Annabella - Log 2 Wednesday 27th

Missed the Tuesday blog because we had lots of sail changes yesterday and I was on galley duty.

After the first night of sailing a bit too far east we made up some good ground on Monday night and yesterday averaging 7 knots + to where we gained about 60 places. The boat goes well with the twin headsails poled out (no main sail) and when the wind is behind it's your only man. There is some complexity when the wind shifts and you try to get back to the main and genoa configuration. Initially, we tried to tack one of the twins on to the other and sail as one, but that gives rise to sheeting issues. In the end, we now just drop the twins and hoist the standard genoa. With the furling it all takes a bit of time, but it is a much more flexible arrangement. Conor and I now get to do lots of foredeck work which will keep us fit and we should sleep well.

Today, Wednesday, is the first time since the start of the race that we have consistent sunshine. It has been mostly overcast since the start of the race. The downside is that the wind has dropped to between 4 and 7 knots and it was like that all through last night. Our current speed is 4 knots. Hopefully, all the other boats are in the same situation. We get an update at the end of each day on the fleet position, but they have to be plotted on to the paper chart to get an overview. As a result, we are just plotting boats that we know or that are in our class.

Non traffic sightings over the past few days include a brown turtle, a pod of dolphins and a few petrels. Otherwise it has been quiet. We came very close to a swan (55 - Valhalla), but I suppose that doesn't count as a wildlife sighting. Nevertheless, it was good to be so close to a boat that should be well ahead of us based on hull length.

Conor is trying out his fishing skills, but nothing biting yet. He tells us it's all about the size of the lure and the speed of the boat. We think he should be using small lures because we don't have room yet in our fridge for anything above a metre.

Peter is keeping up his sewing skills (patients will be happy to know) adding an extension to the bimini which only covers half the cockpit. Not a problem when clouds are covering the sun, but today it is hot. We expect the rest of the trip to have lots of sunshine.

Craig is talking about taking out the sextant now that we can see the sun and the stars so we might start to learn the fundamentals of celestial navigation. I have my edition of Tom Cunliffe's "Celestial Navigation" at the ready.

In the galley, despite some misgivings, progress has been good. I cooked my favouite spicy beef recipe with some adaptations to include veg which seemed to go down a treat last night. It's an interesting challenge to produce a meal on two burners on the hob. There are 3 burners but only possible to have two pots on at the same time. We are definitely eating well with plenty of fresh ingredients still (reminds me that I have to turn the eggs and check the fruit and veg for baddies). Peter (Capn Pug) is on galley duty today.

That's all for today folks!

Peter (Capn Pug), Stephen, Craig, Conor and yours truly

Terry