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Firefly - The dolphins are back



After few days absence the dolphins are back; 5 in total. They seem to enjoy the company of the water generator impeller - maybe they think its a relative!

We are now 190 nautical miles from Lanzarote. The day started with very little wind but as forecast it has been building all the time. First the gennaker came out but as the North Easterly hit 20 knots this was furled and we are now sailing goose winged under white sails. With the jib boom Firefly sits very comfortably down wind - this is good news as we expect to be doing a lot of this on our Atlantic and subsequent ocean crossings.

The technical name for Firefly's special spar (the big white horizontal thing on the foredeck) is a Hoyt jib boom and the previous owner, Andrew Bray, Rob Humphreys the designer, Carbospars and Hood all went to great lengths to make it work as the geometry of everything is important. It needs to work when close hauled as well as running and reaching. Particularly when broad reaching the leech and foot of the sail are held more like a mainsail than a jib and this generates a lot of power from a relatively small headsail. Going upwind it means Firefly is self tacking. It works extremely well and people who have sailed Firefly are always very impressed and it is surprising that its not more common - at present only Island Packet make a production sloop rigged boat with a jib boom, probably based on their experience of using them on the staysail of their cutter rigs.

Provisions are running low, not only have we run out of Barney's oranges (the delicious grapefruits complete with handwritten messages telling us how good they are - went ages ago) but we have also eaten our last Portuguese custard tart! We will just have to start on our mountain of tinned stores.

Apologies for not making the last Salcombe race of the season but we were thinking of you as we sat having lunch in shorts and Tilley hats (thanks SYC). Hope you had a good race.

Paul, Murray, Peter and Grateful.

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