BVIs to the Azores - Day Three 23 57.746N 063 39.616W

Aurora_b
Mike and Liz Downing
Fri 30 May 2014 21:38
Very light conditions have continued, and we currently only have 5-7kts of true wind, giving 7-10 apparent as we're close hauled sailing into it, still making 4 to 5kts. We now have our big outer genoa out. It's normally a downwind sail, but great when close hauled in light conditions like these. The noon-to-noon run was 109.2 miles. The forecast is for even lighter winds for the next day or so, so progress will be slow. However, it's been a beautiful sunny day with an almost flat sea, and having built up momentum, being a heavy boat Aurora B is gliding along oh so smoothly. It is very pleasant. The wind direction has come round a bit so it has been possible to make more easting and our current course is about 030. The wind vanes on the Hydrovane and autopilot are steering the boat so we change course as the wind swings back and forth, which it's doing almost constantly. Over the last 24 hours we've only made an average course of around 010 degrees. As said yesterday, we need to make 050 to be heading for the Azores. So we hope the wind will come round further over the next couple of days to allow us to make the course.

Our son's brother-in-law is in a new Boy Band and on 'Britain's got Talent', winning the semi final last Monday. Their first audition a few weeks ago was a great success. We only got hear about this and see the U-tube videos just before we left the BVIs. In their audition they sang a great arrangement of 'Stars' from the musical Les Miserables. So we downloaded the sound track from the film just before leaving and last night, sitting at the back of the cockpit, in full view of a clear sky full of bright stars from horizon to horizon listened to Russell Crowe singing 'Stars' as the boat glided so smoothly across the ocean. There can't be many better places to listen to it! (Although it has to be said that Russell Crowe's version was nowhere near as good as their arrangement with 5 singers.) Fingers crossed for them in the final. So it can be quite moving and romantic being out in the middle of the ocean with a star studded sky. However, having to get up at 03.00 for my second night watch when in a deep sleep soon brings you back down to earth (or sea in our case)!

----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com