June 20,2015. Leg 9 to Gothenburg onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 3. Ryan Houston driving in overcast,wet conditions off of The Netherlands. As the first to arrive in The Hague,Alvimedica starts first as the fleet departs for the final sprint to Gothenburg,Sweden,and the finish of the 2014-2015 Volvo Ocean Race.
June 18,2015. Leg 9 to Gothenburg onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 2. A windy night of sailing and a decision to stay south of the TSS traffic separation scheme sees another day of sailing along the French coast on the north towards The Hague. Ryan Houston at the helm.
June 17,2015. Leg 9 to Gothenburg onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 1. Free from the Bay of Biscay the fleet rounds Brest on the way to the English Channel,all within close proximity. Charlie Enright shares grinding duties with Ryan Houston after a windy gybe.
June 17,2015. Leg 9 to Gothenburg onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 1. Free from the Bay of Biscay the fleet rounds Brest on the way to the English Channel,all within close proximity. Treacherous light-wind sailing through strong currents and shallow waters near the AR-MEN lighthouse off LaPlate for Ryan Houston (L),Nick Dana (M),and Charlie Enright (R).
June 17,2015. Leg 9 to Gothenburg onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 1. Free from the Bay of Biscay the fleet rounds Brest on the way to the English Channel,all within close proximity. Ryan Houston smiles after having just pinched off Vestas at sunrise.
June 17,2015. Leg 9 to Gothenburg onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 1. Free from the Bay of Biscay the fleet rounds Brest on the way to the English Channel,all within close proximity. Ryan Houston driving with Vestas 100 meters to windward at sunrise.
May 26,2015. Leg 7 to Lisbon onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 09. Ryan Houston helming in fast downwind sailing conditions towards Lisbon,the fastest sailing of the entire leg. 400 miles to the finish and Abu Dhabi is breathing down our neck from the north fighting for 4th position while the leading trio extend in strong winds.
Credit: Amory Ross / Team Alvimedica / Volvo Ocean Race
May 26,2015. Leg 7 to Lisbon onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 09. Ryan Houston swallows some salt while grinding up the daggerboard from the unsheltered pit pedestal. 400 miles to the finish and Abu Dhabi is breathing down our neck from the north fighting for 4th position while the leading trio extend in strong winds.
May 25,2015. Leg 7 to Lisbon onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 07. Nick Dana starts the off-watch with a quick movie scene or two from his iPod while Ryan Houston digs through his personal bag for a new set of socks. Through the Azores High and with less than 800 miles to Lisbon the fleet resumes straight-line sailing with an almost direct course to the finish.
May 22,2015. Leg 7 to Lisbon onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 05. Watch Captain Ryan Houston sporting a new-look beard. The drag race northeast towards the eastern edge of the ice exclusion zone continues with the front five all still within a few miles of each other.
May 22,2015. Leg 7 to Lisbon onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 05. Dave Swete (L),Ryan Houston (M),and Mark Towill (R) stare in unison at Abu Dhabi to the west,executing a peel from their Masthead Code Zero to their A3 spinnaker. The racing has been so close that the crew spend much of their time looking at other boats,rather than focusing on sailing their own. The drag race northeast towards the eastern edge of the ice exclusion zone continues with the front five all still within a few miles of each other.
May 18,2015. Leg 7 to Lisbon onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 01. Ryan Houston using his waterproof strobe to illuminate Dave Swete at the jib during midnight action on deck in foggy conditions. The fleet pushes east in chase of the warm Gulf Stream and it's complex currents,but a difficult sea state and upwind conditions make life uncomfortable.
May 05,2015. Leg 6 to Newport onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 16. The Newport Volvo Ocean Race Village is officially OPEN,according to (L to R) Ryan Houston,Charlie Enright,Nick Dana,Seb Marsset,Mark Towill,and Alberto Bolzan. With less than 500 miles to Newport the complex winds again lighten before another cold front and an overnight forecast calling for the return of stronger winds.
May 05,2015. Leg 6 to Newport onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 16. A day of light wind sailing,boring and painfully slow so close to the finish. L to R,Seb Marsset,Ryan Houston,Nick Dana. With less than 500 miles to Newport the complex winds again lighten before another cold front and an overnight forecast calling for the return of stronger winds.
