dipped into the water and soaked Jacko (wetting number 1).

As dusk fell we decided to jybe (change course). Just as were doing this the main block at the end of our boom blew out…big problem. Jacko donned the harness once again and shimmied out the guy rope. Just as he was half way there a wave hid the boat and pushed him below the water before jerking him back out (wetting number 2). Having changed clothes he was relaxing in his last remaining set of dry clothes when the boat went over again and yes you guessed Jacko got wetting number 3.

Night sailing is a new adventure for all of the crew and it is pretty terrifying. For those who ski it is like putting a blindfold on flying downhill. You can see nothing, the waves hit you side on, the boat spins and the sea roars as they go sideways. Sleeping is also a big problem, the boat is tossing and turning and the noise of rushing water is incredible.

Having got through the night without any real incident Jacko and Mick set about repairing the main block on the boom this morning. Not an easy task in 6 meter high seas with the boat speeding through a 20 knot wind at 10 knots. However the repairs was completed successfully and we are now continuing our south westerly course. Hope all of you can track Lancelot of theWorldcruising.com website. If we keep up this speed we will hammer the current record of 15 days, 10 hours but there’s a long way to go yet.

All crew well, no sea sickness which is not surprising after the gourmet meal of oriental pork steak, braised cabbage and rosemary potatoes delivered up by our resident chef Terry.

Current speed record set by Debs, at the helm of 13.8 knots ….steaming towards St Lucia.

Mondo.

Dear All

STOP PRESS – Jacko and the ARC-ANOUGHTS have fixed the computer!

Below are 2 reports just in, one from Debs on Tuesday and one from Des on Thursday…….

Wow….Day 3

Two words can describe this for me so far Terrifying and sensational….my fear is immense as I write we have just gybed involuntarily in a heavy rolling sea yet again….very capably Jacko is on the scene and we are now happily on course without any further damage apart from our nerves.

We are still waiting for our first catch maybe its the high seas , here’s hoping for fish for dinner…..now that’s another story, no matter the weather we all seem to have huge appetites and cooking is quite a challenge…Eugene is now on tea duty which he takes on with great gusto (just like the food prep he got so involved with…but with a little less disaster scene.)

The guys are amazing, they take on the helm with huge strength of character and do their very best in fantastic but difficult sailing conditions for me I dread the night shifts I can’t see a bloody thing ( my sons will say nothing unusual there then )when the moon goes to bed its so very dark and the sea is dark and severe, I tighten my life harness take a deep breath and let the sails guide me and occasionally look at the hard to see compass.

This is not an easy challenge for any of us but I think I cheered the guys up by letting Des throw buckets of salt water on me for my first shower !!!!

Debs

DAY 4 – 26^th November

Would anyone like to gybe?

Made good progress in the early part of the day and then more excitement for today with another accidental gybe this time by yours truly which brought Lancelot to a complete standstill.   Another headache for Jacko and Mick manifests itself with the engine stuck in reverse not allowing us to use the water maker for the moment or charge the batteries fully without making helming under full sail even trickier.

Nothing seems to faze the guys. Jacko’s first draft of the soon to be published ‘Can Do’  cook book for budding ocean racers  even inspires the menu this evening. It re-introduces us all to the old 70’s classics of Fray Bentos, Bachelors beans and Smash are damn welcome after today’s traumas. The day finishes on a high note with the news that despite the setbacks we are on target in terms of our position. The Yellow Brick transponder on the boat lets everyone know our position.  A quick call home on the satellite phone lifts everyone’s morale even higher.

Night time helming with only a compass for reference is a doddle when the moon lights a runway in front of us. We are joined for a short while by a school of dolphins and the odd flying fish springing out of nowhere. The full navigation system other than navigation lights has to be powered down for the moment so there’s no opportunity to check wind or boat speed. Helming on second watch in complete darkness with the moon nowhere to be seen is a little more challenging but no worries and all goes according to plan. No other boats lights on the horizon or anywhere to be seen with only the stars providing any reference point.

Mick, on the 1am-4am night watch, surfs a double wave and records a boat speed of 17 knots blowing Debs previous best out of the water. Now, that’s some target to chase!

Sitting to one side in the vast darkness leaning on the rail (wearing a life jacket and tied in with a safety line) at the back of Lancelot keeping watch while someone else helms just listening to the surf, the occasional flutter from the spinnaker and watching the phosphorescence the wake creates. Maybe we’ll catch that fish tomorrow for dinner.  Who cares - all is well in our little 40 foot world.

Des

Should have lots more to report on Monday!

Lancelot HQ signing off for the weekend.

With the festive season getting closer day by day we are giving away a ‘Turn Up The Voltz’ CD with every order through our online store. Voltz supporting new music! This CD features new bands and dance tracks, there is a mini mega mix for you clubbers and some indie bands, the choice is yours! We must state that there are voice overs on the music to stop people ‘ripping’ and uploading to free download sites.

For this electrifying offer please click here