Date: Monday, 06 December [12:30 UTC]

 

Facts and figures:

We are now 1407 miles away from St Lucia and considering that we are now firmly in the grasp of the E-NE trade winds, we are hopeful that we will be able to maintain good daily runs of 120 – 140 miles. 

 

At some stage later today, we will have reached our half-way point from Las Palmas to St Lucia. A small celebration shall take place, however, we don’t know what we are going to celebrate with? We threw out a jar of fermented jam yesterday which could have been used to toast this important milestone in our race to St Lucia!

 

We listened into the daily ARC net radio channel on our SSB radio today and noted the positions of most of the yachts in our Group B communications group. Thanks for the ARC yacht position information from Bronagh O’Mullan, Kerry Faith, Barbara Dempsey, Alan McCann and other family members and friends – all very useful information.

 

Today so far, the crew have been keeping busy cleaning the yacht in addition to doing some laundry. There is a great drying breeze today! Otherwise, it has been a tough station trying to stay out of the sun as the photos will confirm.

 

No major events to report other than to say that we have a shortage of whisky on-board. Skipper Ivan has posted a distress email to yacht ‘Toucan’ offering food and water in exchange for any Irish whisky.

 

Mike Attwood claims that he has invented a new pudding or sweet: Tinned fruit cocktail with a hint of brine and green olives. Mike commented on the flavour resembling olives not realising that he added his portion of fruit cocktail to a bowl which still had olives in it! What is he like!

 

It is nearing lunchtime now and that quaint little taverna is just about to open.

 

Until tomorrow.....

 

Kind regards from Skipper Ivan and the crew.