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Free Spirit - Saturday 30th November



Saturday 30th November

What a grey day, windy and wet.  The ARC control team had warned that there was a band of squally weather and the advice was to continue west to get through it as quickly as possible.  Sadly this turned into a storm of 50 knot winds.  Dinner was a disaster as the microwave oven door flew open and flung out our dinner of chicken pasta all over the galley floor.  Luckily no one was hurt and luckily no one was hurt when the table came crashing down off the wall.  But then the nightmare started….in the black of night with the rain lashing down and the wind gusting to 54 kts….the genoa blew out!  All hands on deck!  Does that mean me?  No, Carole, you stay there.  Shall I switch on the deck light?  Yes – I did something useful.  Then Peter and Andy went out on to the foredeck with Dougie on the halyard, Alex on the helm and Richard relaying the instructions being shouted back.  The noise was horrendous as the bow was crashing down in to the waves with the guys disappearing below them.  I started to rehearse the Mayday call in my head and I prayed.

My relief when they were all back safely in the cockpit is indescribable and I did not care what else the night might throw at us as I knew we would all be safe.


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