Hello World!
Finished! After 21 days of racing down the coast of the USA, Mexico and Guatemala we finished the race on Monday, when we were told that Mandatory Finish Gate 3 would be the Finish Line. We had crossed that gate earlier on Saturday, whereafter we painstakingly drifted on for 24 hours before finding some kind of wind. Luckily the torture was short lived and we are now running the engine and making best way to Golfito Bay in Costa Rica, where we will probably refuel for the last 300nm to Panama.
It has been an interesting trip down south, where the crew showed their capabilities as good sailors and refined their skills in helming in all kinds of weather, sea state and time of day, optimised their sail and spinnaker trim and became even better all-round crew members.
The weather has been tropical, varying from just blatantly hot to heavy cool showers, with a panorama of water sprouts (mini tornados that suck up the sea water into the clouds) a safe distance away.
Now there is some time for rest, while we run a skeleton watch to bring the boat in the fastest possible way to Panama, for another milestone in a sailors life, traversing the Panama Canal.
Keep you posted,
Tot overmorgen,
Patrick, James and the Zhuhai crew