At the moment I am going upwind in the Southern Ocean, hard on the wind and full ballasted under Main and Solent. I should probably change down but I am getting away with it and the breeze should ease off.
I am taking a punt to push north and hook into a low. I should slowly get a lift to get there and then get into the south quadrant of the system and then hopefully get a run with it. Overall there is just a better weather profile in the north. Really, as I see it, if you stay to the south, for us, it ends up being a case of waiting for whatever comes along.
I already have 70 miles to the north of Jean but I can’t see any other way. I have really set myself a latitude to sail at the moment. The worst case scenario is I get a bit of a boost from it, but that is better than just waiting for what comes along. I guess it can be seen as a punchy call, but it is better for me than just lolloping along in the south.
Last night was difficult again, very unsettled wind and seas. I was pretty knackered by the end of it. There were a lot of sail changes and manoeuvres in the end. So I set the pilot to compass to get some sleep. That is not very efficient but I feel better for it now.
