Position: 41º 02.825 N x 71º 27.061 W
Course: 358° True
Speed: 5.1 kts

Entrance Qualifications, 8.2: Entrants qualifying as Skippers on both or either leg are required to complete a singlehanded passage in open ocean water (for example heading south from the entrance of Narragansett Bay for at least half the minimum distance and half the minimum number of hours) – under sail and by wind power only – of not less than 100 miles in length and in duration of not less than 30 hours aboard the yacht they will enter into the BERMUDA ONE-TWO.
It is with these instructions in mind that Phil set out for his first solo sail aboard Fearless yesterday. He had carefully watched weather forecasts in advance, looking for conditions that would allow him to test different sail configurations and the overall readiness of the boat, himself, and the communications systems that we use to share our voyages with our followers. He set out from Narragansett Bay in the morning, with winds between 15-20kts (gusting to 30 during a brief thunderstorm) and sailed south southeast, closed hauled, which led to a bouncy first several hours, through waves that had built from the winds. This gave him a chance to test out reefing both the mains’l and the jib, as well as the water ballast, which offsets the heel of the boat.
Overnight, he worked into his napping schedule, sleeping for 20-40 minutes at a time, waking to check for other vessels as well as wind conditions. Around 10:30pm ET he turned around and headed downwind, testing different sails. Lowering and raising them single-handed is much different than with one or more additional crew on board!
The morning brought a beautiful sunrise, lighter breezes, and flatter seas. He welcomed the day with a breakfast of freeze-dried chicken and mashed potatoes and is continuing to rack up the hours and miles towards qualifying for the Bermuda 1-2. Phil is expecting to get back to the slip late afternoon today, with another step taken towards getting to the start line on June 2nd!
Follow the final hours of the voyage, using our boat tracker.
Learn more about the race and stayed tuned for more details on the Facebook Lives we’re planning to broadcast for the beginning and end of the race, in Newport, RI.
