ABW March 2024

the fleet was racing towards Golo Island with the pressure
coming over the port quarter from 130 degrees. Spinnakers,
or maybe a genoa with an outboard sheet for the timider, but
it was fast sailing for all.
Karakoa and Belatrix took off like a pair of gazelles in flight,
and that was nearly the last they were seen as they were
launched and running
Immediately south of
the Golo Pass is Calavite
Point to the east and
the moody mountain
behind it. This is no
more nor less than a
very nasty piece of
water.
at the top of the green.
Lost in Asia steered a
straight line towards
Golo Pass at a steady
8 knots, watching
the occasional antics
of the sailing boats,
and wondering why
one crew chose to fly
a masthead pennant
instead of a spinnaker,
or why someone else’s sail plan had been reduced to white
sails. The breeze continued to build. 25 knots and is sterling
stuff as long as you keep everything under control, but it can
turn against you very quickly. Immediately south of the Golo
Pass is Calavite Point to the east and the moody mountain
behind it. This is no more nor less than a very nasty piece
of water. “I’ve been through here at all states of the tide, in
all wind strengths, and in all different directions,” said Peter,
“and it is always, without exception, thoroughly unpleasant.”
The breeze was now up to 30kts and some, and just a little
further down the track, we saw 46 knots on the dial. Always
from 130 degrees. This gave us - and the racing fleet - rollers
on the port quarter and made for a very uncomfortable stopand-go
ride, but good surfing conditions if the helmsman
was up for it. Poco Loco, following Lost in Asia through the
brutal wind-against-tide chop, was amazed at how far the
mother ship could roll - and recover. Everyone on board was
equally amazed. But eventually, it was over. Beyond Calavite
and into deeper calmer water and each boat was looking for
that elusive fast passage route to the finish
Down to the finish line off the northeast corner of Black
Island, the wind eased, and the sea abated. By the time Lost
in Asia laid the finish at a few minutes past midnight, and
with fleet leader Karakoa just yards away and looking for
a line on which to finish, it was a flat sea and a mere 10kts
of breeze. Belatrix followed suit just a couple of minutes
later. Hurricane Hunter and Selma Star finished in the dark,
and the first boat home in the dawn was Monchu Garcia’s
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