Red-eye watch, F6 and building!
Calypso's Web Diary
Joe Drury
Mon 6 Jun 2011 02:37
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48:12.09N 8:10.08W
0235 GMT
oh, I'm tired... I've said to myself that i MUST
stay up for the next 2 hours. The wind is picking up, its a solid F5 now with
occasional gusts into F6 territory. I'm still broad-reaching (wind from my right
shoulder, landlubbers) so I still have a full set of sails up. However if the
wind climbs to a F7 which I've been told by Richard and Carla on Bojangles that
it is, down the line, then I'll be overcanvassed and a broach becomes a
possibility. And we don't want that!
What I'd usually do is take in sail and go to
sleep, bugger the loss in speed. But this is a race, I'm 50th so need to make
the miles when I can. And this means staying awake and sorta alert. The seas are
getting higher, I'd say moderate now with occasional breakers making it rough at
times. I've had to turn the sea gain down twice on the radar, a good sign that
it is getting choppy. I expect as the current turns it will be wind over tide
which will make it more interesting still.
My speed is regularly tipping 7,2 kts, and my
average speed is 5,0 kts. If I can get to 5,2 and hold it, somehow... I will be
there in 9 days, very respectable. Of course one day of 3 knots can bugger my
average so long may the strong wind last.
Thanks to Mum and Alex for their
updates on the leaderboard. More please! To answer your question, no, there
is no specific route, all I do is go towards the Azores as much as possible and
as fast as possible! 121 miles yesterday which is an average of 5Kts. Hopefully
will beat that today.
I'm looking forward to speaking with Alex tomorrow!
Right, back to the vigil.
Joe
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