23 17.0N 17 40.55W

Another perfect day, just had a great lunch, here is yesterday's log and a picture from a few moments ago.

We are still heading south before turning for St Lucia, dont worry about our position in the fleet, the others

just about to get becalmed we think!!

22/11/10       25 00N16 53W     Monday Awoke to sunshine and the boat sailing at around 8 knots. The night watches had been fun and a final watch with Atlanta followed by a snooze together had been a touching moment. Ashley’s turn to do breakfast, scrambled eggs, (I think he had a little help), marvellous! The morning was perfect, we set the spinnaker more for the challenge than for any reason of speed and we spent the day ‘kris-crossing’ the two other boats in sight. Jody took his first noon site, which I later worked through and was perfect and I made lunch of salad nicoise, because that is what ‘Jupiter Moon’ had in their recipe plan (which we are loosely following because it sounds so good). The best part was that we opened for the first time, our leg of Serrano ham, given to us because, in true aggressive Londoner style, I made such a fuss about the supermarket messing up the meat delivery twice. It was amazing although we may find that it will dominate the senses in the saloon!

                                                  Wind starting to turn fluky and we await the impending calm. Listened to an SSB cocktail party, the first time our radio had worked and then spoke to Alan Brook on Sulana about routing, tactics and a fishing competition. We accepted the challenge of the competition and Jody has been avidly fishing all day. Phaedra made scones with Atlanta this afternoon but I was too busy fixing a compass light to get one and when finished they were gone such was the success. Jody’s cocktail hour was great followed by Ashley serving shepherds pie accompanied by the ‘Two Ronnies’, all brilliant.

                                                  Some difficult decisions regarding routing as our southerly course is making our position in the fleet look disappointing and this is tempting me to turn west, but some final weather from the sat phone convinced me that we should stick to our plan of hugging  the African coast as far down as Mauritania and then turning towards the Cape Verdes on Wednesday, hopefully avoiding the predicted ‘hole’ in the wind. It doesn’t look like I will do my 14 day crossing (a secret and undisclosed target), 19 days seems more likely.

                                        The crew dolphin watching at 1330h