VOR: PUMA LEG FIVE DAY 39 QFB: received 24.03.09 1949 GMT

Fun time on PUMA. Image copyright Rick Deppe/PUMA Ocean Racing/Volvo Ocean Race.

by Kenny Read (skipper)

We have a choice. We always have a choice, but now...we really have a choice.

We can feel sorry for ourselves and bitch about the weather and the winds and everything else that is preventing us from ‘all we can eat in Rio’, or we can suck it up and deal with our situation the best we can. Continue to race and continue to do our jobs.

This crew has clearly done the latter and I am very proud of all involved. Not a single ‘feeling sorry for ourselves’ comment. We continue to race.

Now, with that said, and between you and me, is this really necessary? Do the Wind Gods need to play with us like this? A couple hours ago we were simply becalmed and I think our estimated time to finish was about Christmas of this year. Time for the winds to fill in. There, I said it and I feel better for it. And since then we have gotten up to eight knots of wind which feels like a hurricane at this point.

Back to the situation at hand. Yes, we are rationing food but I give our guys credit. Our shore team and onboard food connoisseurs had a plan and that was having enough food through 36 or so days. Then we would be down to slim pickings and there would be lots of protein and mashed potatoes to supplement smaller portions of regular freeze dried. There is all the water we can drink but there isn't a morsel of a snack on board. Except for a couple candy bars that my wife smuggled away that I break in half and throw on deck to the wolves from time to time.

Weather wise we actually thought we would be in a better spot than we are and the Ericssons have escaped a bit over the last 12 hours. We may have one more chance at them though. Keeping our fingers crossed that these weather files have to be right at some point. We shall see.

I have a feeling that there are more frustrated people on shore than on the boats. The shore teams want to start putting the boats back together. The families want to see their boys. Logistics people want to make flights for real to get people home. And I would guess that the Rio stopover isn't much of one without the boats and the crews. We are trying folks. Believe me we are trying.

So, back to the races, trying to coax every inch from the old girl with hopes of someday seeing Rio. And ‘all we can eat’.

Hopefully before Christmas.

Volvo Ocean Race