Marco Nannini - Ocean Racing

Portsmouth 20th August 2010 - With just over two months to the start of the Route du Rhum 2010 Marco Nannini has successfully completed on UniCredit Class40 the 1000 miles qualifying passage under the observation by the race commitee who monitored his progress during his solo passage last week using the mandatory Mini-C satellite tracking device on board the boat. 

It's been a good ride in all respects, last night i wrote i was at
the longitute of Land's end, now I've passed Start point and Dartmouth
and am heading for the last stretch across to the Isle of Wight, which
i'll have to leave to my left before entering the Solent from the East
and finish in Portsmouth to complete my 1000 miles solo qualifier on
UniCredit for the Route du Rhum 2010.

Keeping awake has been the hardest part, there was plenty of traffic
around and the visibility was dreadful, the night was absolutely pitch
black and at times i had ships one or two miles away which i co

Quick update, wind steady between 32 and 36 knots, it's blowing a
gale! Had my share of fun as the conditions deteriorated, I was merrily
taking some video of the impressive following seas when a wave hit
UniCredit sideways and spun the boat into the wind and onto the other
tack... believe me it gets messy.

I jumped to let the runner off as the battens almost bent over the
runner, eased the sheet and went to let the staysail sheet off and bring
it to the other side...

I enjoyed really nice conditions all day, i'm now about 20 miles from my
turning point where i'll swing UniCredit around and head home.

The forecast is for a tough trip home, there is a low to my west moving
east. The American forecast model and the French one disagree as to its
track for the next 48 hours. The Americas say it'll pass north of me,
the French claim this one to be one of their own and see it going to
Rochebonne where they are putting out a gale warning.

Whichever way you look at it, it means there is a storm brewing which
will bring me lots of wind.