It was announced this week that Newport, Rhode Island, has won the North American stopover of the race in 2015, the full route should be known within the next few weeks. There will be no Irish port in the next edition and it seems that South Africa also appears to have been dropped from the route. Recife in Brazil will mark the end of the shortened first leg of the race from Alicante starting in October 2014. The next port is widely expected to be Abu Dhabi, but is yet to be confirmed, although whether the Somalian piracy situation will be an issue cannot be foreseen at this time. Other Asian ports are expected to be announced before the race returns to Auckland. Itajai in Brazil may be a stopover port before heading to Newport and then a penultimate European port. Gothenburg in Sweden will host the finale.

Current Location 35 14 S 021 40E

Earlier today riding on a gentle, yet persistent wind, and Flying the screecher main and genoa, steering for that ideal of between 270 and 275 Degrees Compass we passed just south of the Oil Platforms of Mosselbay. (OK not quite, Daniel says one more dead ahead). We now had to turn on a course of 300 degrees to aim for Agulhas.  There was a gale warning on the VHF radio for later this afternoon so this journey can still yield its turn of surprises.

If everything goes well and we pass the Gates of Agulhas and the Gauntlet of Cape Point we should have travelled the last 200 Nautical Miles back to solid ground and loved ones some time on Thursday.  Hot Ice has proven itself to be a well-found sturdy vessel over the past two weeks - a veritable sea-home and center of the known universe for all six of us on board.   We have decided to start with an early clean while the good conditions persist.

There is the niggling worry of the coming exams so now more often than not many a crew member are found spending idle moments with the gripping reading found in the International Collision Regulations...

(hello Christa not long now, i know you cant wait to see me;) just thought id put a word in and tell you i cant wait to see your beautiful Face. lots and lots of love mr de klerk. :) xxxx)

G'day lady and gentleman. We had a record day yesterday, 183 nm...!! It is amazing what can be done when you pick up the prevailing currents just right.

We are still eating well, maybe too damn well, though the fresh fruit is just about finished and the only veg left are tatties and onions. Paul has done a calculation and come to the conclusion that we have each consumed 3.1kg of food each per day since we left...and I thought the companion-ways were getting narrower...though the cock seems to be as sylph-like as ever....can't quite figure that out.

We decided the other night that our toilets are 90 degree out of what is optimum, as they are both facing forward....they should both be facing inwards, so that you can have a starboard tack crapper and a port tack crapper with something to lean against without sliding off the side, which would put less strain on the toilet seat fixings, though some thought needs to go into the way the water level maintains its level as it would fore and aft rather then cheek to cheek...probably more information than you wanted to know, but these are the things which excercise the mind after 2 weeks and you have nothing else to think about. We are also in the planning stages for a design for velcro pygamas/underwear and bed sheets to more securely fix oneself to the beds as the boat rocks and rolls....we think these could be a real winner, albeit for a niche market, and are planning to send the designs to Jean-Paul Gaultier for development. They should fit in well with his next catalogue.

Not much else is new, the sea is blue, the sky has clouds in it, sometimes and sometimes blue too, and the occaisional ship passes by...

And so where are we...?

34 44 S 24 43 E

and sailing along nicely in the Agulas current at 8-9 knots....sweet !

Love from Hot Ice.

Location: 33  15 S  028 32 E

Today is the 13th day of the Journey of the vessel Hot Ice from Mauritius to Cape Town.   For the first time we have now glimpsed the outlines of the South African coast just off our Starboard beam.  Just as we entered the powerful 4.5 knot Agulhas current.   Whereas two weeks ago the crew was a clean shaven half dozen individuals fresh out of sailing school, what we now find on board, is a battle-hardened collection of sea-men each sprouting a beard that would make Captain Haddock proud.

We have run out of instant coffee and have now been forced to move to real coffee.  The very active galley are also very swiftly chopping its way through the last of our fresh vegetables. The crew has eaten most all of the snacks.   On the positive side the eating is still excellent. the winds are more than fair, we are in a favourable current running at 10 knots, crew morale is high, all boat systems are in excellent condition except of course that the chartplotters gps isnt working and hasnt been the entire trip and everybody has found their particular way of sleeping on a heaving, rolling, jawing, rollercoaster.

As I write this sitting at the chart table - Paul is shouting from above: "Hi Daniel, is 10.1 knots a good speed?"  (Hell yeah!)

Highlights from the Ships Log:

Dec 8 20:20 Wind 18 Knots SW, CTS 270 degrees  - Sails out - go you good thing!

