We are on Leg 6. "The big one". We are rough and tough. We have no fear. BRING IT ON! This is our battle cry.

Well, that is the image we would like to portray anyway. We had our first little test last night. The sun had set, the moon was yet to rise when along came a teeny tiny bird. There might have been some screaming and panicking, but in the crew's defence they "thought it was a bat". North Pacific in winter here we come! Hopefully the icy conditions will deter any small chirpy avian visitors. We do need to improve our wildlife identification, as this was not the only case of mistaken identity over the past 24 hours. The off watch crew were gently stirred from their morning snoozing to manioc cries of 'shark!!' from on deck. With one helpfully humming the Jaws movie theme tune, we dashed on deck to study the passing plastic bag, whilst the spotter protested 'honestly, it was huge, and right here...'. We also struggled to find any worms aboard. Apparently, according to Holly, who grew up on a farm, the first full moon after the equinox is called a 'worm moon', as it is the signal for our wriggly chums to start their summer work. We could not prove this one way or the other, as you can imagine, as we saw no worms, unless you count the ones in the tummy of the low flying, feathered 'bat'!

Having failed to pass a course mark on the correct side, Qingdao sailed past us under Spinnaker last night which was a strange sight to behold. It was very odd seeing them sailing south under Spinnaker as the fleet progressed north. There were mixed emotions on board Unicef, ranging from injustice to delight. We have huge respect for the Qingdao team and their frustration and disappointment was palpable, especially after another strong start. But, if Qingdao are known for one thing, then it is their fighting spirit and we are sure they will claw their way back into the mix.

With the breeze slowly dropping, we face a tough 24 hours pushing upwind and into a big rolling swell - the leftovers of a big storm far to the north - to get to the top mark. But, with all the rest of the yachts stopping and starting, there should be some good opportunities to make some good gains as we focus on trimming, helming, and whistling for the wind!

Here we go

Ian and Mike