Day 31

Did have a blog for Easter Sunday but managed to erase it by accident!

Got my kite mojo back, loving it again.

Paul made hot cross buns for Easter, absolutely amazing!

We appear to be in first place!

There’s an amazing full moon making night sailing fabulous!

Mother duty again- not checked in for a few days due to some fabulous sailing conditions- kite up again, mojo back, then dropped it and beam reaching with the yankee 1 and full main in huge seas and squalls, the result of the moist warmer air of the front of the typhoon mixing with the precious colder air. Huge black looming clouds come out of nowhere, wind direction changes followed by a drop (like the cloud breathing in ready to give us a huge blow). Helmed in a 45knot squall without even a mainsail ease- we are all getting better. Lasted for a good 30 minutes all over 35 knots and was travelling an average of over 12 knots the whole time- new personal speed record of 21.5knots. The boat gets picked up by the wave and all of a sudden you’re looking straight downhill and the tip of the bowsprit looks ready to dive into the back of the previous wave, then you feel the acceleration and the boat pitches forward- catch the wave right and you have a flat boat, super fast and responsive the steering as she glides along. Get it wrong and you’re ping to end up rounding up into a broach or worse driving deep and potentially getting the wind the wrong side of the mainsail causing a crash gybe – very dangerous and can cause catastrophic damage to the boat and crew.

The crew jump to action waiting to ease the main, yankee and then eventually the vang if its really getting out of control! Then after it’s all back under control they grind it lol back in and wait for the next one. Nothing like the looming sensation of anticipation on the helm, feeling the waves increase and watching the numbers change, then everyone starts to get out cameras to capture the huge waves that are coming up behind you- is this just going to tease with 30-35knots or will it be the biggest yet?

Then a day in the galley- missed out on the light wind session with glorious blue skies and fluffy white clouds in the daytime- gave an opportunity for a much needed hairwash and shaving session. The birds nest on my head as gone and is replace by soft silky hair which the brunch glides through, such a treat- this race really allows you to appreciate the small things. Including a bed that’s flat and doesn’t cause more aches and pains than you already had from the sailing!