Recife to Antigua
Posted by Graham Cox
The wind increased until it was blowing quite freshly, the sea was right on the beam, and every once in a while, a wave lopped aboard and wet the pages of the book I was reading. I had to roll a reef in the mainsail a couple of times, and the staysail was quite big enough for a headsail these days.
John Guzzwell, upon reaching the NE trade winds aboard TREKKA, enroute from Cape Town to the Caribbean. Excerpt from Trekka Round the World.
At the end of week 8, the MGR fleet was approaching the Atlantic doldrums off the coast of South America. A few days later, they were through that vexing area, with the squalls and calms behind them, and were roaring north in the NE trade winds, reliving the conditions encountered by John Guzzwell in 1959. One significant difference, one that yet again illustrates the impact Starlink has had on the MGR and voyaging in general, is the route the MGR fleet has taken.
They are all sailing further west than the rhumb line, in order to take advantage of the currents shown on the Windy app, with the leading boats choosing to sail very close to the South American coast, chasing the currents, with lighter, more favourable winds predicted in the days ahead. As a consequence, they are once again making very fast daily runs.
Guzzwell, sailing further east on the route advised by Ocean Passages of the World, probably encountered an adverse current, and took 37 days to cover the 3000 miles from Ascension Island to Barbados. One also has to take into account TREKKA’s lack of a windvane self-steering unit or autopilot. He hand-steered during the day, then at night dropped the mainsail and continued under mizzen and staysail.
But first, the MGR fleet had to get through the doldrums.
On 24 February, Christian noted, “Smooth sailing in gentle waves, with a nice current almost in the right direction. Squalls are getting stronger though, and sail changes become more and more necessary. I have seen some lightning during the nights but nothing too concerning so far. Cloudy over the past few days with little possibility to charge the batteries. I spend a lot of time in the cockpit, enjoying the last days of the MGR and reflecting on the journey.”
On 27 February he posted an update. “The squalls with 40+ knots and lots of rain are gone for now. We are going pretty much upwind but are making good progress due to the currents. Lots of movement in the boat. I try not to do too much damage to my shoulders.” It is quite remarkable to see ARGO here, and Christian still so resolute, knowing all the challenges he has faced, from serious skin conditions, a damaged shoulder that will eventually require surgery, electrical charging issues, rigging failures, etc.
Josh made some amusing reflections a week into the race. “The days have been pleasant enough, with enjoyable beam-reaching in moderate winds. The nights on the other hand have found me drifting in non-existent wind and pouring rain. Currently hard on the wind with feelings of nostalgia for my passage from the US to Antigua last January.” The he added, “I’m looking forward to going upwind, he said. I’m tired of downwind sailing, he said. I’m definitely eating those words today.”
On 02 March he sent this update, “This passage has proven to be what we call ‘the sting in the tail’, as no part of it has been easy. Today we are enjoying 30-knot winds and are still managing to make 6 knots (boat speed over the ground) with the main down and the jib double-reefed. Combine that with the large mats of sargassum needing to be cleared from the rudder, and likely the keel, make for tough going. Fortunately, my previous experience in the Atlantic has prepared me for this, but I can’t help but feel a bit foolish for hoping for a nice, mellow, final passage to the finish.”
On 26 February, Susan Harrison posted, “Jasmine has crossed the Equator again and is now back in the Northern Hemisphere! After toasting Neptune, she is hoping for improved conditions. Over the last 48 hours, she’s been surrounded by squalls with torrential rain, and either too much wind or too little wind. She’s been knocked down and had the cockpit full of water. The squalls arrive in seconds and some last for hours and it’s been pretty horrible. One of her sails has torn and she’s exhausted, and is so ready to get to Antigua. One highlight though has been more dolphins and a whale off the bow.”
Another update on 28 February stated, “Conditions continue to be really tough on this leg from Brazil to Antigua. For the fourth night in a row, Jasmine has been hit with extremely heavy squalls lasting all night, making progress very difficult, and the sailing very challenging. The weather forecast said she should be done with the squalls by now, but they are still there. Yesterday she was on track for a 130-mile day, but it ended up being 20 miles short of that. She’s experiencing every condition from high winds to no winds, torrential rain and 3m waves crashing over NUMBATOU constantly.
“NUMBATOU is fully heeled-over. In order to go into the cockpit to make adjustments, Jasmine has to time the waves to open the hatch, and when in the cockpit, is subject to being drenched from head to toe, eyes stinging from the salt water and spitting it out of her mouth. She says it’s all really unpleasant (and that’s from a swimmer who likes being in the water!). Inside the cabin, her time is spent hunkered down on the high-side bunk trying to keep the boat on as steady a course as possible, and sailing as close to the wind as possible.
