Position           06:24.56 N 076:26.12 E

Date                 1200 (UTC+7) Monday 29 February 2016

Distance run    in 24hrs 175nm over the ground, 160nm through the water

Trip total         1403nm over the ground, 1209nm through the water

To go to          Uligan, Maldives 212nm – 1,605nm total route distance

This 24 hour run saw no less than 17 hours somewhat uncomfortable motoring as we passed through the wind shadow and lumpy seas to the south west of Sri Lanka.  The wind had threatened to return on a couple of occasions but disappointed as after 5 or ten minutes it died back to the 5-6 knots which is not enough to give us the progress required.  We are trying to arrive at Uligan before 1900, boat time (Sunset is just after 2000), on Tuesday and that required us to maintain an average of 7 knots.  One of the squalls that went through saw the wind rising to 35 knots for 20 minutes with a veer of 80 degrees; fortunately, all sails were taken in and hatches shut before it arrived and we motored through driving rain with visibility down to 50 metres.  The good news is that the wind returned at 0600 and the last six hours saw 47nm knocked of the distance to go.  We do require to put in as good a distance now as the final 24 hours, as we approach the Maldives, according to the GRIB (wind forecast) files show decreasing strength.  Dinner was a repeat of the lamb tagine and very good it was.