Open 60 as surf board

Non-stop, solo, round-the-world sailor Sam Davies has been looking for the wave as she careens through the Southern Ocean in the Vendee Globe.

‘Well, Roxy and I have had a great 24 hours of super-fast sailing! The wind has been blowing between 35 and 40 knots and we have been hooning along. At one point I decided that things were a bit “crazy fast” so I put in another reef, but the funny thing was that it didn’t slow us down! The speed seems to be determined by how Roxy wants to surf the waves – she is a surfer, after all, and probably knows a whole lot more than me about the subject.

So, I took confidence in my super boat and let her decide where to go, and at what speed. And the result was a great 24 hours sailing. A couple of “oh crumbs how is this one going to end?” moments when I found myself clutching the chart table a bit tight as we careened sideways off a big breaker – but each time for no reason, Roxy just picked herself up, shook off the water, and lined up the next wave.

It’s days like this when I would just love to have use of a “Tardis” (Time machine in the British television fiction programme, Doctor Who) so that I could teleport on board some of the other Roxy girls (the real surfers) to see what they reckon! Lee-Ann Curren, Candice O’Donnell, Kelia Moniz, Kassia Meador – they could all probably give Roxy and I some tips. Although, a “hang ten” (all ten toes on the nose of a surf board) on the bow of Roxy is probably not a wise manouver out here.

Sam x”

Vendee Globe