“She’s seen no sun for days now, it’s overcast and pretty miserable. This all means that she is very sleep-deprived, and actually can’t wait to get to Antigua, then home to cuddle her dogs! ETA into Antigua is still very unpredictable with over 1200 miles still to go.”
In a post on the MGR Entrants WhatsApp page, Jasmine said, “I hate squalls. They don’t like to at least kiss you first out here, do they? Six-hour battle last night, with the cockpit flooded from being knocked down. NUMBATOU couldn’t even handle a reefed jib, so a very slow, wet, tiring night. The only plus – I have seen whales and dolphins.”
Later she said, “We don’t like upwind. First night last night without being beaten up by squalls and today the sun has actually shone! Moral might be increasing from today, especially since the countdown is on. Even if it takes me two weeks from now, it’s only two weeks out of 15 months! Antigua is not going anywhere and I am still making progress. Only doing an around-the-world race can make 1000 nm seem not very far…”
Susan’s most recent report on 02 March stated, “The sun has finally made an appearance over NUMBATOU after days of squalls and heavy cloud cover. Instantly morale is boosted! The seas are calmer, so much so that Jasmine can leave the hatch door open for more than 3 seconds without getting water in the cabin.
“With just under 1000 miles to go now, Antigua is almost within reach. The potentially hazardous area across the mouth of the Amazon, with all its associated debris, has been safely crossed and she’s now off the coast of French Guiana. There will still be plenty of challenges to deal with – from route planning, to take advantage of currents but not head too far west (to avoid even more beating into the wind later), to sailing as close to the wind as possible to maintain direction, to avoiding huge streams of sargassum seaweed. It’s the start of the ‘yellow weed road’ to Antigua, which will happily wrap itself around the rudder and keel.
“Jasmine has also had big shipping close by, one on a direct course coming up behind her, but radio contact was made and they diverted safely around her. Progress is faster now and things are good on board NUMBATOU.”
Unfortunately, Adam missed his scheduled call this week, but made a brief comment earlier in the week. “LITTLE WREN delighted to be back in the northern hemisphere. After a gentle start to this 2300-mile passage, squalls and strong winds are the order of the day.”
He later noted, “All well on LITTLE WREN. Some unexpected light winds yesterday slowed progress but we are back to full power again. Five days of sailing into headwinds has been a big change to the two weeks run we had from Saint Helena. LITTLE WREN says she can see Antigua already.”
Aboard PETER PUNK, Pilar posted, “The storm I went through was the strongest in intensity and duration I’ve ever experienced. Visibility was zero all night due to the amount of rain and humidity. To avoid having my wetsuit inside the boat, I would go out into the cockpit wearing as little clothing as possible, then come back in and dry off with a towel. The humidity is almost always above 90%!” PETER PUNK continues to hold onto 2nd position, close on the heels of CAPUCINETTE.
Jakub recorded that BIBI was, “Fighting hard to cut through the doldrums. Not bad so far and most of the rain avoided, but this afternoon got very heavy rain and a squall of 30 knots. Thankfully from behind, and we rode it under A7 for half an hour. One hand steering and other catching some rain. When the wind slowed down, I got my shampoo and had a very good shower. I also managed to wash my t-shirts and pants. Evening brought nice NE breeze we continue our progress beam reaching.” He’d earlier commented in a video that his body and clothing were getting smelly!
He later reported, “BIBI is moving along peacefully. She was built for this weather. Keeps me dry and safe so I can enjoy proper sailing conditions. Bit bumpy alright but steady in pace. Still manage to cook proper food and have plenty of time to read.”
It was amusing to hear his reaction to Ertan’s claim that TREKKA was the best-built boat in the fleet. “No, it is BIBI and ARGO!” he stated emphatically. These skippers are all proud of their little ships, as they have every right to be. TREKKA, with its Sparcraft mast and Dyeform standing rigging, may be better-rigged.
On 02 March, Jakub posted, “North Atlantic – it’s not just a pond – always demands full respect. From yesterday, we have had 20 knot winds and 3-metre waves. Now got a bit calmer so I can make some food and video.”
Eric reported from SUNBEAR on 24 February. “Not much sleep last night with the rain and wind all over the place. Chugging along slowly.” On the 27th, he posted an update. “Moving along. Had 24 hours of squalls and rain, some to 45 knots. All is well on SUNBEAR.” His partner and manager, Brenda Marsh, posted that he was finding it hard to sleep, due to the heat and motion of the boat.
