Leg 5 - race 7 - day 8
Woke up at 9 went up on deck and had a shower washed my hair at the back of the boat using a few buckets of sea water. Nice and cool but odd using salt water. Sun is out and it's really hot.
We had slowed down due to the wind dropping.
Had lunch at 10.30 potatoes and sausages then went up on deck for my watch. Wind had picked up slightly but as the shift came to the end the wind had dropped and we had gone from sailing with a Yankee 1 and staysail to the kite code 1 then down to a wind seeker. We gained on Derry and got ahead of Lmax both in sight of us.
Again so hot today. Can't believe how conditions change so much, as last night with boat heeling over going fast to more or less standing still in flat sea.
Came onto standby watch and made chilli con carne.
Wind got up again and by the time had cooked dinner we were heeled over going fast. The stats came through from clipper saying we were in second place and as it stands we could be the first through the scoring gate.
Went to my bunk and read for an hour using head torch.
The boat is really heeled over bumping and crashing around ! Amazing how you get used to it.
Can't believe we have been at sea for a week. I really like my watch Matt is a good leader and knows a lot. Sophie is so funny and adorable Caroline has lots of sailing experience and getting to know her more and then of course Carl my lovely husband. Couldn't be here without him. It was hard enough leaving the children and mum and Carl's mum and dad. It's such an amazing experience for us and we are enjoying it together xxxx
Went back on watch at 11pm - 3 am was in foulies boat heeled over doing 10 knots but felt like We were going a lot faster. We are on track to go for the scoring gate it was 40 miles ahead at start of watch then 15 at the end. The first boat through gets 3 points the second gets 2 and the third gets 3,
Will find out tomorrow how we get on.
Came off shift hard sleeping in bunk as we tacked a couple of times and we were heeled over. Took so much effort getting undressed and actually in the bunk to start!
Miles covered 168.4 : speed 1.9- 10.4