August 8, 2001

Transgascogne Race

The Transgascogne race was the best one of the season. The conditions were perfect for practicing high-speed down wind surfing. We were sailing the boat conservatively because the new rig was not set up right, the D2's were too short and we were not able to properly tension the upper cap shrouds. We also had some problems with halyard chafe and a broken bobstay. We still were surfing up to 14 knots.

I sailed the Transgascogne with Katie Butlin who lives in Bristol, Rhode Island. She owns a Mini Transat boat called Josephine and is campaigning to sail in the 2003 Mini Transat race. It was great to have her on board for the spinnaker runs. The excelleration of the mini surfing wave after wave was an AWESOME experience.

We finished the 2nd leg of the race, 5 seconds behind a Pogo (one design). Yes, seconds matter even in a 250-mile race.

Katie and I were awarded the 1st place trophy for the Double-Handed Women's Division. We were the only pair of women racing so I felt a little silly taking the prize but it was a very kind gesture from the race committee.

-- Gale

The Spaniards know how to party. Katie and I sailed into Gijon at 3:30 am and were welcomed by 20 partiers demanding that we tie up the boat and leave it immediately to have a drink in the La Habana bar, a five-minute walk away. Now I know why they take that long siesta in the afternoon.

-- Gale

July 12, 2001

Hartoft Marine Survey, Ltd. Sponsors Demi-Cle and Transgascogne Races

Hartoft Marine Survey, Ltd., is the Title Sponsor for the Demi-Cle and the Transgascogne races. Peter Hartoft, the founder of the company, came to the United States in 1972 from Copenhagen, Denmark. He initially worked as a boat builder and then as a yacht broker before becoming a marine surveyor in 1978. His goal was to "provide a better survey service." Within a short period of time, Peter Hartoft became known as one of the best surveyors on the East Coast of the United States.

Hartoft Marine Survey, Ltd., specializes in surveys of power boats and sail boats from 20 feet to over 100 feet. Most of the surveys are conducted in the mid-Atlantic region; however, surveys have also been conducted in other locations in the United States, Canada, Spain and the Caribbean.

For more information about Hartoft Marine Survey, Ltd, call 800 438-2827.

June 21, 2001

Alertness Strategies

For the month of May, Dr. Claudio Stampi provided me with two Actiwatches, one for me and one for the boat to aid in a study to identify my circadian sleep pattern and come up with a strategy to maximize my alertness during the Mini Transat race. Dr. Stampi analyzed the data from the 30 day period and today we reviewed the information.

He found a distinct pattern of "shallow sleep" from 0400 to 0600 local time indicated by the movement recorded on the Actiwatch. I will adjust the times of my sleep to take advantage of that pattern.

During the qualifier races, the longest I slept was 20 minutes. Most of my sleep was in 10 minute intervals or shorter. My alertness level was very low after a few days of this. During the Mini Transat, I will increase my polyphasic sleep time once I am clear of the dangers of the coast, shipping traffic and the other competitors.

We also identified a need to regenerate the sleep batteries more effectively when I become sleep deprived by perhaps taking a two hour nap in the afternoon and then sleeping longer in the evening when appropriate.

I kept a log during the study to help clarify the information gathered by the Actiwatches. At one point, the boat watch was recording very little movement but my movement appeared frantic. This was a time when their was no wind and I was going through my sail inventory trying to gain an inch or two on the competition.

You can map out your own circadian sleep pattern by keeping a log of when you sleep and when you are awake and how alert you are at different times of the day. You should also record alcohol, caffeine and food consumption so you know when your alertness is altered by chemical substances.

If you would like more information about Alertness Training, contact Dr. Claudio Stampi at stampi@harvarda.harvard.edu

-- Gale

June 20, 2001

Sixth TransAtlantic

I am making my sixth Trans-Atlantic crossing in two months. While waiting at the gateway for the cargo to be loaded on the jet at the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, the Captain says, "It's a great day for flying." I have a good view of the Channel Islands off the north coast of France and beyond that lots of puffy fair weather clouds.

Eight hours later I am in Boston renting a car from the no-frills here's-the-keys-and-a-map-see-ya-later rental company. I am experiencing culture shock of a city in a big hurry. It's only 7 pm Eastern Standard Time but I'm still on French time and it's 1 am. I've been traveling for 16 hours on buses, trains and planes leaving La Trinite sur Mer at 9 in the morning.