On 26 February, a report from Dan stated, “Pulled a muscle or something in my back yesterday, which has made it difficult to get out of my bunk over the past 24 hours. With the awkward sea-state, it’s also been difficult to rest – but will no doubt be up and about again soon! Thought I’d nearly got away with the whole lap without doing an injury but alas it wasn’t to be.”
On 28 February he said, “The countdown is on! IMMORTAL GAME is now under 1,000 nautical miles to the finish line, and I am starting to really look forward to my arrival in Antigua.
“I am also starting to get my mobility back, which is great, and we recently passed the mouth of the Amazon, so I am now starting to keep an eye out for logs and other debris. (The current would carry the debris north.) At this stage, it is just sea grass (and lots of it) that tends to catch on the rudder, Hydrovane, and keel, which is annoying. Other than that, tonight I will finally be leaving Brazilian waters and moving into the waters of French Guyana. Onward we go!”
On 02 March, he posted an update, “Another eventful day at the office. Today has been spent dealing with squalls and trying to dodge massive amounts of sargassum seaweed which likes to wrap around the keel, rudder and Hydrovane! At one stage whilst having lunch, I even thought I hit a sandbank when I went through a whole field of it which made the boat speed go from 6 knots to 2 knots.
“Other than that, I had a visit from a local fishing boat, a giant sea turtle and dolphins, and am currently moving through the waters of Suriname, trying to ride the Guyana current up into the Caribbean. Now just over 700 nm to go to the finish .”
Ertan had slipped back to 7th place, as he predicted he would do earlier, once the wind and waves picked up (he likes to stay dry in his cabin), but was still sounding upbeat. “TREKKA had clouds, calms and rain yesterday; night brought beautiful sailing conditions lit up by the moon.”
Sailing further west than the rest of the fleet, Keri had clawed his way back to 6th position on 27 February, and by 2000 UTC on 02 March was holding 5th place. “While pundits ponder plaudits,” he posted, “Neptune takes a dim view of Hubris, and admonished the fleet with some nasty squalls as we crawled out of the Southern Hemisphere. I made my peace with him, sharing a tot of rum during the Middle Watch as ORIGAMI recrossed the Equator. Today we are rewarded with brisk trade winds and a surprisingly large swell. What a difference a day makes… Gone too is my fever; only a chesty cough and fatigue remain. It’s good to be focused on the chase again.”
Once through the doldrums and into the NE trade winds, Renaud said, “Hello. CAPUCINETTE is playing leapfrog on the road, constantly bouncing off the waves. 1300 miles to go. I am going to end up like the Dahu – with one leg shorter than the other. CAPUCINETTE and I are twitching our whiskers, getting closer and closer to the stable.”
Renaud is obviously feeling happy to be closing in on Antigua, though he is not one to let down his guard until safely in port, preferably first! On 02 March he said, “Another beautiful day begins! (He then posted the emoji equivalent of ‘ha, ha, ha’). Sun shower, manoeuvres, changes of sails, rain and riot!! Basically, a grain (a mile?) every quarter an hour. Nothing but happiness on CAPUCINETTE. A+ on the bus.”
Radio propagation was poor this week, so all my calls suffered badly. The quality of the reports below reflect this, as it was sometimes difficult to hear what was said clearly, and my usual AI ‘voice to text’ transcription tool turned much of the recordings into stream of consciousness gibberish, or even more amusing, rendered it into Chinese Hanzi (I kid you not)!
When Keri called, he had been sailing so close to the South American coast that he joked he was getting a geography lesson as he sailed past, having never been sure of the exact order of some of those small countries. The winds had fallen a bit lighter than they had been, but he was expecting them to pick up again soon.
He was beam-reaching past Cayenne, with one reef in the mainsail and the A7 flying. He planned to shake out the reef and resume hand-steering once the call was over. He said that the motion was pretty wild, and he might furl the A7 and hoist the jib later, when the wind increased. ORIGAMI was sailing close to the continental shelf, plus the wind was blowing across the current, which probably accounted for the boisterous sea-state.
One of the big questions about the course he has taken (along with Renaud, Pilar and Dan), is whether they will find themselves so far to leeward of Antigua that they will need to tack back up to the rhumb line. The great attraction of sailing so far west is the significant boost they are getting from a favourable ocean current.