Credit: Amory Ross / Team Alvimedica / Volvo Ocean Race
May 04,2015. Leg 6 to Newport onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 15. Ryan Houston is exposed to leeward while sorting the outrigger stays after a sail change. Through the cold front,it's back upwind in 15-20 knots north towards Newport and colder water,750 miles away.
May 03,2015. Leg 6 to Newport onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 14. Ryan Houston trimming to leeward in the strong winds and first rain of the approaching cold front,with MAPFRE in the distance. The fleet sticks together on the track northwest towards the next cold front,a day or two away,before beginning the final sprint north to Newport,just over 1,000 miles away.
May 02,2015. Leg 6 to Newport onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 13. Ryan Houston driving under a full moon. The fleet approaches an occluded front and a gybe to the east,the first manoeuvre since leaving the coast of South America.
May 02,2015. Leg 6 to Newport onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 13. Dave Swete and Ryan Houston on deck for the first night on port tack since Brazil,a nice change in scenery as the sun has been setting to leeward behind the big code sails for the last week. The fleet approaches an occluded front and a gybe to the east,the first manoeuvre since leaving the coast of South America.
Credit: Amory Ross / Team Alvimedica / Volvo Ocean Race
May 01,2015. Leg 6 to Newport onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 12. Ryan Houston driving at night,lit by the glow of the instrument and a near-full moon to the south. Gradually leaving the trade winds behind the winds begin to lighten,a welcome opportunity to dry out following days of wet sailing.
April 30,2015. Leg 6 to Newport onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 11. The trade wind sailing continues,as does the occupation of the leaderboard's bottom--an unpleasant place to be even with the perfect conditions. 5 DAYS until the Newport Volvo Ocean Race Village officially opens,according to Seb Marsett (and Ryan Houston's hand).
April 30,2015. Leg 6 to Newport onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 11. A visibly exhausted Ryan Houston applying sunscreen before heading out the hatch and on deck for his watch. The trade wind sailing continues,as does the occupation of the leaderboard's bottom--an unpleasant place to be even with the perfect conditions.
April 26,2015. Leg 6 to Newport onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 07. Ryan Houston relaxes on the sail stack at sunrise,just after going off watch. Light winds and adverse current has the road around Recife particularly slow for Alvimedica,particularly when compared with the rest of the fleet further offshore.
April 25,2015. Leg 6 to Newport onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 06. Dave Swete (L) and Ryan Houston (R) bake under a hot midday sun with nowhere to hide. The first night and three scheds of sailing alone in the west haven't proven too damaging and the winds begin to steadily build on the march north towards Recife.
April 24,2015. Leg 6 to Newport onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 05. Ryan Houston finds an empty horizon at sunrise after a busy night of tacking away from the rest of the fleet. A clear split has developed as a midnight tack to the north puts Alvimedica in a stretch of ocean all their own while the rest of the fleet continued east for several hours before eventually turning north themselves.
April 23,2015. Leg 6 to Newport onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 04. Ryan Houston helming after a brief rain.The front gone from the west,it's the warm and calm conditions of the high pressure to the east that dominate the sailing,as the still-compact fleet nears an eventual tack north.
April 22,2015. Leg 6 to Newport onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 03. Ryan Houston,Seb Marsset,and Nick Dana talk during a daytime watch in cloudy upwind conditions. Keeping yourself sharp during monotonous sailing often involves constant conversation. Conditions remain largely the same for the third consecutive day of upwind sailing east and away from a chasing cold front.
April 5,2015. Leg 5 to Itajai onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 18. Nick Dana cautiously pouring a pair of coffees for himself and watch partner Ryan Houston,waiting over his shoulder. A significant fleet-wide tack points everyone northwest towards Itajai and the finish line,first through fourth within ten miles of each other.
April 5,2015. Leg 5 to Itajai onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 18. Ryan Houston looks south at BRUNEL,who crosses astern less than a mile behind. A significant fleet-wide tack points everyone northwest towards Itajai and the finish line,first through fourth within ten miles of each other.
April 1,2015. Leg 5 to Itajai onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 15. Conditions worsen as the fleet outuns a nasty system of low pressure moving east off the coast of South America,with upwind sailing in 35-40 knots of wind creating uncomfortable sailing. Ryan Houston's hands showing the wear of a long day in wet gloves.
April 1,2015. Leg 5 to Itajai onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 14. Free of Cape Horn and the true Southern Ocean,the fleet turns north together,upwind past the Falkland Islands towards strong winds and still-cold temps. Ryan Houston during a cold sunset back on the open ocean.
