[MHml] From Ross - Day 5

[Gary Pearce]

Day 5

A rather boring day.  I ate, I slept, I sailed.
A very 'grey' day with could and occasional light rain. Wind has been steady
24-28knots from the east all day with a big sea meaning constant surfing.
Running with 2 reef and jib to keep speed done to about 12knots and allow
the surfing up to 20-2knots. It is a balance of retaining some from of
control as Ideal Stelrad surfs down the big seas. The aim is to go fast yet
not so fast that we crash into the back of the next wave and nose dive.
Which I guess is what happened to Charlie on Switch.fr yesterday.

Capsizing 500miles offshore is definitely off the list of 'things to do
before I'm 50'

We have made good progress on what the weather router (Mike Broughton of
Winning wind) euphemistically calls 'the Azores runway' - a band of good
east to N'east winds which will last for a couple of days, from a low
pressure area off Portugal that will drive the boat south and onto the trade
winds.  We are aiming for a waypoint north of the Azores and I have just
gybed at midnight to sail down to it.
I lost some 50+ miles to Pierre on Imagine yesterday, being 64 miles behind
at the evening position check. But have been clawing them back during that
day - only 35 behind on this evenings position check. As yet I have not
heard what the race committee has decided over redress for lost time for
myself and other competitors that stopped racing and went to Switch.fr' aid.
My plan is to catch up and pass Imagine to get back into to the lead. Still
lots of miles to go, so all to play for.

Ross