Keri said, “No, I think it’ll be a fetch, with the wind just forward of the beam, or a beam reach. Plus, the wind should be moderating around the time we’re up there, between the 6th and the 8th. The boat is going pretty well on the main and jib here, so I think we should be able to maintain decent speed.”
The boats that are further east, like Jakub and Adam, are not benefitting quite as much from the current, but will theoretically have a shorter distance to sail to Antigua, and have a better wind angle, allowing them to crack sheets more than the leading pack. It will be interesting to see how they negotiate the strong current gyre that lies about 250 miles ahead of them. They will undoubtedly remember encountering similar conditions in the Mozambique Channel which set a number of them back on their course.
Keri has not seen many other vessels, though he continues to maintain a careful lookout, both for ships and floating debris from the many river systems on this coast, including the Amazon – which is infamous for such issues. “I’m not going to take the risk, given we’ve gone a long way without hitting anything.” During the course of this voyage, he said, he has found most merchant ships keep a good lookout and act responsibly when encountering sailing yachts, though you cannot rely on that. Fishing boats are less predictable.
Given the rigour of this squally, bouncy passage, ORIGAMI’s sails are standing up well. “I’ve always made small repairs to the sails and running gear as we go along. As you would have seen in photos, etc, the mainsail is full of small patches. I’ve put on another couple in the last few days. As soon as I see a pinhole in a sail, I get it down and put a patch on it.”
Once Keri gets back to Antigua, he will almost immediately start preparing ORIGAMI for one last transatlantic passage under his stewardship. He plans to sail back to England via the Azores as soon as possible, after checking the rig and other gear. He’d like to get home sometime in May, if possible, as he is committed to several other sailing campaigns this year, including the European Lazer Championships. ORIGAMI has been sold, and the new owner, another veteran sailor and adventurer, intends to participate in the 2026 Transat.
When Christian was asked about his decision to sail so far west, he said, “Yeah, most of us are following the current. It’s only Jacob and Adam that are going north now. We will see how this works out.”
In reply to a query about reaching Antigua without tacking to windward, he said, “I think Renaud and Pilar might be able to. But for the rest of us, it might be difficult, because the wind will probably turn to the north.”
He was in a quandary about whether to follow Renaud and Pilar or head further north now. He was hedging his bets, steering a middle course, between the daring sailors who have dived towards the coast and others, like Jakub and Adam, who are staying further north at the expense of missing out on the strongest current, and who also risk getting on the wrong side of the current gyre ahead of their bows. During the night of 02 March, he seemed to make a decisive course alteration towards the coast, though it might be just another of ARGO’s infamous zig zags!
He added, “My personal problem is that Jacob and Adam are in front of me. At least, on the leaderboard, they are in front. I was hoping that they might follow Renaud (which would have made his decision easier). But apparently, they don’t. Maybe I should change my tactics – I could get rid of some water.” (He still has about 150L of water left.)
Asked what sort of weather he had at the moment, what wind-speed, direction and sea-state, he replied, “It is a bit better at the moment, as I have changed the angle, ARGO is not going too far upwind at the moment, that’s why my speed is a bit higher.” (ARGO was averaging 6.5 knots at the time.)
“That allows me to stay with my A7, plus the main with a second reef. I stack everything on the high (windward) side down below, and I’m resting on the high side in my wet bunk. For the moment that works, but if I sail closer to the wind, really close-hauled, the movement of the boat is just terrible. We have had these conditions pretty much since we left Recife, at least for the last six days. It’s a light boat, and every tiny little wave can stop the boat. The movement inside is just terrible. Even if I sit in the cockpit, I have to pay attention that I don’t smash my face into a winch or something when the boat stops suddenly. It’s not that great for my shoulders. I would be lying if I said that I’m enjoying the sailing at the moment.”
Christian’s shoulder problems began during the Transatlantic qualifier in January 2025, and he has had to deal with constant pain ever since. As far back as Fiji, there were questions about whether he would be able to continue with the MGR, or submit to surgery that would immobilize him for a year.
“I did a cortisone injection myself on the day of departure from Recife, which should work for three weeks, but to be honest, I can’t tell much difference.” A shoulder specialist in Recife suggested that he should not delay surgery any longer, so he is sadly considering storing ARGO in the Caribbean somewhere, maybe in Columbia or Trinidad, and flying home. His nephew is joining him in Antigua, and they will cruise down the islands before he makes a final decision.
Christian clarified that he is not actually a vegan, as a friend of his recently posted on @argowordwide, but that he mostly follows a vegetarian diet. At sea, with a shortage of dairy food, and once the eggs are gone, he is ‘mostly’ vegan! He is eating well, despite the torrid conditions, but the motion makes simple everyday tasks challenging.
