On Thur and Friday I did some excellent runs, over 130 miles each day which leaves 430 miles to go…….and a quick calculation suggests I will be in Antigua in 4 days…..except except except……typically, there is a patch of little wind building which extends to a radius of approx 200 miles around Antigua which is unlikely to shift before I get there….I have some fuel left so I might be able to motor through some of it but then there is the charging of batteries I still need to consider.

At the moment we have a tired boat albeit with all systems serviceable and a tired crew, who needs to keep focused and must not get complacent in these last remaining days. Ravioli with rice last night….interesting mix not one that is likely to go well with masterchef but surprisingly ok.

I think a lesson to learn for the return journey is to consider the storage needs for opened food. I have been careful with what I have eaten regarding food that might cause upset and have thrown away more food than I had anticipated as I have no fridge. A lesson to learn will be to pack individual meals wherever possible as particularly in this heat nothing lasts.

Just one quick note of reference, the Taliskey whiskey Atlantic Challenge starts next week. This is an event where teams row across the Atlantic from the Canaries and they will follow an almost identical route to my own. Good luck to all those teams including the current and ex Babcock employees of the four boat team Jon Lakin, Steve and Dan Baker and Mark Gibson and I will be there at the other end to see you arrive.

All for now..
Ben