Another two days closer to Cape Town, yeah! Just looking forward to catching up with friends there.
I love Cape Town and haven’t been since 2018, so I can’t wait to get there. The last two days sailing have been a relatively straightforward affair. White sails, decent speed in the right direction. But that has not stopped us enjoying where we are.
There is something about the desolation of the South Atlantic. We have not seen a single vessel other than Clipper Race boats, since leaving Uruguay, but this place is teeming with wildlife.
Many others have mentioned the whales in blogs. And then there are the albatross. So many of them and so amazing to watch. They end up being a source of wonder and chat on deck every watch. Well, that and what Avenger superpower you would want to have on board. The jury is still out on that one, although the Hulk is not scoring many points other than as ballast.
Other than sailing, life is running smoothly on Perseverance. Heads are kept clean, bilges dry and the logbook filled, and what is really nice, is that chef’s duty is increasingly done with a sense of energy and pride. Even in the toughest weather, the chef's go out of their way to bake bread and make three nice meals a day. Thanks to David and Amanda, who set the trend last race with some exceptionally creative cooking fests, and Fabian, who runs his Italian galley with German efficiency.
The standard overall is now excellent, and the new joiners have caught on fast on the importance of having people leave happy after a meal. But it all starts with Jackie, our super victualler.
Always finding ways to improve the meal plans, ensuring we have enough of everything (not an easy task with some of the big eaters we have) and allowing enough flexibility in the plan for people to go a bit off-piste sometimes to create culinary wonders. She works super hard in port when others are relaxing and always has a smile: Jackie, sincerely thank you for all your hard work!
On behalf of all the Seadogs, Ineke and Joss
PS: Greg Hunt, Happy Birthday! I hope you are feeling a bit better. See you in Cape Town.