Kelpie - Friday 7 December 2018

> 14:40.8N 56:38.8W
>
> Well it had to happen I suppose. Despite our best efforts interpreting
> grib files and anticipating wind shifts we are now pretty much becalmed
> with the sails banging around in a demented fashion as Kelpie pitches and
> rolls in the swell with no wind to steady her. It seems the other boats
> are in the same predicament and we actually made up 44 miles on the leader
> in the past 24 hours (our days run noon to noon was 141 miles) and I
> strongly suspect the big 55 footer we were contesting second place for has
> switched on his engine to make a beeline for St Vincent.
>
> As I type this, we are 150 miles from Barbados and Leigh Brown should be
> landing there right now. We dutifully waved at the sky but there are no
> aircraft contrails to be seen!
>
> D
>
> Andrew adds:
>
> In news from the fo'c's'le, we should record the Skipper's triumphant
> sourcing, fiendishly difficult installation and commissioning in Las
> Palmas of a watermaker. This device, of similar size and indeed age to a
> 1980s office typewriter has faultlessly produced 10 litres of drinking
> water every hour we've switched it on. That is a major reassurance. We are
> not really becalmed and actually sailing at the average speed of a
> Folkboat, four knots, but it does feel slow because of how well we've
> roared along so far. Star gazing also continues. Last night we clearly saw
> the Southern Cross, the Aussie equivalent of our Pole star, and a fully
> resolved Venus, whose rings I was convinced I saw until I covered one eye
> and realised it was my astigmatism! For the record, Saturn apparently has
> the rings: Venus is sending Leigh and Jane out to meet us.
>
> A
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