Tony,

Did send the invite a few hours ago so i suppose I am waiting to recieve a reply from you

So do we all have to pass around the scoring gate off the coast of Brazil?

Its not a scoring gate, but a check point. You must pass to the west of it.

Ok, I'm in now, right next to you Jake

"Frank The Tank" <- Boat Name

For anyone who has not jioned the game yet and wants to, you do not start at the beginning and try to make up all of the distance. they start you at the back of the current pack so that you can make up some of the distance on the leaders. While I think that they could have designed the game better, it still is fun to play anyway.

I wish I knew about it earlier. Me, Blow Boat.

Hey you guys wait up. Let's sail together.... I have RUM!

Man you got offshore quick...i saw pressure in there behind the islands and fell for it briefly before I decided to go back offshore. You're kicking my tail!

We'll wait for you guys at the next stop.

just joined
gettin tacky

Actually going back to the website, their term for the gate is exactly that, a scoring gate.

Would have been a great name for your boat!

Kida cool. I've never passed 4000 boats before .

I was joking before. You guys don't have to wait. Go on, throttle up.

its pretty realistic im losing here too

Freaking doldrums! Stuck there for a day or so now!

Better get used to this, believe they cross the Equator 4 times this Volvo race.

I've just cleared it after also being stuck there for a few days!
Dont forget, if you have never crossed the equator before make sure you perform the appropriate rituals (anything of Fearfactor involving fish or squid will do!)

Not thru yet; but happy that I'm still gaining places; started quite late in the first leg (at about 24500 place) and now up to 10700th

Hopefully this will keep me busy while job hunting!

My wife just joined the race. Her idea of humor her boat name is "monoslug" . Got to love a woman who fly's the kite on a f-18 and likes it.

I've been watching you guys in the doldrums. WOW. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can squeak through with minimum harm.

I gained on those who went before I did but then lost the distance back when I got there. The wind speed through the doldrums is a little better for the next 12 hours than when I got through. the wind south of the doldrums is pretty week, but worse than that, it is solidly out of the SE and that means beating beyond the scoring gate and then bearing off to the SW for the first reach out of there. This makes heading towards the cape a direct upwind issue as in the wind is coming straight from the cape. OH Well, sometimes you gain, sometimes you loose.

[CENSORED] the doldrums!