I'm out of the rental place and into my compact car headed for the Mass Turnpike with aggressive drivers swerving in and out around me and trying to cut me off. I step on the gas and before I know it, I am with the Boston traffic flow swerving in and out, too.

I am on my way to Dr. Claudio Stampi's house in Newton, a suburb of Boston. He has offered a guest room to me for the night. Tomorrow we will be reviewing the Alertness Study we conducted during the qualifier races in May. When I conversed with Dr. Stampi over a month ago, I asked him if his house was easy to find. He replied, "Yes, it's easy. They will give you a map and directions when you pick up your rental car."

As I turn off the Mass Turnpike at the Newton exit, the sky is turning blue-black with thunderstorm clouds. I call Dr. Stampi from my mobile phone and he gives me directions to his house. "Easy," he says.

Now the rain is coming down in torrents and the street signs are very difficult to read. I turn onto Beacon Street and the sky lights up with a flash of lightning. A branch has fallen down across the road and I can barely get by. I can't find Oak Vale Drive. I see a pizza shop up on the left so I park the car and go into the shop and ask for directions. The man behind the counter pulls out a detailed laminated map of the city and we find the street. I am only a mile away. I arrive at Dr. Stampi's house two hours after renting the car, normally, a 30 minute drive.

Hey, it's only 3 o'clock in the morning in France.

-- Gale

Today the boat was hauled out of the water and the mast was unstepped. Technique Greement took the mast to their shop where it will be replaced. According to the rules of the French Mini Classe, the mast must be replaced with an identical mast or I will be required to re-do my qualifier miles with the new style rig. That rule must be to prevent those with deep pockets from making lots of modifications throughout the season and gaining an unfair advantage, an attempt to keep with the "spirit of the mini" to make it affordable for the non-professional sailor.

My boat will be stored in La Trinite sur Mer for the next month while I return to the US to work (surveying boats) and to continue my search for a Title Partner.

-- Gale

June 18, 2001

Three New Suppliers

Phenomenal support from the marine industry! Three new suppliers have Joined the Team to support our Team US Challenge for the 2001 Mini Transat; New England Ropes, Navtec and Dimension Polyant. We chose these companies for their superior quality and service and as official suppliers, they have put their confidence us. We are really glad to have them on board.

For more information about each of these companies you can access their websites from here.

New England Ropes

Navtec

Dimension Polyant Sailcloth

-- Gale

This just in: Gale has been officially accepted in the Mini Transat! She is the only American competing.

Below is an email from a friend in the UK regarding which boats and skippers have made it.

May 17, 2001

On Saturday, May 20,the Mini Pavois starts in La Rochelle, France, from which the Mini Transat itself will leave four months later. The Mini Pavois is a new race and it should give participants a chance to fulfill the new, tougher criteria for qualifying for the MT2001. The course runs up the coast of south Brittany and through the tidal gates at Pointe du Raz and Chenal du Four. There will be little chance to relax after this as the busy shipping lanes have to be negotiated to cross the Channel. The race breaks in Portsmouth, England, before heading back south across the Channel. After negotiating the Channel Islands the second leg finishes in St Quay Portrieux in the Gulf of St. Malo.

See a chart of the regatta course

May 11, 2001

Gale reported in this week from Pornichet, France, where she had recently finished the 300-mile Select 6.50 race, an important part of her qualification process for the 2001 Mini-Transat Race.

A total of 59 singlehanded sailors from around the world started the Select 6.50, which began Saturday morning, May 5, at Pornichet, on the Bay of Baule near the mouth of the Loire River, and took the fleet on a course around a series of islands and shoals before returning to Pornichet to finish.

In Gale's class, the ultralight but sail-heavy Prototypes with the liquid ballast or canting keels, 29 boats started in 25-30 knots of breeze from the northeast, according to Christophe Guigueno of Seasailsurf Magazine. The first two over the finish line were Corentin Douguet and Ronan Guérin, who was helming a brand new design by Sebastian Magnen, winner of the last Mini-Transat.

The leading boats were around Ile d'Yeu at dawn and Guérin, known for his success in the famous Figaro solo series, continued to lead as the fleet rounded Belle-Ile about noon on Sunday.

