Position: 32:27.16S  174:20.48E

We have reached the light winds! As we approached the center of the high pressure area and the winds started to ease Thursday, Friday and today we changed up from the solent jib and two reefs in the main to the solent and full main, then genoa and full main, then the big racing spinnaker earlier today. Now we have had to resort to motoring with only a couple of knots of wind and smooth seas but with a long swell rolling through.

Only about 170nm to go to Opua now. The weather is nice and sunny and the air much cooler and crisper here down south away from the tropics. It is cold at night requiring fleeces, warm hats and foul weather gear. We have been drying out everything that got wet and salty in the windy weather a few days ago, cleaning the boat, cooking some more food and reading/relaxing on watch. Hoping for a bit more breeze soon so that we can give the engine a rest and sail some more.

This will probably be the last update on here before we arrive in New Zealand now.

Phil