Noon position: 38 01.4 S 149 12.4 E
Course: SW Speed: 3 knots
Wind: NE, F2 - slight breeze
Sea: rippled Swell: NE 0.5 m
Weather: partly cloudy, mild
Day's run: 122 nm

We rounded Gabo Island, the SE corner of mainland Australia, at midnight and altered course to the SW. The breeze has followed us around and we have been able to remain running wing-on-wing before it. However, it has also gradually eased and at dawn this morning was down to force 2, such that we are now ghosting along at a leisurely two to three knots, rather than romping at eight plus knots as we were last night.

With daylight I rolled up the jib and broke out the spinnaker which is just managing to fly in the very light air, while the mainsail flaps noisily in its gear. Fortunately the sea has dropped off along with the wind so we have been able to continue sailing, albeit very slowly, and have not had to resort to the BRM . yet. Despite the light breeze overnight and this morning, Sylph has still managed to post a very respectable day's run of 122 miles, no doubt assisted not a little by the East Australia Current.

The forecast indicates that the breeze should fill in this afternoon ahead of a SW change (i.e. headwind) sometime later tonight. The plan remains to push through the headwinds, which are expected to last about ten hours, then hopefully we should return to more leisurely sailing with light fair winds tomorrow afternoon.

I will take a stab at an ETA Melbourne - sometime Wednesday.

All is well.