Guérin in "L'Artisanat" won the race in 36 hours and 18 minutes, an average speed of 8.3 knots, finishing shortly after midnight on Monday. The second finisher was Simon Curwen of Great Britain at the helm of QDS, a 1999 Lombard design built and steered by Lionel Lemonchois in the last Mini-Transat. The first woman to finish was Karen Leibovici of France sailing the Magnen-designed "Karen Liquid" to claim sixth, while countrymate Jeanne Grégoire ended seventh and Samantha Davies of the UK finished ninth.

Eight sailors dropped out the first day of the race, one after a collision at the start with Karen Liquid.By the finish, a total of 11 had abandoned the race.

Gale finished 21st in her class of 29 starters with a course time of 48 hours, 27 minutes. The Select 6.50, sponsored by the Cercle Nautique of La Baule & Pornichet, was Gale's first regatta competing against Europe's top singlehanded Mini Class contenders on their home waters. The European sailors have been training extensively against each other since last year, and competed in a number of races on the Mediterranean over the winter to further tune their skills. Many have completed prior Mini-Transat races.

The Mini Class is a passion in Europe, unlike the United States where it is practically unknown.

Gale reported a widely varying breeze ranging from 12 to 25 knots and shifting in direction as the sailors progressed around the course. Gale found the race to be almost entirely a beat, also involving a great deal of reefing and unreefing to meet changes in wind speed. "You had to be very alert as far as navigation went," she said, "because of the shoals, the islands, the other racing boats, fishing boats, and ships." Gale estimated that during the 48 hours, 27 minutes it took her to complete the race, she was able to sleep a total of only about four hours.

"I have a lot of room for improvement," she said, "but now that I know the level of the racers who are out there, I'll push myself harder," she said.

The finish was especially difficult as the water shoaled radically as Gale approached the finish area. Fearing a grounding, she turned back out to try again; when the same thing occurred a second time, she turned away and finally sailed into the harbor.

Gale said she also was somewhat handicapped by concern for her running backstays, which are on their last legs. They were due to be replaced before this race, but circumstances prevented it. New England Ropes is shipping the line to France for her, and, by happy coincidence upon her arrival at the finish in Pornichet, Gale met Olivier Cusin, the man who built her current running backstays for the boat's original owner. Cusin, who operates Blew Stoub on Ile de Groix and is widely known for his splicing ability, has kindly offered to make up new ones for her before her next race.

The next and final qualifier race on Gale's schedule is the 700-mile Mini-Pavois, May 20-27, which begins in La Rochelle and has a brief stopover in Portsmouth, England, before returning to Saint-Quay-Portrieux on the Gulf of St. Malo.

Website for the Select 6.50 (in French only)

Also see this site for coverage (mostly in French, some English) with photos
and a page dedicated to the Mini Class.

After completing a five-day refresher course on celestial navigation aboard a super-deluxe offshore ferry out of England, Gale was headed to France to pick up her boat and get it trucked to La Trinite sur Mer for a race. Here's her report--

Apr. 11, 2001

I am back at Telecom France to find out why I can not call out to the US on my mobile. It turns out that the Mobicard system does not work for international calls. But there is no one here who can speak English well enough to sort this out so I must come back tomarrow.

I had a bout of food poisoning last night and did not have a very fun time. I'm still feeling awful.

I met with Isabelle, the secretary of the French Classe Mini, yesterday to get all my applications for the races sorted out. I have to go back tomarrow to pay.

My boat is delayed another day so it will not be in La Trinitè sur Mer until tomarrow. It doesn't give me much time. I will just do the necessary to get it in the water as soon as possible.

Now I have to go to Auray to find the laundromat. The one in La Trinitè is only open from 0900-1230.

--Gale

Mar. 20, 2001

Sleep Management with Dr. Claudio Stampi, Director of the Chronobiology Research Institute in Boston, Massachusetts

Dr. Claudio Stampi was a very important element in Ellen MacArthur's performance in the solo ocean racing circuit with her win of the 2000 Europe 1 New Man Star (OSTAR) and her 2nd place finish in the 2000-2001 Vendee Globe on her Open 60 sailboat, Kingfisher.

I will be working closely with Dr. Stampi in the upcoming MiniTransat race starting with the preliminary work of monitoring my sleep patterns while on shore and in the solo training races I will be participating in during the month of May in the Bay of Biscay in France. We will also be monitoring my sleep during the MiniTransat race and posting the information with commentary here, on our website.

