13:00 UTC Atlantic Ocean, just over 500 nautical miles to Waypoint Butter (where the butter starts to melt)
168 nautical miles on day 2, average speed of just over 7 knots
Sunrise: no sign of life other than a square rigged Spanish sailing ship behind us in the distance looking like The Black Pearl (yes Johnny Depp again) in the morning haze.
Fitness: The gym opened early this morning. A punishing regime starts with doing the plank stretched between cockpit seats with a quick plyometric switch to maximum push ups with no break. Pat pushed out 30 before Jus followed with 12 before flopping on the deck like a flying fish. Three sets of tri drips and sit ups follow. Ian and Pete said they would work out later (right).
Sailing: Goose winged is still the go, and we are poled out (with the new spinnaker pole) before a brisk north easterly.
Friends on the ground: Team Manali Turre (Janis) is keeping us to speed with our position in the fleet and Team Manali Melbourne (Tamara) has joined the land crew emailing us grib files which together with the daily weather emails from ARC assist Pat in his passage planning.
Washing: Sun’s out for the first time in 48 hours and it definitely time for a wash which is bucket over the edge, bucket over self and maybe try to use some soap without losing it to the sea.
Injury report: Ian’s full length shin bone scrape and swollen fetlock have come good. One story says they were incurred as he tried to climb a stage to join the can can girls at the Las Palmas cocktail party before plenty of witnesses. He prefers the version that has him climbing the mast which no-one witnessed. All headaches have receded and hindsight makes you wonder whether they were caused by the sudden withdrawal from Spanish Rioja rather than the fatigue of the first 24 hours’ sailing.
Galley: Full a la carte service continues weather permitting. Photo to follow at some stage but picture Peter’s brand new Breville sandwich maker plugged into the generator on deck pushing out sizzling Spanish salami and cheddar toasties as fast as Manali’s crew can down them. The fishing line is still strung out the back in the swell but chef is not expecting much from it at this stage despite our demands for sashimi to accompany the wasabi we have on board.
- Team Manali Atlantic www.manaliblue.com