Hola from the yellow boat! Not long to go until the finish of Race 7. We are in the middle of 35 knots of wind speed and increasing swell and the crew is loving it. After going from windhole after windhole in the previous Race 6, the Punta del Este crew were ready for some intense strong weather sailing and praying to the wind gods has helped. We are moving towards the scoring gate to see if we can gain any points. During this race we have two scoring gates so there is more chance for boats to get more points.
The back of the fleet has managed to catch us, so we are expecting a close finish line where the final tactical decisions and moving the boat faster will be decisive. We continue sailing fast, as we do, we are looking to the weather system developing to make our routing decisions and avoid mistakes which has cost us dearly during this race. We have been close racing with Ha long Bay, Viet Nam again, which is always good so we push ourselves even harder.
We have a good group this leg on Punta del Este, eager to work hard and to learn as much as they can. It is a 50/50 female/male ratio and with the different skills that they bring, the boat is well balanced.
Subic Bay, here we come again!
Daily Stats:
Tune of the day: Nessun Dorma 1994, Pavarotti
Daily Run: 186 nm
Max boat speed: 27 knots
Sealife spotted: Flying fish landing on deck all night, we kindly put them back in the water.
Sailing manoeuvres (sail changes, tacks and gybes): whatever is necessary to move faster
Drinks consumed: Today I am treating myself with a mate, at least 25 coffees and 14 teas, 5 Milos, 2 peppermint and 2 coffee mochas.
Meal of the day: Yummy toasties with cheese and bacon
Crew of the day: The ones that always pack the kites without hesitation, you know who you are. Thank you!
Tip of the day: Always assume it is going to be wet on deck.
Jeronimo