Hello Team,

So how is the week going, over Monday and ready to deal with “Onwards” Tuesday? Our end, we are moving again after a very painful 24 hours bobbing in the middle of a high.

We are currently sailing with the Yankee 1, stay and full main, starboard tack with an easterly wind of 8kts, but we are moving and sort-of in the right direction.

So, compared to this time yesterday, it’s a big improvement. To our front are some dark, rain filled clouds which almost have “Welcome to Ireland,” emblazoned on them. We do know however even if it is raining when we get to Derry-Londonderry that we'll get a warm welcome.

The day of drifting was utilised as an Arts and Crafts day, with Beanie leading the assault on the Code 1 (lightweight spinnaker), which I have to say is looking very sorry for itself and needs all the TLC the GREAT Britain Team can give it. Ray was busy servicing winches and Pip, as the stopover manger designate, was busy with spreadsheets and work schedules for the final stopover and Scotty busied himself with some sun sights on the sextant.

John Mac and Ross staffed the galley and produced an excellent potato bake with different cheeses in it, with some hot chilli sauce it was a tasty meal. The driving force for the potato bake was Nicola's comment, “There are lots of potatoes left, we can't be taking potatoes to Ireland.” I don't know why we took tea to China!

That's all the news from the GREAT Britain boat, we are all looking forward to getting in to Northern Ireland. Us Brits are going to enjoy not having to use electrical travel adaptors, go into a supermarket and find our way around, ask for crisps and not be looked blankly at. Oh of course and have pocket full of change and recognise all the coins and get some “quids” out of an ATM. We will also enjoy the joy of a proper cup of tea, not having to work of the time difference to make a call home as we are actual in the same time zone as good old Blighty once again now, the first time since August 26 last year.

So, some GREAT Britain facts based on the last 24 hours. Distance travelled in the last 24hrs 132nm (average 5.5kts) DMG was 116nm (87%), . We had 309 nm to DTA at 1400Z 080718, it took a further 6 hours to reduce that to 302nm

Oh, did you know? One in ten people in the world live on Ireland.

Standing by this Channel-out

Dave