What a difference a day makes, 24little hours

Purple Mist
Skipper: Kate Cope
Wed 7 Aug 2019 01:36
50:31.81N 8:06.24W

We rounded the rock this morning ( Tuesday) at 05:54. The dawn was just breaking and we could see the Irish coast. Another lovely destination not to be stopping in.
I celebrated with a quick bit of Facebook live on the 3G from Ireland. Two years ago on Fastnet 2017 we celebrated with a roast dinner and a birthday cake I had cooked but no such luxuries now I’m a proper racer (!!!) well at least I have a proper race boat, I’m not sure the speed is yet up at the levels required to qualify.

Weather had calmed so the rock rounding was straightforward . Still neck and neck with Dickie Bank however once we were round and downwind we pulled away
So downwind is what Sunfasts like but with 20-30kts of wind what sail could we manage? The little J4 jib was great upwind but now underpowered so we hoisted the reefed J2... though only after I repaired the leech tear we hadn’t noticed . More sewing, it’s good I topped up the sail tape supplies.

After a few hours we unreefed so we now have full main and full J2 and are flying. We are having a surfing competition, when I came of watch I was leading at 11.7kts though the guys will be trying hard to beat that.

Downwind is so much more pleasurable. It has also allowed everyone to eat as no one had dinner last night as no one had the stomach to cook. I had only had 3 handfuls of nuts in just short of 24hrs. Time to make some welcome scrambled egg wraps and dig out the pot noodles.

We are currently in the middle of the Celtic sea over the Labadie bank the position many boats got into so much trouble 40years ago in the 1979 Fastnet. The sea was pretty confused here last night in a Force 6 I can’t imagine what it would have been like in a Force 10 gale.