Race 1 - Day 35
Crew Diary - Race 1 Day 35: Liverpool to Punta del Este
24 September

Nasdaq is almost at the finish line! Living life on a 35 degree lean for one more day seems like a great way to say goodbye to our Atlantic Trade Winds Leg 1 racers.

The past few days had us sailing downwind with the Code 2 (mediumweight spinnaker) up. It was a welcome change for many after going upwind and living on an angle for almost a month.

The galley staff are now working hard to prepare a lovely meal of baked beans with pasta. Seasoning options include hot chilli sauce, curry powder, mayo, and one or two other condiment bottles left from our journey.

After 35 days at sea, we're all excited to set foot on dry land and exchange stories with our friends from other boats. Rupert Labrum is already thinking about local football matches and fishing trips. I'm sure he'll be breaking out his dance moves to impress the locals.

It has been a fantastic experience and I will be sad to see the Leg 1 racers go. I've enjoyed seeing each of us grow as a team and develop our seamanship skills. Everyone made an effort to try their hands at different positions on the boat allowing us to diversify our skill set. (Mikey Lodge would like to make a mention about the ''Shippers'' secret helming trio, code-named ''Bud'', ''Wei'', & ''Ser'', who helmed through some hostile night conditions (yeehaw).) This trio will be making a final appearance this afternoon before ''Ser'' takes up his motherly duties tomorrow.

Last night we had tricky winds that constantly shifted direction, making it hard to maintain our course over ground. Soon after taking over the helm, Rob (Skipper Rob Graham) gave us the go ahead to sail for speed. Mikey Lodge's head quickly popped up and we soon shot from 7.5 to 11.8 knots veering away from our intended target. It was a good night watch, although the wind died down a little towards the end of our shift. We're hoping it picks back up and gives us consistent 10 knots speeds on course to Punta.