Noon position 45 13N, 07 51W. Yesterdays run was 123 miles but we had the engine on after 2000 last night as the winds have become light and variable. To save wear on the rigging, we put the second reef in the main which stops it clattering about but also gives some drive and stability to the boat in these winds.

We continue to eat well, but the ship’s supply of weeveled hard-tack is disappearing fast especially the plain chocolate covered ones although we do have a cunning plan to bake our own flapjacks when the time comes. Yesterday afternoon, we dusted off the sextant and practised handling and using it, and Ian and I tried to take meridian altitude today (the point in the day when the sun is at it’s highest point)  to work out a latitude but the horizon was poor and maths even worse. La Coruna is only twenty one hours away now and there is already an air of anticipation of cold beer on the boat.