I've been five minutes back online after we had a few satellite issues for 24 hours. Amazing to think that 500 nautical miles into the ocean and we still have data, really. For anyone who forgot that this is my job - first send and receive goes through and I have an inbox full of emails that need responding to. How hilarious is that! Even at sea...

So, we have been sprinting, and finished sprinting. It's fair to say we pushed the boat to its limit - just not really in the right direction - for the Elliot Brown Ocean Sprint anyway. We decided to keep sailing our race - and try to sail really fast. That meant sailing with a Code 2 (mediumweight spinnaker) or Code 3 (heavyweight spinnaker) all the way across at a really hot angle. It was super fun!

About every six hours one of the spinnakers decided to sprout yet another hole; our Leg 1 antics are coming back to haunt us as the repairs start to split - so we had to change for the other one. Everyone did so, so, well and worked their socks off. Old crew on previous legs - you may be as excited to hear as I was to see - that we have actually worked out how to trim the kite and drive it at the same time! Our winches are definitely going to need a service when we get in. So, lots of whooping, and 'surrrrrfing' (that's the shout of any helm hollering as we fly off yet another wave) and hard, hard, work.

We are excited to know where good old Unicef has ended up out of Stealth Mode. We know the team must be close because we have been chatting away with Bob trying to guess telepathically what Simon Rowell's weather forecast said as we sail blind towards the horizon - amongst other things. It's nice to have company in such a situation!

Fingers crossed we make it to Derry-Londonderry before the dreaded blue circle of doom.

Sailing with style - Nik

(PS - yesterday's bog has now been received and uploaded for you to read)

What a day! Fast, fast, sailing - surfing - flying - not sure what it is anymore. Whatever it is - it's so much fun! Too fun, perhaps ... I don't think I've slept in quite a while - so that's the next plan on the agenda.

We are mid-Elliot Brown Ocean Sprint, too. Although it feels like we have been sprinting for a while. We aren't planning on changing course for the sprint - the front behind us is looming - so not sure if it's going to be a point winner, but we are sailing as fast as we can all the same.

There have been some super challenging helming conditions over the past few days. Everyone has done so well. It's great to see people so confident and to think how far they have come since they were last in the Atlantic. Proud Skipper moment. Like a proud parent moment - but sort of reversed - sort of not.

Phil and Lizzie, Toni, and French crew Dominique and Guylaine just finished the Code 1 (lightweight spinnaker) sail repairs. Mammoth task that was sewing away at 45 degrees in the sail locker for 30 hours. As per usual - huge shout out to these amazing people. Since the days of learning at school and failing, I have serious respect for anyone who can use a sewing machine.

So, the big question in our minds right now is can we outrun this front or is it going to catch us. Fingers crossed for us. We keep looking over our shoulders nervously. The weather is turning really grim too - misty, drizzle, grey - we must be getting close to home.

It feels strangely familiar. Almost comforting. Adding to this, we have a bit of a head cold going around the boat, so three or four people off watch at a time trying to sleep it off. Nothing to worry about - just means we are a tad short-handed. But as usual - everyone is pulling together and picking up each other’s slack and just generally being the awesome supportive bunch that they are.

Sailing with style - Nik