“It can be difficult, just to keep my vegetables on the cutting board before I put them in the pot, so that’s quite a challenge, not to lose too much in the cockpit. I’ve still got fresh food, which is good, but I’m mixing it with some freeze-dried noodles.”
ARGO is in good condition, apart from some chafe on a halyard that he intends to replace as soon as he can, before it chafes through. This involved sewing or otherwise attaching the new halyard end to the tail of the old one and running it through the mast. Although this job can be done on deck (you don’t have to climb the mast), it still provides a technical challenge aboard a 19ft boat bucketing to windward in a steep sea!
He has been having a few issues with power reserves. “We had a couple of days with almost no sun, and my battery was down to 7%. I have a combined AIS and VHF that uses quite a lot of electricity, so I have been switching it off when I am on watch. I was on the phone while it was switched off today, and when I looked up there was a large cargo ship coming towards me on a collision course. I changed course pretty quickly because the ship didn’t seem to do anything. And then I tried to call the ship but I didn’t get any answer. I didn’t know the name of the ship. It’s passed about 200 m from ARGO. That was too close, especially when you’re going upwind (and have limited manoeuvrability).
“Besides that, I’m pretty well rested. I don’t spend much time in the cockpit because so many waves are coming over. I try to stay as dry as possible. Just once, I was stupid enough to try to exchange the air in the cabin. When I was coming down below, it was so hot and sticky that I opened the small hatch behind the mast for about 20 seconds. And that turned out to be a little too long. All the leeward side of the boat, the port side, all the covers and stuff, got wet. Aside of that, the boat is really dry.
“Every time I do go out, I rinse myself off afterwards with a bit of fresh water. It has worked out so far, but my mattresses and pillows are soaked with sweat, because when the sun is shining, the humidity is really high inside the boat. But there are only 9 days to go!”
Eric also said the conditions were lively. “It’s blowing about 25 knots at the moment out here, so there’s bit going on. I’ve just got the sheets cracked a bit. It’s been like this for quite some time now. I’m in the current, following Josh and Christian’s heading. I’ve got a reef in the main and the jib up, and I’m doing about six knots.”
He is pleased to be out of the doldrum area with its severe squalls and torrential rain, which lasted about four days. One squall, packing about 45-50 knots, caught him with the full mainsail and A7 up. It came out of nowhere, and all he could do was put the bows up into the wind and feather the sails.
Eventually, in a bit of a lull, he was able to furl the A7. He was grateful that he’d bent on his new mainsail in Recife, despite incurring a 48-hour penalty for doing so, as he doubts if the old mainsail could have withstood the punishment. At least there were no prolonged calms, like the fleet endured in the Pacific doldrums between Panama and the Galapagos Islands.
He admits that the experience with the massive squall has made him a bit cautious, and says that he has been sailing conservatively compared to some others. One day when he was running goosewinged under A5 and A7, Christian sailed past SUNBEAR. ARGO was carrying full mainsail and A3. “It was like I was standing still,” Eric said ruefully. The next day Eric hoisted his A3 and reefed mainsail, and said that this configuration was definitely faster.
“I’m not as quick as I’d like to be,” he continued. (He’s currently in 10th position). “I think all the fleet have improved so much, so I’m not really competitive at the moment. But I’m getting close to the end and I’m excited about that. It’s very bumpy and choppy here because the wind is coming almost in the opposite direction to the current. It’s not real comfortable – it’s actually been pretty tough so far this week.
“The first week we had a lot of heat – 38°C inside the boat – and it was difficult to sleep. You get a lot of moisture. And then during the day that first week, being outside in the sun was just really overbearing. You have to stay down below, and then you struggle anyway because it’s so hot inside. All the hatches are closed. When you are sleeping, there’s a lot of carbon monoxide inside the boat, so I’m struggling a bit with asthma. My CO2 alarms have been going off! My breathing’s not good, but I’m battling away.”
Eric thinks he has about 9 days to go, but it will depend a lot on what the wind does. An easterly slant to the NE trade winds will give the fleet a break, but if it trends more northerly, they could be in for a brutal slog to the finish – especially for the boats well to leeward of the rhumb line. It may possibly bring some changes to the Leaderboard, as least for this last passage.
Whatever order they finish Leg 4 in, whatever the final Leaderboard result, every boat that crosses the finish line in Antigua in a week or two will have won a personal victory over significant odds. They are all bluewater voyaging heroes.
