The morning finds us under spinnaker, working our way slowly towards Muckle
Flugga on the very northern tip of the Shetland Isles, some sixty miles
away. Our latitude - 60°N - places us only 7 degrees from the Arctic
Circle. The sail, which we managed to keep all night, in winds up to 17
knots, although not at the limit of its range, is a struggle to hold because
of the strong swell, which tips the boat, with consequent wrap or broach
always a threat. We are part of a small band of yachts, led by Class 2
boats Streamine and Greyhound, with Comedy of Errors and Velocity
Girl/Richard House Hospice snapping at our heels.
Our start time for this leg, dictated by our finish time of the previous
leg, had placed us in the mouth of Castlebay in a foul tide with no wind,
necessitating a kedge, so the boats we are now in company with had all been
some miles ahead. Rather than adopting a "follow-the-leader" approach, we
had therefore decided to go for broke and took a route way off the rhumb
line, chasing the fresher winds (hence the odd track, dear readers!). This
seems to have paid off - hence our present position.
We expect to round the north of the Shetlands sometime early tonight and
will work our way down the east coast of the Shetlands overnight and
tomorrow, hoping to get into Lerwick in the early hours of Friday morning,
just in time for the weekend's festivities!
Trevor
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