The past two days have seen us going to lighter winds, meaning great concentration is required on the helm and trimming. We are just under 20° north and it's hot during the day. At night also, there's no need for mid layers now, just a tee shirt and a light jacket.
The 6 a.m. watch now clean the decks, taking it in turn with the trimming, grinding and helming positions so we look spick and span by early morning.
I'm not really ready for breakfast a 5.30 a.m., but aware that I have to eat, it's down to just having fuel in my system.
Having dropped back our position, due to kite wrap, we were aware that we will not catch up just on boat speed, so we needed to make a tactical move and headed off shore to minimize the effect of a patch of lighter winds closer to the coast. Ben noticed also that boats up ahead also turned offshore later, but we are hoping that being the first to do so will get the jump on them.
In between the banter we're having some quite high brow conversations, as Chantal has a degree in classics from Oxford. We also had one night when one watch was reading poetry and the other singing. This is all great at allowing you to unwind in between the concentration of trimming. We have to be quite disciplined not to get distracted by the conversation when one has the turn on each of the sailing positions.
Below deck is hot and no one is sleeping in a sleeping bag now. I'm mainly hot bunking with James, one of two nippers and we each change the sleeping bag to the top for each other so each has the bunk ready to get into when coming off watch. It's like having a turn down service. I've even left some sweets on the pillow a couple of times so it's real five star service!
The nippers; James and Sherlyn are both 20. Sherlyn is doing round the world and James joined the boat in China and we have him to the race end.
We are a happy crew and happiness below decks transfers to cooperation and best performance on deck, so hopefully we can gradually claw back our position.
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