Thursday 1 Dec.

Kalo mina! The morning is blustery,winds over 22knots ,gusting to 26.We are under main and genny and watch in frustration two yachts pass ahead and behind with spinnakers.Needless to say they go faster than us.I insist  we hoist the spi,and we try it.As it is midway up a one metre tear appears threatening to tear it apart if fuly hoisted.Down it comes hastily into the cabin for repair.The cloth is old and needs to be nursed carefully to make it to SL.On Saturday and Sunday the weather is forecast light and we will need the spi to move.We sail until the afternoon conservately and go to spi as the wind diminishes.We keep these sails till late illuminating the spi with a searchlight.Our navigation lights,which have been erratic of late due to corroded wiring,give up.Werig the emergency lights which we carry as a safety measure and they do the trick.Before midnight we douse the spi and breech the 500 mile mark.Steadily we approach SL,Lets hope the wind holds.

Saturday 2 Dec.

As soon as dawn breaks up goes the spi.We encounter a Canadian Baltic 64 and go much faster.The spi shows another small tear and down it comes.We can’t leave it up in case the tear increases.It is repaired on the foredeck.In the meantime our opponent One Hull appears and crosses 5 miles ahead.We gybe ,hoist the wounded red monster and go after him.We are faster and close in.About a mile away,our guy,the rope that keeps spi and pole together snaps.The spi becomes a red flag!The deck dogs of Acool bring the sail down. We change the guy and rehoist.One Hull is under chase again.As we get close,he gybes away to avoid us.We stay on the same gybe which we consider superior.It pays because two hours later we are ahead!We intend to keep the spi up all night to consolidate our lead.