26.06.09

Leg Ten Day 2

ERICSSON 3 LEG TEN DAY 2 QFB: received 26.06.09 1535 GMT

Minefield

Today “Life at the Extreme” got yet another meaning. We are getting closer to the finish and it’s not the weather, winds, waves or speed that are extreme. Not even the environment surrounding us is something I would raise my eyebrows for. But, a look in the sea chart does… It even makes me nervous. Not the least after I heard about our navigator Aksel Magdahl’s experiences from the area.

It is warning signs with “MINEFIELD”! Well well, that’s probably some old info; the mines should be gone and cleared out by now, someone said. Well, it is not quite like that.

“When I was sailing to St Petersburg with the 60 feet trimarans in the Oops Cup 2006 we were very close to sailing straight into a big mine. We were gybing and saw the mine just when the manoeuvre was over and with very little distance we managed to not hit it”, Aksel Magdahl says.

We are now in the same area and Aksel just went up on deck telling the guys to keep an extra eye open for strange objects in the water.

Gustav Morin - MCM