Moondancer - WE ARE OFF TO ST LUCIA

We are finally off after all the waiting and preparations and having never done the ARC before the start was very impressive and livened up even more by a large squall which arrived shortly after we crossed the startline .we roared off along the coast of gran canaria duelling with boats on either side ,rather like a pack of lemmings all chasing the lead guy and hoping he knows where he is going. Then suddenly as evening approached at the lower end of the island the famous acceleration zone became a decelleration zone as the wind just died leaving the whole fleet just floating around flappy sails .we should have rafted up and got the wine out. .today is better and we have found the wind ,currently charging along at 8 knots heading south towards the cape verde islands,