Dec 9 0157 Wind 14 Knots WSW, CTS 270 degrees - Shake Reef 1 in Main and Genoa.   Large Container vessel > 50 meter crossing our bow, now passing our starboard side - South Africa is getting close

Dec 9 1220 Wind 10 Knots SW CTS 270 degreees - Daniel caught a Dorado and we saw all the family - babies, husband, cousins - so we decided to let her free!

Special greetings from Daniel, Adam, Paul, Abrie, Jean and Raffa to everyone.

The Wind died during the night, we tried with the screecher (cruising chute for the uninitated)but it didn't helped so we finally put the engine on and Daniel could have is hot shower.  All the crew are quite impatient to see the South African coast (partly 'cos we haven't seen land for 10 days and partly for the damned illusive mobile phone connection..!!) and we're all dying for a cold beer.

(Adam here..) Hello there my friend (the one who is looking at this) All is well onboard, though if a health inspector came in, I suspect he would require fumigation and probably a sheep dip for all of us (apart from Daniel who had his shower this morning..) The sun is shining and we have just had lunch for which I managed to make a half-passable effort at foccacia this morning, what next..?

My bed sheet is hanging out to air today, so it will smell nice and fresh for at least 5 minutes when I use it later....before reverting to its' default.....well, I shall leave it to your imagination. Small things keep you happy here, five minutes of pleasantness is worth a lot.

Anyway, enough inconsequential banter for today...

Location, Location, Location

Today and now we are somewhere in and around the following coordinates..:

32 27 South 31 06 East 

and heading West (magnetic, so about 240 degrees.)

A couple of days of this then a slow righ-ish turn, followed by a chicane around Cape Agulus and the Cape of Storms and on up to Cape Town......easy.

Today marks eleven days at sea, we still have our full wits around us. mind you the wind is doing its damdest to blow it away. Sailing through last night was awesome, doing on average 6 to 7Kts.

The coast is almost upon us. with just under 200Nm now. our current position is 31,40 S 33, 30 E the discussions have being going round as to what an indredible feat it was for the oldies like Christopher and Dias to circum navigate the globe. mind you they did have enough supplies including a budget of loosing a man a day, thank god we still have the adventurous six aboard Hot Ice. None of the boys are suffering from malnutrition or scurvy. however we all are surviving on one shower a week. (we all used to think christmas and birthdays were exciting) a shower now takes the cake. some really serious laughs have done the rounds with discussions like what its going to be like to be able to have a number two, without holding on for your life while you try and squeeze the breath out of yourself. having a number two on board is "breathtaking"

Heres to another night at sea. take care and happy sailing. 

from DA BOYS

Life abroad a 50ft Mono hull has become to say the least a test of patience, we are all praying "god give us patience and we want it NOW" Hell Big Dave had the deffinition of sailing down pat....." going nowhere slowly and at a hell of a cost.

The rat box is begginning to rippen each day we are at sea.

But enough of that. Sailing is a great way to come up with fantastic new ideas, for example washing clothes.... a new technique can be used by taking the big round fender off the back of your boat, punching it full of wholes and the attaching it with a rather strong sheet. (boys dont forget the bowline) you may just loose your shorts on that one.

ok then the fender is tossed over board, emphasis on toss.... now the big question begs, does the fender do a wishy washy or a washy wishy.  well if you all gave the required attention in your lectures with big Dave you would know that being in the southern hemisphere would mean, its a wishy washy....... if you in the north it would be a washy wishy. th boys are all starting to get excited as we approach land... holly crap can there be so much water in one place. ( finding ourselves EVEN MISSING ANTS) looking forward to the sound of birds singing again. now with the change in Captains Kelley has something to stimulate the energy and the excitement of the boys this afternoon.

The wind has completely been blown away,.... thanks to Dewald`s whistle ring tone. (switch it off chop) or change it.

As for hearing from people in this lonely place of water, it would be soooooo very nice getting return mails, of course just so we know that Christa is alive and safe.

Last position to report = 29,19 S 038, 15 E

All bets have been doubled as to the time and day we arrive in cape Town. (everyone that side is welcome to through in there lot and send the dates and times, to increase the drinking kitty for our swifty return,R100 buy in) at this rate with no wind, we may celebrate new year 2014 hahahahaha.

Its been absolutely amazing so far. 

WE ALL LOVE SAILING.........

