So, here we sit, some 200 nautical miles from Punta del Este, watching the lightning show across the horizon forward with a pack of hungry dogs chasing down our rhumb line for the finish.
Not an entirely comfortable position to be in and not made any the more so for the lack of wind... In the past 24 hours we have tried on every sail in the wardrobe (almost), from a single knot drift to a 20 knot surf!
In the early hours of this morning, Zhuhai appeared on the AIS a mere 20 nautical miles from our stern. At the time I was sitting at the chart table, admiring the forecasted south-easterly 10 knot breeze on the TIMEZERO screen as we trickled along in 4 knots of north-westerly?! Ahead of us lies a barrage of high pressure systems sitting to the south and east of Punta del Este, the weather is, to say the least confused, which does nothing for our understanding.
A little over 24 hours ago we had just racked up a 275 nautical mile day. By all accounts we should be over the finish line in 18 hours... we now drift at a whopping 3 knots, so we'll see you in three days.
Meanwhile, life aboard Dare To Lead continues; some are trimming sails, some are asleep, some are baking bread, and some are writing blogs whilst wondering what to do?!
Guy et Hugues and The Crew