In yesterdays start all the ARC yachts set off with the
Azorian yachts we raced with previously. The race around the north of the
island made for interesting sailing as it wasn't just a case of point and
go across the Atlantic. The start line was quite short in length therefore
with ARC boats and Portugues boats all jockying for position some close
quartered sailing was undertaken. We managed to get to the north of the
island first and on heading east the fleet slowly started to spread
out. Last nights sailing conditions were constantly changing with
shifting and varying winds accompanied with similar sea states. Although
overall the waves and swell size were reasonably constant. At the
moment we believe we have Nora Sinbad hot on our tail and closing slightly with
Zingara not much further behind. Under the current conditions we have full sails
out and can go no faster. We tend to come into our own in stronger
conditions when some reefing and constant trimming is required. However
there is still a long way to go.
Keith, Pete, Jay, and
Pip