Lotsa Love Christa and the team from

DA SMELLY BOYS

A new day has dawned!

and alas along with it our wind has begun to die forcing us eventualy to start the donkey, all good things come to and end they say and so

it has for us.

All are still in good spirits though, and the bets are rolling in as to when we will makle cape town, some more optimistic than others. We expect to pick up some more wind tomorrow so all is not lost plus we may just be in for some indoor showers soon seeing as we can now run the water maker, the look of expectancy amongst the crew is to be seen to be believed!!!

Durban is but a hairs breadth away it seems and along with it a sight of our beautiful shores!! woohooo!!!

Hope all of you are in as good spirits as us here!!

Huggs and kisses

The Hot and Spicey crew

28 50 south 39 46 east

Current Location

26 57S 45 35E

Over the last 24 hours we had the best run of our entire ocean crossing. Very strong, yet favourable, winds in combination with brilliant navigation by Daniel to seek out the most convenient currents available have ensured that our speed has been consistently above about 8 knots, sometimes as high as 10 knots and once reaching an amazing 12.1 knots.

"Flying" over the ocean late at night in complete darkness - there was no moon as the sky was covered with clouds - Hot Ice found its groove and for a moment we were suspended in the infinite darkness of the universe with just the creaking of the rigging, the singing of the water past the boat, the determined heeling of our magic carpet bearing relentless forward on its course home, next to us in the cloudy turbulence on the lee side of the boat a billion tiny plankton stars were glittering in fluorescent waves of pixy dust, painting our way across the watery sky as if we were on our very own magic carpet far above everything.  Even time itself lost its meaning.  Ok until we realised there was still about 2 hours of the shift left and the whole boat was snoring.

Altogether at the Captain's handover brunch this morning we could enter into the log that we made 181 Nautical Miles in 24 hours.  Crew morale is good and Paul produced a five star breakfast of thick slices of bacon, scrambled eggs, glorious tomatoes and surprisingly good baked beans.   A fresh loaf of bread was also attempted and proved adequately that Hot Ice was ready and capable to maintain civilisation in any and all conditions. The wonderful cottage pie with peas we had last night was another case in point.

Today the Captaincy was handed over to Jean and for the next three days he will manage and schedule all activities on the boat.

We suspect that our freshwater might be receiving a bit of saltwater contamination thus we will soon have to start running the watermaker.  OUr collect rain in buckets.  Would be nice to be able to do laundry too...

Lots of hugs and kisses from the Hot and Spicy crew (now becoming even more spicey as t-shirts are turned first inside out then back to front in a desperate attempt to maintain crew hygiene).

Current Location:  South East of Coast of Madagascar: S 25 29.39 E 048 28.24

Here in the doghouse (inside/outside) cabin of Hot Ice the crew is good spirits after a few days of fair winds and good eating.  Yesterday we had a fine day of sailing having every piece of sail that could decently be flown up.  This includes the Main sail with no reefs, the Genoa fully deployed Goosewing-Style on the pole as well as the Screecher.

We all had a good time helming the boat and keeping it on a healthy course skirting the outside of Southern Madagascar and then beelining towards Port Elizabeth.   An unfortunate sidce effect of the constant rolling motion of the boat over the past few days of running downwind was varying effects on the sleeping habits of most members of the crew with most crew members only getting a good day's worth of sleep every two days and a lot of gymnastic practice wedging more or less valuable body parts in order to stay in or on the bed.

Otherwise we are no just, just within visual distance of Madagascar we have changed to a comfortable broad reach and with some brisk winds we are making between 6 and 7 knots assisted by the South Equatorial current.  

Paul says that we have a new crew member that hust just been putting stickers on everything on the boat. (Gail will know who this is). Daniel says to tell John "Ahweh". Raffa says a special hello to Justine.

We are fast running out of bananas and Daniel has been initiated into the fine art of banana-bread making.

Daniel is saying we are starting to aquaplane here - we are going so fast we are going to have to throw out the drogue and a few buckets soon...

As I am typing this spotted some Sperm Whales of our starboard beam!

Saying of the day:  "Inkaragemehnt Boom!"

Paul reminded me to include a mention of the butt-naked squatting shower the whole crew had at the stern of the boat:  Basic principle is five buckets of ice cold sea water scoop by assisting crew member over said member, washing all necessary and essential body area, thereafter followed by a rinse of fresh water from a 2 liter plastic Stoney Ginger beer bottle specifically held for this purpose in the Kitchen bilge.

lots of love and kisses from aubrie

  and the hot and spicey crew