The race got off to a good start with a great array of spectators lining
Pendennis Point and also on the water. With a freash westerly breeze
the first decision was to reef or not. We decided against and carried
full main, twisting the leech and spilling power in the gusts.
We sailed slightly lower than the direct course initially to keep speed
up through the swell that was coming in from the west around The Lizard.
As the wind eased overnight and veered around to the Northeast we were
kept busy with several sail changes. First from No3 jib to the Code0
spinaker, our light wind reaching kite. Then from Code0 to Code2
spinnaker, our downwind kite that will take us up to 20kts widn speed.
With the increasing wind forecast and while the spinnakers were up we
took the chance to change jibs and replace the No3 jib with the Jib-Top,
a great reaching sail in stronger winds.
Once that was all complete we realised the spinnaker was not full
hoisted to the top of the mast as we had inadvertantly crossed two
halyards. So spinaker had to come down, be repacked and rehoisted.
After two hours on the foredeck instead of in my bunk, I now feeling the
effectgs of lack of sleep. But before taking to my bunk mid morning I
still found time to donwload the latest weather forecast and upload all
the boat positions. We are really pleased that our strategy to sail
around the high pressure systems seems to have put us up with the front
runners. We are enjoying the company of other yachts all with spinnaker
flying.
I'm off to my bunk now for another hours kip before my next watch.
Richard
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