Crew Blog

Back on home turf

26 February 2008

After a couple of days floating around on a glassy millpond, what a change! We had a hairy half hour last night when we were flying our light weight spinnaker in 7 knots and the wind began to pick up - within 20 minutes we had over 20 knots!! “Jack The Ripper”, as our light weight is often known, came down unscathed after a quick drop and we are now surfing along at 11 knots with a poled out headsail. All is well.

The weather seems to be warming slightly today, as opposed to ‘absolutely unbearably freezing cold’, it is now simply ‘very cold’ which is enormously well received, particularly after one crew member was verging on hypothermic last night and was sent to bed for 8 hours - I must admit that I was torn between sympathy and jealousy! How I miss the warm comfort of my hotel bed!!

We now eagerly await the days of boardies and bikinis that we took so much for granted during the first half of Leg 4! And I look forward to enjoying it back on home turf after my ‘minibreak’ on Liverpool 08. I return with renewed fight and racing spirit – I wanna get me another flag!!

Anna Forshew

A very Happy Birthday today to my Mummy!

Image: What it looks like on the leeward rail while we surf down waves, 1/4 second before Timothy gets drenched, setting off his life jacket’s auto-inflate!