Position Thursday 30th Nov 12.00 noon (ships time) 15:11.9N 36:29.5W

 

After a quiet night of watches (with still no shadow-rats caught in the trap – see below – shadow rats may be the subject of another blog. 

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With the gennaker flying all night, to make the most of the 10-15 Kn wind, the day started strangely at least for 2 of us.  Neil and Tony had early morning visitors to their cabins...flying fish.  Amazing little critters, 90% fish and 10% bird.  They escape from predators by leaving the water and flying for up to 45secs.  Sadly some of them are unlucky enough to fly onto or into Moose.  Scales everywhere in Neil and Tony's cabins!

 

A solo sailor in a 15m sailing yacht, Kairos Solo Sailor, passed close to us travelling at 17kn when the wind speed was only 13kn and we were going at 6kn.  He is potentially a round the world hydrofoil racer - we're not sure  - if anyone knows could you please let us know?  Didn't get a picture of him, he flew by!

 

We heard that we have moved one place up the leaderboard in the multihulls - from 7th to 6th.  We're now standing 35th in the overall too.  In the multihull race, ooops sorry, rally, there are 4 proper racing boats in front of us (one is in the lead across all categories) and we are unlikely to catch those 4.  However, the SY currently lying 5th, NAYLAMP is our target over the next few days.  She is an Outremer 56 (apparently a very fast boat) and is someway ahead.  However, we've got some good winds coming and with Guy and Rik on tactics, supported by Simon (and weather expert Julia) at home, we may surprise them.  In readiness, the crew has been using today's 10 kn (light) winds today to practice high speed gybing and positioning the downwind sail, from port to centre, to starboard.  It is 230m2 sail so it is a handful. 

 

 

The highlight of the day was that we have officially reached half way in terms of the mid way point between Las Palmas and St Lucia (as the crow flies).  Sorry about the reflection in the chart plotter screen!

 

 

To mark the occasion, Guy and Rose suggested that we put a message in a bottle and drop it over the side.  A great idea.  Rik wrote a note and put his email on the paper, and Rik and Caroline dropped it in the sea. 

 

 

Probably the last we'll see of that, but who knows?

 

The beards are coming on, a little grey in places maybe.  We've left Rik out because although he shaved a few days ago he is probably the leader again!

 

 

We had a 75 minute exercise, a bit of yoga, a Joe Wicks ('smash it') warm up and HIT session, abs and a cool down stretch.  Hard work but the crew is physically tuned ready for the home stretch...  At the end of the session (about 1730 ship's time) we caught this picture of another SY nearby.  A nice pic in the dying sun.

 

 

After a hard day sailing, drilling, exercising, the reward this evening were these steaks.  They tasted as good as they looked!

 

 

We know we have a global readership (!)....so to our American friends Happy Thanksgiving! 

 

Love to all in Europe, South Africa (grrr) and Asia too!

 

Moose crew xx