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Blue Ocean - Blue Ocean - Day 9 or is it 10?



We are running undercover!  Le Yellow brick est reste sous la bome quelques
heures et pas de transmission satellite de notre position. On avance vite sous spi depuis 26
heures, par 20-25 knts de vent . La nuit des rafales a 38 knts nous ont amene
a l`affaler, quelques heuresjusqu`au lever du soleil.  Peu de repos car beaucoup d`attention et de
monde sur le pont . Mer superbe, belles vagues, plein soleil, bon vent, excellent.  On avance a 9-10knts , moins de 1200nm to go.
 
Yv
 
Our St. Lucia waypoint is now 1196nm distant as I write. We have all written down our estimated ETA on slips of paper and put them into a box – not to be touched until we reach the finish line. The person who gets the closest will get a prize (or maybe the person who is most out will buy the drinks?). Yv suggested Fred donates his Rolex as first prize – I dont think he has checked this with Fred. Anyway, it is not about the winning but about the taking part. Having said that, we seem to be the lead multihull and are running before the wind at crazy speeds in an attempt to hold our position. Conservative sailing it is not.
 
We are hand steering at the moment as our autopilot has finally blown a cog. It is in pieces on the chart table – possibly it can be repaired. Darek is confident that the problem is not terminal and has sweated hours over microscopic brushes, springs and wires. We are going to try re-installing later today. Until then, Darek, Inge and Janusz are taking turns hand-steering. This is fun during the day – but at night it is scary. Every once in a while there is a shout of “wrap” and we all run to the front of the boat and grab at the out of control, blue monster in an attempt to wrestle it to the ground or pacify it in some other manner. 
 
The standard of the onboard cuisine continues to be outstanding – JH started on today’s supper yesterday!
 
No dolphins or other sea life (except flying fish) for a couple of days – which is disappointing as we were previously getting sightings every day.
 
Anyway, that is all for now.
 
Craig
PS: Happy birthday mum
 

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