Credit: Amory Ross / Team Alvimedica / Volvo Ocean Race
March 31,2015. Leg 5 to Itajai onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 13. Team Alvimedica is the first boat to round the fabled Cape Horn before turning north to an immediately different environment--light air and sunshine. Ryan Houston head butts the ocean spray to leeward.
March 30,2015. Leg 5 to Itajai onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 13. Ryan Houston grinding the mainsail with the mountains of Chile and Tierra del Fuego in the distance. Team Alvimedica is the first boat to round the fabled Cape Horn before turning north to an immediately different environment--light air and sunshine.
March 29,2015. Leg 5 to Itajai onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 11. Ryan Houston furls a mouse line under the semi-protected lip of the cabin top. A few more gybes and the fleet commits east towards the Horn,satisfied for the time being that the southerly progress is sufficient.
March 28,2015. Leg 5 to Itajai onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 10. A wild day of short-gybing down the ice limit with 5 of the 6 boats in the fleet within sight of each other,trading places all the time. A bundled Ryan Houston loading a winch before a gybe in freezing temperatures.
March 25,2015. Leg 5 to Itajai onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 7. The sun rises to Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing just two miles to the south and clearly in sight,sign of a fleet-wide compression as the approach to the ice limit begins. Ryan Houston (L) and Charlie Enright (R) enjoying the frigid Southern Ocean conditions.
March 25,2015. Leg 5 to Itajai onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 7. The sun rises to Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing just two miles to the south and clearly in sight,sign of a fleet-wide compression as the approach to the ice limit begins. Stu Bannatyne (driving) and Ryan Houston eye Abu Dhabi in the distance.
March 24,2015. Leg 5 to Itajai onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 6. A late night gybe set off a wild day of true Southern Ocean sailing as the temps dropped and the wind and waves built with an approaching low pressure system and accompanying cold front. Ryan Houston driving in strong winds and Southern Ocean waves,while Charlie Enright (L) and Dave Swete (R) shake a reef on the mainsail.
March 24,2015. Leg 5 to Itajai onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 6. A late night gybe set off a wild day of true Southern Ocean sailing as the temps dropped and the wind and waves built with an approaching low pressure system and accompanying cold front. Ryan Houston driving downwind in heavy winds.
March 23,2015. Leg 5 to Itajai onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 5. The pace slowly quickens on Day 5 as the next low pressure system moves in,giving the advantage to the fleet to the south. Nick Dana goes out to the clew of the Fractional Zero to add a changing sheet for an upcoming sail change,while Ryan Houston (L) tends to his tag line and acts as spotter.
March 23,2015. Leg 5 to Itajai onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 5. The pace slowly quickens on Day 5 as the next low pressure system moves in,giving the advantage to the fleet to the south. Ryan Houston loading the winch with a new jib sheet after a sail change.
March 22,2015. Leg 5 to Itajai onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 4. Kiwis Dave Swete (L) and Ryan Houston (R) enjoy a rare moment of sunshine in cold weather at 44-degrees south. Conditions remain variable and puffy for the last 48 hours until the next low pressure system takes over,forecasted to bring a quick rise in wind and waves.
March 21,2015. Leg 5 to Itajai onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 3. Nick Dana (L) trims the traveler for Stu Bannatyne on the helm,while Ryan Houston has the mainsheet in his hand and Will Oxley stands by for a grind. The split continues to spread out north-south in an effort to outrun the high-pressure system to the west. The northern group shows early promise but there is another 48 hours until the next weather system enters the picture.
March 19,2015. Leg 5 to Itajai onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 1. The still weakening Ex-Cylone Pam serves up a dosage of nastiness as the sea state continues to destabilize for the push to get east above it. Ryan Houston lowers his head to keep a wall of water from his eyes.
March 18,2015. Leg 5 to Itajai onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 0. Ryan Houston driving at sundown with Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing to the west. After a three day postponement to let Tropical Cyclone Pam blow through,Alvimedica resumes racing in Auckland for Leg 5 through the Southern Ocean to Itajai,Brazil. A light air start and first day in the lee of New Zealand give little hint to what is to come.
