BVIs to the Azores - Day One 20 01.392N 064 27.846
Aurora_b
Mike and Liz Downing
Wed 28 May 2014 19:27
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Left Nanny Cay on Tortola in the BVIs yesterday afternoon at 15.45 and negotiated our way through the passes on the western end of Tortola and past Jost Van Dyke to head north. We actually want to head north east, but the winds are from around ENE, so we're struggling to make 010 at the moment. As we go north we hope the wind will swing round more to the east and eventually south of east. This passage is dependent on the position of the Azores high. In theory if it's over the Azores we should get favourable winds as we go round the western side of it. However, it's rarely in the ideal position and at the moment there's a long high pressure ridge stretching from the Azores in a south west direction. We're currently on the south side of that and getting ENE winds. If we could get to the north of it then we could get winds from the south - much better. But, to do that we have to get closer to the ridge and then cross it and that's an area of no wind at all! So we'll keep going as we are and see how things develop. With a reefed main and working genoa we're making anything from 5 to 6kts as the wind comes and goes, so that's not too bad. The occasional squall gives more wind, which helps if it's not too strong. Since leaving we've made 106 miles.
