A rather inauspicious start crossing the line with the mainsail down as the halliard had managed to pass through the crosstrees and hook itself around a fitting on the front of the mast. Alex went aloft to retrieve it and meanwhile we crossed the line under genoa only. Fortunately there was not much wind so we didn’t lose as much as we might have. Once the main was up we changed to spinnaker and blasted through the fleet so by nightfall only had 6 boats in our class of 180 ahead; the other 20 race boats had started earlier and were not in sight.

A breezy night full of stars and travelling swiftly south gradually turning to the South West.

Just before leaving Las Palmas: back row - David Smith, Paul Antrobus and Keith Read; front rowo Toby, Roger and Alex Motson