You will be able to experience what I am going through during the race and learn a lot about seep management. For an example of Dr. Stampi's work, you can have a look at Ellen's sleep page.

In order to monitor my sleep, I will be using two Actiwatches (wrist-worn microcomputers), one for me and one for the boat. I will be keeping a detailed log of my sleep and alertness including my activities. At the end of the training races in May, I will return the watches and the log to Dr. Stampi and he will analyze the information and consult with me on the best times to rest and the best times to make critical decisions.

Reducing fatigue will allow me to push the boat harder and think more clearly to make the best decisions for finishing ahead of the competition. With this added knowledge, my chances for winning the next MiniTransat race will have sky rocketed.

Through this study, you can learn to define your own sleep signature giving you the power to perform your best. Whether you are interested in getting ahead of the competition or just feeling more alert when you are awake, you will want to tune in to the updates on sleep management.

If you are interested in helping fund this aspect of the campaign, please contact me or my project manager, Kathy Weber.

--Gale

Mar. 20, 2001

Big Dog to the Rescue

Dan Steadly from Big Dog Marine Trucking in Charleston acted on my behalf to get the cradle reconstructed and the boat to Wallenius Shipping Lines for the Mar 22 departure deadline. Dan consulted with Shawn Cannon at the Cannon-Halsey Boatyard regarding the standard dimensions for the cradle to fit on various shipping platforms and trucks.

I received a call from Dan this afternoon and he was at the port waiting to unload my boat. He instructed the guys at the shipyard to "take good care of my baby". When I asked Dan to send me a bill, he refused to accept any payment but said, "Win the race."

With guys like Dan, how can I lose?

--Gale

Feb. 20, 2001

Qualifier Officially Accepted Today

I received an email message from the French Classe Mini.

Dear Gale,

Your 1000 miles qualifer are accepted.

Best regards,
Isabelle Pauvers
Secretariat de la Classe Mini

As soon as I read the message, I punched my arms into the air in the victory sign and shouted a big "YES!" I think the entire neighborhood heard my cheer!

--Gale

Feb. 16, 2001

Arrival at Consolidated Yachts with the Cradle

One week ago, I was rushing around trying to get a new base built for the cradle. The old base didn't survive the trucking when coming into the country last spring and the truck company had to abandon it when it started to fall apart with the boat in it during the transport from Miami to Annapolis. Petrini's Shipyard came to my rescue and put together a sturdy wooden base within two days from when I dropped off the cradle. They did a fantastic job.

I was hoping to send the cradle to Florida with an Annapolis sailor trucking his boat to Florida for an upcoming race, but that fell through and I was scrambling to find another way to get the cradle to Miami.

I woke up on Wednesday, February 14th, with a crazy idea in my head. I was running out of time to get the cradle to Miami, put it together and get the boat on it to be shipped to France. I planned to fly to Miami for the Miami Boat Show leaving Annapolis at 5:15 am the next morning. Because I waited too long to book my flight, I was paying top dollar and flying into Fort Lauderdale, 30 miles north of Miami.

I called a car rental facility to check on renting a pick-up truck and the rate including the gasoline was less than my airfare. So I canceled my flight, rented the truck and packed up the cradle in the late afternoon. After getting all my paperwork done and running 6 zillion errands, I crashed at 10 pm for a short nap.

By 2 am, I was on the road with 1,150 miles to go. About 100 miles into the trip, with a crescent moon in the sky and truckers whizzing by, it dawned on me what I was doing. I thought, "I really am obsessed. This is nuts." Seventeen hours later, I checked into a motel room in Sebastian, Florida, with 3 hours to go to get to Miami. I would have continued on to Consolidated Yachts but I didn't know if there would be a guard at the locked gate to let me in.

My alarm went off at 4 am this morning and within a half hour I was back on the road, not really ready to battle the rush hour traffic but I needed to get to Miami for the boat show. I arrived at the gates of Consolidated Yachts at 8 am after stopping at my favorite Cuban bakery for a cup of café con leche and an empanada.

—Gale Browning

Feb. 10, 2001

Eastport Yacht Club Commodore's Ball

Tonight I was a special guest at the annual Eastport Yacht Club Commodore's Ball. Scott Burge, the Commodore, wanted to surprise the members with a sailing video spotlighting my campaign for the 2001 Mini-Transat Race. Between dinner and dancing, I was called up to the stage for a short interview by the Commodore while the video played on a big screen in the background.

