Cake and cunning plans

Roryhamilton
Wed 26 Jun 2019 08:22
26 th June 0907 BST 231NM to go to Lizard

We’re heeled over 35 degrees to st’bd with reefed mainsail and headsail. We’re still locked in our epic duel with Fair Isle; she is till 3NM ahead of us - we just can’t see to close her in.

When I got up at midnight to take over from Mark he had a cake with candles and sang happy birthday which was tremendously thoughtful and not the easiest thing to do in a boat heeled 20 - 30 digress to st’bd!

We didn’t have steak last night because of the boat heeling so contented ourselves with left over sausage casserole.

It is great receiving iridium messages; we got more updates, support and birthday greetings from Lani, support from Ellene and another encouraging message from Ollie and Emilia Holden - who joined us on Milou for the day tricot the crater island in the Azores. Emilia, aged 15 is the youngest competitor in AZAB 2019. Unfortunately Nutmeg - their yacht - sustained some damage to mast so they’re not on the return leg.

When the iridium phone makes the text sound Mark always says “What’s that?” and I always reply - in my best Blackadder voice - “a telegram ordering an advance”. We really are quite silly for supposed adults.

Mark is about to attempt to make a cup of tea then we have to figure out how to get one of the main sail batons back in. Obviously we could lower the sail but it’s a race!

We heard that Je Vole have retired and are heading for Brest. Bad luck to them - they were on the next pontoon to us in Ponta Delgada.

We’re just about to get the weather and come up with a cunning plan for the next 24 hours.