What a stunning morning. For the second day running, the Clipper Race fleet seems destined to sail under crystal clear skies.
The wind is dying slowly now, so it is unlikely to be another fantastic day of sailing we had yesterday. For the past 24 hours we have been blasting down the coast of Portugal, with initially 30 knots, rising to 40 in the evening and overnight, of wind driving us onwards. Those huge Portuguese waves, made famous in countless youtube surfing videos, would regularly pick up the stern, and hurl the boat forward at over 20 knots. The noise, the vibration and the huge bow wave are quite fantastic, as were the cheers and whoops of the new helms as they struggled to beat the speed record set by the person before.
There weren't much byway of tactics, as we were just drag racing straight down the coast, so most of our time was spent coaching the new helms, while the crew continued their work of trying to bring some resemblance of order to below decks following our brutal beat up the English Channel. We now find ourselves in a good spot ready for the final push to the finish, which promises to be immensely competitive, as several boats are close by.
Here we go!
Ian & Mike