Flying!

Rhiann Marie - Round the World
Stewart Graham
Tue 3 Nov 2009 20:46
Today was quite a day. We left Lanzarote about mid day and flew down the east coast of Fuertaventura. We are now at a very uncomfortable rolly and slammy anchorage at 28:12.49N 014:01.96W. We hd planned to leave at 0900 but we were badly delayed by what I cannot bring myself to confess.  We set sail immediately outside the marina into a very fresh 20 - 25knots. With our self tacking jib partly furled and full main we quickly powered up to over 9 knots into the wind streaming away from the other boat which had left just in front of us and quickly reeling in and overhauling the catamaran that was already half way across the straints. As we bore away to go south down the easy side of Fuertaventura we were logging between 9.5 and 10.5 knots with 22knots apparent just behind the beam. We (me and s/y Rhiann Marie - Craig and Trish slept the whole way!) devoured the 45 miles to where we are now,  in about five and a half hours. Not bad for an afternoon sail. We are slowly but surely creeping south and west and seeing more and more flying fish by the day.