The last 48hrs have been a blur, we have been making huge gains towards our destination clocking a 24hr run of 318 nm which is the highest for our boat in the entire circumnavigation! Hitting these speeds for days on end is tiring and very intense, especially for those who aren't used to it, but the whole team is loving it. Lying in my bunk listening to the shouts of 21 knots, 22 knots, 23 KNOTS! The crew perfectly positioning our 70ft surfboard down the face of a North Atlantic rolling wave, screaming off with a rooster tail of a stern wave behind.
This isn't the greatest part... but after 48hrs in Susie and David's sail repair workshop, the Code 3, which was fully torn down both sides, flies again.
I really want to say thank you to my team, they split into a separate watch without my guidance; three people working around the clock, whilst the boat was hurtling down waves, gently aligning the fibres of the material to make sure it holds its shape and strength to fly again as a heavy duty spinnaker. If any sail makers are reading this you really should consider taking them on.
As the kite went up today, there was some nervous helming to start as we built our confidence in the repair, now 6 hrs later we are flying down waves using her as usual! Welcome home Code 3.
By the time this blog is posted we will have crossed the Scoring Gate hopefully picking up some bonus points, our only question is where is Seattle? Dave you sneaky bloke you're really in race mode, it’s almost like you’re racing to Derry~Londonderry on a mission!
The next few days bring more of the same downwind conditions with a few more tactics available. We haven't changed from starboard tack for many days now and my left leg is longer than my right! When we get to the dock I will surely fall over, sounds like a good excuse for one too many beers.
Dan, Ineke and the crew of WTC Logistics 'OUT'