By Chris Haworth & Graham Pike.

The last 24 hrs has been spent limping under much reduced sail, whilst planning sail repairs and ‘race strategy’! I think we are effectively ‘out of it’ now having lost 150/200 miles but that competitive spirit will not leave us alone - and we have a plane to catch (amazingly still two weeks away ...yeoooo!).

Unfortunately couldn’t effect sail repairs yesterday. Three factors: 1. Need to do them in situ as realistically can’t get main off the boom  2. Still making some headway under reduced Genoa schooner style with storm jib. 3. Continued heavy rain, making the sails too wet to patch,  with very disturbed big sea still running. On the basis the forecast for today was sunny and light breeze we decided to Limp at circa 4kts for 24hrs. Try to get in right strategic position - basically head NW in to a massive header (at one point I think we were heading back to the canaries!) tack into new NW’s at midnight which is forecast to veer into the NE over next 72 hrs kite up ASAP – do sail repairs!

Plan has worked so far – we are now in 10 kts from the north veering slowly to become (we hope) the classic NE trade winds. It is a beautiful day we have all been effecting sail repairs Fra has so far spent 3hrs sewing the Genoa, Graham, Jane and I have been patching the main which has now been rehoisted up to the 2^nd reef point below which it is unrepairable at (but graham says nothing is impossible and ......I feel a new poem or even a song coming on). During this exercise we all had our safety harnesses on and the quote of the day emerged from Graham “ ..sorry Jane I seem to have mounted you from the rear and got tangled in your harness...”!!!! Fortunately Fra has some sail making pedigree. He advises that him and Colin Rowley used to make their own Merlin sails in the 60’s – apparently had six out of the first 12 using their sails at Whitstable Championships (even spud used one of their Jibs) - Eat your heart out Phil & Frank!! – any way good to know he knows what he is doing ....which is more than can be said for the rest of us.

Meanwhile the train of events has allowed Graham to finish his ‘poem’ (it is really a series of his thoughts in ‘verses’) which he recited after a long solitary spell at the helm last night:

The Loneliness and me.

The fear of being alone originates in doubts about my own existence. If there is no one by my side appreciating me you might think I would feel lonely, but I have felt lonely many times when I am amongst others!

Lonely and invisible I sometimes wonder amongst the ‘underground’ of Wales. Lonely and Unsure I walk the hills.

Now I have chosen to be alone on this trip it’s not hard to bear...no one talks to me!

I don’t see myself as a lonely person rather a tiny part of the huge universe, which I can appreciate out here. Sometimes I want to share my joy with others ..Look I want to say ..but there is no one to share it, with sometimes I want to be hugged, to make love and feel my skin touch another and sometimes I am lucky....and sometimes Chris wont oblige. Sometimes it’s good to be with company but sometimes it can be great to have a pause. Loneliness and me are happy together.

Having had to type this for Graham I am filled with compassion – I’ll get Jane to give him a cuddle...I’m definitely in the salon tonight.

From the Happy and ‘slightly losing it’ crew of Nyaminyami II – we wish you a lonely Christmas.