February 27,2015. Leg 4 to Auckland onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 19. Clouds rule the day as sail change after sail change is necessary to keep shaving off the remaining 400 miles to New Zealand. Charlie Enright (L) reads the 7PM sked aloud to the on-deck watch of Nick Dana (R),Ryan Houston (middle right),and Mark Towill (middle left),posting good gains on the entire fleet.
February 27,2015. Leg 4 to Auckland onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 19. Clouds rule the day as sail change after sail change is necessary to keep shaving off the remaining 400 miles to New Zealand. A typical watch arrangement for partners Ryan Houston (R),Seb Marsset (L),and Dave Swete on the wheel. One drives,one trims,and one grinds,with a rotation somewhere in the middle of their four hours together.
February 27,2015. Leg 4 to Auckland onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 19. Clouds rule the day as sail change after sail change is necessary to keep shaving off the remaining 400 miles to New Zealand. Ryan Houston and Seb Marsset wrestle the J1 to the deck and in the beg during a windy and wet sail change on the bow.
February 26,2015. Leg 4 to Auckland onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 18. More of the same onboard Alvimedica as the southerly straight-line progress continues,but the temperature starts to drop as does the distance to the leading trio of Mapfre,Abu Dhabi,and Dongfeng. Storm clouds approach from the east for the on watch Kiwis Dave Swete (L) and Ryan Houston (R).
February 26,2015. Leg 4 to Auckland onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 18. More of the same onboard Alvimedica as the southerly straight-line progress continues,but the temperature starts to drop as does the distance to the leading trio of Mapfre,Abu Dhabi,and Dongfeng. Charlie Enright (R) concernedly looks ahead at the clouds to the south while Ryan Houston focuses on driving the boat.
February 25,2015. Leg 4 to Auckland onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 17. The straight line drag-race to Auckland enters its first full day with the rich only getting richer at the front of the line--always sailing into the stronger winds first. Ryan Houston to leeward looking at sail trim as the sun goes down.
February 25,2015. Leg 4 to Auckland onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 17. The straight line drag-race to Auckland enters its first full day with the rich only getting richer at the front of the line--always sailing into the stronger winds first. Kiwis Ryan Houston (R) and Dave Swete (L) look ahead towards their home country of New Zealand.
February 24,2015. Leg 4 to Auckland onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 16. After a tireless night of cloud-dodging and uncooperative winds,a morning of rain gave way to a day of fine sailing south towards New Zealand,now 1,000 miles away,trailing the leading trio by 30 miles. Ryan Houston's hands looking pruned after a freshwater rinsing from a morning of rain.
February 23,2015. Leg 4 to Auckland onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 15. Trying times approaching the light and unpredictable transition from a westerly breeze to an easterly breeze,which will eventually carry the fleet the 1,300 miles south to New Zealand. Ryan Houston looks at cloudy conditions ahead on the way south to his home in New Zealand.
February 23,2015. Leg 4 to Auckland onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 15. Trying times approaching the light and unpredictable transition from a westerly breeze to an easterly breeze,which will eventually carry the fleet the 1,300 miles south to New Zealand. Kiwi Ryan Houston drives towards friends and family already waiting for him at home in New Zealand.
February 22,2015. Leg 4 to Auckland onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 14. Out of the doldrums,the pace quickens for the fleet on the race south to a light-wind trough of low pressure and the Vanuatu wind shadow. Watch Captain Ryan Houston.
February 21,2015. Leg 4 to Auckland onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 13. Ryan Houston driving in squally,rainy,and double-rainbow conditions. Over the equator and back into the Southern Hemisphere,the weather turns tropical,rainclouds driving much of the day's direction south towards Vanuatu.
February 20,2015. Leg 4 to Auckland onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 12. Still picking through the numerous clouds and variable winds,Alvimedica nears the Equator and the Southern Hemisphere. Ryan Houston (L),Charlie Enright (M),and Nick Dana (R) on watch with Seb Marsset on the helm in light winds at sunset.
February 20,2015. Leg 4 to Auckland onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 12. Still picking through the numerous clouds and variable winds,Alvimedica nears the Equator and the Southern Hemisphere. An X-ray of Ryan Houston's stomach reveals some peculiar eating habits...
February 20,2015. Leg 4 to Auckland onboard Team Alvimedica. Day 12. Still picking through the numerous clouds and variable winds,Alvimedica nears the Equator and the Southern Hemisphere. Nick Dana,Seb Marsset,and Ryan Houston re-stacking the interior after conditions get light.
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