Monday 16 June Challenge Labuan

Through the night a storm was blowing out at sea and stirred a significant onshore swell for the start of the fast race boats' charge up to Labuan and the cruisers' Challenge drift to Labuan.

Last night there was a dinner at a hotel for all BIYC participants and the presentation of awards for those who took place in a race around the bay earlier in the day. We weren't able to join in as there wasn't sufficient wind, OK for the racers with spinnakers, not good for a sedate cruiser.

speeding along

Today just leaving the marina was the first challenge, timing the exit between a beam on swell as our nose poked out from the safety of the breakwater and the need to turn quickly 90° to starboard into the oncoming waves. No-one, or us, likes to have their house shaken up.

When we left the calm of the marina my job was to stop the beer bucket under the table frm being flung across the cabin. Not a traditional role for no. 1 crew member. Once we were in deeper water and sails up Jackster sat into the waves more comfortably.

The Borneo International Yacht Challenge was to sail all the way to Labuan without turning on the engine. Not easy when you're close hauled in light winds but David's dogged determination, or stubbornness, meant we never turned on the motor and finally drifted over the line at a less than impressive 1.4knots 23 hours after leaving Miri, an average speed of 4 knots an hour but we did sail all the way. The other boats in our class succumbed to the need of their engines, one crossed the line three hours ahead of us, leaving us, by the rule of 'any boat which sails all the way will be placed higher than any which motors', the winner of our class.

oil support vessels

Labuan marina

It was all David, his patience, his ability to trim sails in light airs and to resist my (non spoken) wish to say 'bugger it' and motor. The moment the horn blew as we crossed the finishing line I turned the key and fired up the engine to avoid ghosting into the officials boat. With our engine power it was a fast trip in to Labuan harbour negotiating a path through the many oil industry support vessels.

My reward was air conditioning when we went in to the new marina in Labuan and hooked up the shore power. Our prize a pewter dish for 1^st place Cruising A.

collecting award