Hello everybody! Well, here we are in the customary end of race wind hole, dribbling our way through the final days of this race. Due to a 'rare' tactical blunder we will also pop out of Stealth Mode after only 12 hours, after crossing the 250nm limit from the finish. Given that we were always planning on trying to go in a relatively straight line, and that there are also no real prizes for guessing where we are trying to get to, this is no massive hinderance to the plan (though the crew are finding it quite amusing) and in some ways it's a win as it means we are still moving. Today has been mostly about food, with even the deck team spending its 1300-1900 watch each whipping an enormous tub of cream to go with the peach pie that Jess and Frank where baking in the galley which was a stunning success. The food was not the only area on the boat where things were getting creative, the cigarette papers had run out a few days ago so today was arts and crafts day and smokers’ corner saw its users smoking a variety of suspicious looking vessels made from bits around the boat to varying degrees of success.
Obviously with such a relatively short distance to go, all talk is about the finish and finally getting to Seattle, seeing loved ones and finally getting to relax a bit. It has been a long journey to get here and with the wind as it is, it looks like there will be another blog to say how fiercely proud I am of the team and the way they have managed themselves. But just in case the wind sees fit to get us in early, should probably get that in now.
All the best from the crew, Mike and myself