Blake on dry ground

Press, 13 September 1988, Page 44

Blake on dry ground

PA Wellington Peter Blake and crewman Mike Quilter docked Steinlager in Fremantle overnight at the end of an arduous Third leg in the Around Australia Bicentennial yacht race. The trimaran, which left Darwin 11 days ago, was the first yacht into Fremantle, with the next not expected in until late this morning. Blake said he had been duped by a weather forecaster in Darwin into believing the 1840-mile leg would take no more than six days. Thus their food

and water!- stocks had been depleted to. the,point of rationing. ? \ ; \ “We sat down with a weather forecaster before . we left Darwin V and . he „ said it. would be .a fast run. He practically guaranteed . us. four ■ days of good south-easterly winds,” a tired Blake said . yesterday. “Given his predictions, we thought it would take about six days, which is reasonable speed for a vessel like ours. But instead it was arduous going. We were becalmed six to seven hours a day

and for all but 200-300 miles we were beating into light winds. “We only had 10 days food and water aboard and had begun to think . about rationing Triit - our momentum; picked up slightly the last couple of days.”.—, -f’ Steinlager is due back on to open waters on Saturday. Blake and Quilter, who are both feeling the effects of something akin to jetlag, are planning six days rest and relaxation “with lots of eating and watching television,” in the interim.