Transpac 2011: Day 2. After the first 24 hours

For most of us, it is probably hard to understand what it is like to
be racing the Transpac. Think of everything you've done in the last 24
hours. How much did you get done? How far did you drive? How many
people did you talk to? How much money did you spend? What did you
eat? We do so much in an average day that it is hard to imagine 24
hours living in a reduced space, doing the same activity, isolated
with 13 other people.

Actually, the ambiance in a regatta is very fast paced because the
crew has to be focused and active all the time. As long as the wind is
blowing, the day goes by very quickly. By now the crew is already
feeling at home in Peligroso. Everyone is getting used to his position
and responsibilities on board and working better as a team. The crew
gets on average 6 hours of sleep and the amenities are not exactly the
St. Regis, but believe me, they are all sleeping like babies, rocked
by the movement of the waves. Sailing the Transpac is also a very
earthly experience. Just imagine, when was the last time that you
watched the sun rise and set in the same day?

Peligroso is getting farther and farther away from the mainland at an
average speed of 9.8 knots. FACT OF THE DAY: A knot equals 1 nautical
mile per hour. As the hours progress the sight of other competing
boats extinguishes... Throughout the first night at sea, the winds
were constant between 15 and 20 knots. On the map, Peligroso RT
appears to be a bit behind its fleet, but worry not! The first leg of
the race is upwind with the winds coming from the north. In the next
few hours Peligroso will reach the area where the winds will come from
the east (behind) and that is how they are expected to remain for the
rest of the race. Peligroso looks and performs its best when sailing
downwind. The crew will be able to finally take out the Spinnaker
(that big, puffy, and colorful sail) and FLY, the way the boat was
designed to.

So far, the boat has not communicated with us. But no news is good
news! Don't worry about them, I am sure that they are all having the
best time.

Since I do not know many of the people on board Peligroso, I thought
it would be a good idea to write a couple lines on each of them so
that we all get a better idea of who our loved ones are sharing this
experience with. Please send me a short description of your loved ones
so that I can share them with everyone in future emails. I will start
us off by describing the only lady on board, my wife Daniela.

Dani Berho is 27. A young woman with strong character and a noble
heart. It is always better to have her on your side! Active is
probably the word that best describes her. She is currently studying
her MBA at IPADE, and working full time at Vesta. She is a very social
person but hates wasting time with meaningless conversations. She is
deep and at the same time so much fun. Sailing means a lot to Dani,
because it makes her feel true to herself and close to her family. She
always feels cold, but she kind of likes it when she has a blanket to
keep her warm. Loves chick flicks, shopping online, yoga, and eating
right (except for chocolates which are her biggest weakness). Her
parents and siblings mean the world to her. She is an awesome friend
and the best possible partner in life.