Race 7 - Day 18
Skipper Report
17 February

Another sprint - aka another driftathon. We have just started edging forwards after 12 hours in a hole. Just what we needed whilst sitting at the back of the pack. Our internet has been down for the last day so we have no idea where the rest of the fleet are - hoping they have been going as slow as us. Definitely feeling ready to get there now. If only I had someone to ask "are we nearly there yet" - trials and tribulations of being the Skipper.

To avoid wind hole syndrome this time round (feels like we have had a fair few of these this Leg), I helped out in the Galley today. Big thanks to my friend, Nat, for the recipe - to use up our excess of nearly bad eggs I made a jam roly-poly. Well it tasted like one at least... you had to close your eyes and imagine how it should have looked. The crew were slightly surprised that I even knew how to turn the oven on I think. Note to self - don't make cakes taste too good or they will want you to cook more regularly! It was actually really nice to do something that wasn't sailing for a change and feel like a real person. I forgot how immersed you are in the goings on of the boat when cooking - it truly is the heart of the ship (at least on Visit Seattle anyway)!

IMAGE: Nikki and her jam roly-poly.

Phil Whittaker, Lizzie Howe, expert (First Mate) Nqoba and apprentices Bronwyn McAllister and Toni Wilson, have been hard at work on Ariel (our mediumweight spinnaker) now for almost 48 hours and it is nearly ready to fly again. Lizzie actually stayed up all night last night ... that's commitment for you. Honestly, the dedication, hard work, and attention to detail from these guys all to get the Code 2 flying again has been exceptional. And hats off to the whole team, who have stepped in to fill their duties: cleaning, cooking, sailing, which with an already pretty shorthanded crew has been a lot of work. I haven't heard a bad work spoken about anyone in three weeks ... and particularly with this struggle at the end - wind hole, ripped kite, steamy conditions - that is truly a sign of a great bunch of people and an even better team. Thank you!

Sailing with style - Nik

IMAGES BELOW: The Sail Repair Team