Yachting: Sleep's a dream for yachties on nightmare beat

Sleep will be a luxury for sailors on the next leg of the round-the-world race from Sydney to Auckland.

Almost half of the yachtsmen will be itching to finally see the home shores of New Zealand, but that's not the reason they will be staying up all night.

The concept behind the third leg is new - and some predict it could be the most exhausting test yet.

It is like two separate sprints - the eight-boat fleet will leave Sydney on Boxing Day among the fray of the annual Sydney-Hobart race, stop in Hobart for 3 1/2 hours, then sail across the Tasman to Auckland.

One of the crews' major concerns is getting enough sleep on this leg, which is expected to take as little as seven days.

Sleep is never wholly rewarding on board a V. O. 60 yacht, whether bashing mercilessly across the Southern Ocean or sliding through the searing heat of the tropics.

Knut Frostad, skipper of djuice dragons, sums it up: "We didn't enter this race to have a perfect sleep every night. If you did, you are definitely in the wrong place."

Even when sailors are not on watch, their sleep is affected by the activity on deck.

"Whenever the boat tacks, you have to wake up, get half-dressed, move everything over to the other side of the boat and finally climb back into your sleeping bag," says illbruck watch captain, New Zealander Stu Bannatyne.

That can take up to 20 minutes - and in a four-hour break, that can happen five times.

It can also be wet and freezing down below.

Emma Westmacott describes the experience on board Amer Sports Too: "Locating personal stuff is a nightmare if gear is moved around to trim the boat better, so it's always best to sleep with everything - boots and all."

On the leg to Auckland, the sailors are expecting a wet and wild ride - especially across the notorious Bass Strait, which has claimed yachties' lives in the past.

Traditionally, round-the-world sailors stay awake all the way down New Zealand's east coast on the final dash to the finish line.

"Down the coast, there will be lots of tacks and gybes, and with a lot of other boats around us in the Sydney-Hobart race, it will be pretty difficult to get a decent sleep," Bannatyne said.

"Last year, we did the leg with Tyco and News Corp in a practice run. We had very little sleep on the way to Hobart - it was pretty rough - so we all agreed to stay the night there before carrying on.

"I'm expecting this leg to be fully exhausting. I guess we'll eventually fall asleep just from exhaustion."

On board illbruck, like most of the yachts in this race, there is a two-watch system. Illbruck, with six New Zealanders on board and winner of both legs so far, operates with six-hour shifts during the day and four-hour shifts at night.

"When you go off watch, you don't get to go straight to sleep." Bannatyne said. "You have to stay up on deck for 10 minutes while the watch changes over. You have to eat, get undressed, answer daily e-mails, and do any other jobs. You climb into your bunk 35 minutes into the hour, and you have to get up 40 minutes before your watch starts," Bannatyne said.

"If you're lucky, you'll get three hours' sleep - half-an-hour if you're unlucky."

So what constitutes a good sleep?

Dr Claudio Stampi, sleep expert at the Chronobiology Research Institute at Harvard University, spent two days with the illbruck crew before the race began, teaching them about sleep patterns.

Dr Stampi, also known around the world as "Dr Sleep," believes offshore sailing is the best testing ground for studying and solving problems to do with fatigue.

He says 4 1/2 hours of sleep in 24 is enough to function on. The first hour of sleep is the most recuperative, so taking naps throughout the 24 hours is better for you. You recover quicker each time and perform better than after one long sleep.

Sailors have to be mindful that a tired brain does not make good decisions. Stopping in Hobart in the middle of the leg could play tricks on the sailors' brains, too.

They have only three hours in port - but it won't be time for a quick kip.

The break is for media interviews and no boat can take on extra supplies while it is there.