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Hot Stuff - Day & Night 14 & 15!



Oline asked for more wind, bigger waves and general Atlantic activity which after her request, the Mid Atlantic granted... keen to catch up with he fleet we have been tailing we kept the spinnaker up as dusk came and into the night. All was calm, the crew loving if not slightly anxious at being on the helm with kite up as darkness wrapped around us- 22kts true wind Lesley topped 10kts as we raced through the water. Midnight came and on the horizon lights loomed. A Sailing Yacht in close proximity, the clouds darkened above, with hands on deck the foredeck crew lowered the kite. Up went the jib, monitoring the AIS another sailing yacht appeared - that was now 2 bearing down on us mid Atlantic... making sure the other vessels could see us we radioed them. Were there any more out there stalking us?! The night continued to keep us busy - poling out the jib, changing from the no.1 to the no.2 on the foredeck under our torchlight with darkness around and the glittery stars watching us do so is quite something, water rushing past the hull the atmosphere is exciting if tense. A 'flying fish' hit the crew of the Southerly Busters watch - scrabbling about in the dark crying out 'save him, save him' they finally grabbed it to find that instead of a fish they'd been struck by a large plastic pan scrubber!

Dawn came, feeling weary and tired after an eventful night we felt we all deserved giant cups of tea & coffees. We then hoisted our secret weapon- the Pink Spinnaker! Up she went and cast her candy coloured aura all around us! She stayed up all day as we raced ahead!

Then to keep us on our toes - moments before bringing her down she danced around the furled jib- round and round and round- tightly does it. Ah a kite wrap, oh dear- Skipper was not best pleased- the foredeck crew worked as a team to untangle her, Skipper went up the mast to free a line snagged round it- tense minutes past by- an hour and a half later she sulked as she was free and stuffed firmly back in her bag...

Seconds after with a tense team breathing a sigh of relief the most majestic pod of dolphins not only came to say hello but leaped high out of the water and surrounded us! Truly magical!

Apart from the moments of action we have been mesmerized by the majesty of the spinnakers both day and night. As night fell with the kite up the sky was so black and the stars more sparkly than ever- they glitter- the moon was out and he painted our white spinnaker a deep blue that you could see through. During the day with our pink lady kite up her colour is so brilliant out here- a contrast to the metallic blue of the ocean. Whatever spinnaker, whatever the wind skipper has us all helming them. This is certainly a ride to hold on too.



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