It would be very easy for me to use this outlet to vent my frustration at the accuracy of the weather files but I shall attempt to spare you from my rage, except to say that when I received yesterday’s forecast I was not a happy bunny.
So we continue to slog our way along in the continued, uncomfortable, unrelenting headwinds and we are now being forced much further south than I anticipated.
Yesterday the sea gods seemed to be teasing us, backing the wind round just enough for us to make course, then cruelly veering it back again and forcing us back down towards penguin-country.
Last night was a conservative one for us as we deliberately kept a limited sail plan in order to preserve gear. These boats are tough but our poor ship has taken an absolute pounding from over a week of upwind sailing and she is in desperate need of a little TLC in Sydney. The slow-down cost us a fair few miles to our nemesis GREAT Britain, but we are thinking long-term as penalty points for damaged gear is always a concern.
Mercifully, it seems that the wind has now reduced slightly and even backed a little, allowing us to head in the right direction and get back into full race mode again...let's hope this time it stays that way! We are expecting more storm-force winds later but from the opposite direction so it looks like this will be the closest we are going to get to champagne sailing on this race.
Yesterday we received the results of the Ocean Sprint and as we expected we just lost out to LMAX Exchange, completing the distance just seven minutes behind them. We worked really hard towards the end so were disappointed not to get the points but well done to Skipper Olivier and crew for another good result.
Just as I'm about to fire this off...we have had a massive wind shift and are downwind sailing once again....huzzah!
A relieved Garmin, signing off.
Ash