Day 12 Noon Friday 4th December

Pat and I got up at 0500 to find Barrie and Margery wrapped up in oilskins in the cockpit. “There’s been some nasty squalls” they said “and there’s still a lot of lightning around”

We prepared to get wet and took over the watch. We watched the squalls come and go on the horizon but none came near. Dawn came and Benji and Tyara came on watch. Great I thought - now I can go back to bed dry.

Just then Pat spotted a whale blowing near the side of the boat. The four of us leaned over for a closer look. Then we saw a fin. Benji ran to wake up Barrie and Margery. No more sightings for 10 minutes. It was toying with us and keeping us in the cockpit.

Up it popped again alongside the boat. It was pacing us perfectly and re-appeared again in the same spot. People ran for their cameras. It disappeared. We waited.

Whales and dolphins are intelligent creatures. This one came top of the class. It carried on teasing us with little appearances.

Meanwhile a nasty squall had built on the horizon which finally let rip. At first the wind hit us hard but that was OK because we had reduced sail earlier in the night. The whale surfaced again.

Then the rain hit. I’m talking torrential rain here. We were all soaked and the whale kept up the pace and kept showing itself. Just when we couldn’t get any wetter the sun came out. The whale immediately surfaced twice in quick succession and disappeared for good.

It was clever. It knew. It was saying all along “I’m designed to be wet – you’re not – now I’ve got you all soaked I’m off – game, set and match to me I think – goodbye”