Scott presented me with a very generous check from the EYC board. It was a wonderful evening and many of the members came up to me after the interview to wish me well and to offer support.

I want to give a special thank you to all the EYC members that have already given me so much in time, advice and financial aid to help win the 2001 Mini-Transat.

Behind every great solo sailor is an exceptional team of supporters.

—Gale Browning

Jan. 27, 2001

Sleep Management

Usually, falling asleep at a seminar is frowned upon. But at this seminar, we were encouraged to fall asleep. A diverse group of 10 sailors attended the seminar ranging in experience from zero offshore single-handed sailing to winning the Open 50 Class of the 1998-99 Around Alone Race. We found ourselves curled up on the floor with our favorite blankets and pillows after the lunch break. Dr. Claudio Stampi, better known as "Dr. Sleep" was giving us a live demonstration of what a short nap can do for you.

Why do we need to sleep? In other words, how does sleep rid our bodies of the sleep toxins that build up over time? No one knows for sure but here are some of the effects of sleep deprivation: poor decisions, lack of concentration, mood swings, disorientation, illusions, and an altered state of consciousness.

We all have a brain clock that works on cycles: 365 days in a year, 28 days for the moon phases, 24 hours in a day, 90 minute cycles of alertness, 6 seconds for every breath, 1 second for every heart beat.

There are many factors that affect sleep loss such as prior sleep amount, length of time awake, light, noise, temperature, exercise, drugs, motivation, age and experience. We can learn to reduce the time we sleep.

Polyphasic sleep patterns are evident in several animals for survival such as cats, dogs, pigs, horses etc. They all take short naps throughout the day and night. By waking up periodically, the animal can check his environment for predators. By waking up only briefly, sleep inertia continues and falling back to sleep happens much quicker than if you become active when you awake.

Through his studies, Dr. Claudio Stampi has identified sleep "signature" in his clients. By identifying these signatures, he can advise the client when and how long he/she should sleep to be alert for an upcoming task.

Here are a few alertness tips for you.

1. Trust your instincts.
2. Pay attention to your own rhythms of alertness and sleepiness.
3. Introduce checkpoints in your routine (the brain likes predictability).
4. Regularity helps the brain to predict & be more efficient.
5. Identify ideal nap durations.
6. Identify when you are more alert; late at night or in the morning?
7. Perform your most difficult tasks when you are most alert.

—Gale Browning

Jan. 13, 2001

Second Place in Fort Lauderdale-Key West Race

We arrived in Key West this morning crossing the finish line at 04:35:27. The cold Arctic wind was blowing 15-20 knots out of the NW for a chilly finish. The temperature was in 30's (F) and the weather guy on the VHF radio was broadcasting a wind chill warning. Did you know that more people have died from the cold in Florida than from hurricanes?

It was a pretty disappointing race for us as far as the wind direction was concerned. We were sailing to weather all 160 miles. We were hoping to use the asymmetrical spinnaker in the predicted light E winds and sail past all the big boats to win the race. Unfortunately, the wind had already shifted to a southerly direction for the start and we became painfully aware of a gap in our sail plan as we sailed under powered with the jib because of a little bit too much wind for the Code 0.

It was a challenging race as we tacked back and forth in a narrow band of 30-40 feet of water between the reefs on our starboard and the 3 to 4 knot current from the Gulfsteam on our port and a tidal current trying to suck us into the reef. Near Conch Reef sometime after midnight on the first day out, we encountered an uncharted 15' tower to our port. We were looking for a nun in the vicinity that was supposed to be on our starboard marking a reef. We were able to shoot above the platform and two big mooring buoys to narrowly escape a horrible grounding in the coral.

© Photo Copyright 2001 www.spruance.com

The race started on Thursday and by Friday morning we were drifting near Sombero Key, 80 miles from the finish. My crew, Katie Butlin and Phil Mesure were ready to throw in the towel after about 4 hours of going nowhere. If there would have been an engine on board, I think they may have mutinied. The wind finally filled in out of the NW as the high pressure system moved in.

The awards ceremony, held at Kelly's Caribbean Bar-Grill & Brewery in Key West, included Mount Gay Rum and Conch Fritters. To my surprise, I was awarded a trophy for 2nd place in PHRF D.

—Gale Browning