CPC 2005 Big Race Nerves...
Cape Town, South Africa, Dec 2005
The Cape Point Challenge is looming... Saturday at 05h00 local time the first batches will set off on the 56km journey from Soetwater to Fish Hoek.
The forecast is firming; looks like a moderate (i.e. 15-20kt) southerly wind. There was a storm some time ago in the Southern Ocean which has sent a pulse of big swell (4m at 05h00, 5m by 08h00) our way.
Things can still change but:
- A southerly wind would be nice; on the way down to the Cape it won't be head-on. And on the way back it'll help us...
- The wind on Friday is forecast to be Westerly. This is also good for False Bay, a southeaster would churn it up. The westerly should result in flat seas.
- The swell will make things interesting going down to the point. Cape Point old-timers are shaking their heads & talking extreme choppy water conditions (and seasickness).
Did you know that the world's largest butterfly is the female Queen Alexandra Birdwing (found in New Guinea)? I don't how the heck they got from New Guinea to Cape Town but there's a whole nest of them thrashing about inside my stomach.
Sheesh, I did the World Cup race in massive swell; I've been around Cape Point twice, I've done over 2000km of training in the last 9 months. I'm ready, what's the matter with me? But I'm still twitching & turning to windguru every five minutes to see what the latest forecast update is.
Eeeeish! I just want to get it over with now. The waiting is unpleasant.
Anyone else feeling like this?