We have been tiptoeing our way through a minefield of wind holes for well over 24 hours now. After a very strong start, which saw Dare To Lead high up in the position reports, we were sailing along nicely between two groups of Clipper Race yachts; Seattle and Qingdao to starboard and WTC Logistics, Punta del Este and Visit Sanya, China to port. We had better boat speed and were comfortably forging ahead when we all sailed into a bit of a wind hole. This is where our luck well and truly ran out, as we watched boats on both sides of us find some pressure and sail away from us.
We have been playing catch up ever since, but with limited success and the majority of the fleet are now at least 30 miles ahead of us, in good wind, whilst we wallow in less than five knots, achieving just a couple of knots of boat speed. To make things more painful, GoToBermuda, about eight miles southwest of us, appears to have found some breeze and is now catching up fast. It’s a little hard, sometimes, to remain positive, but we’re keeping our heads high, searching for the slightest air movement, ready to fight back! The fat lady’s not singing yet...!