I feel like I am out of the system a bit now which is good because it was pretty fruity at times with the squalls. I had more than 40 kts at one time with the A7 and two reefs and that was quite exciting. So it is difficult to set up for them, because in fact they represent something like 1% of the time and so you cannot set your sails for them or you are slowed all the time. And the seas are very big. You need the power. If you are underpowered and going slow then you are just carried by the waves and lose control.
It is good to have pulled back a little bit of ground on Jean. It makes it worth it.
I have just past the Auckland Islands which are about 15 miles to the north and will pass Campbell Island to the south.
I’m watching to see what happens with Bernard Stamm. He is going to a lot of effort to get things sorted, so he must feel he has a good chance of doing so. And he will come out with a lot of fire in his belly. With that boat he will always be a threat, though if we can get to the Atlantic ahead [of him] then I’d like to think we’d have a good chance.
It is interesting to see the talk of the leaders finishing in under 80 days. It is fast and even here it feels fast. I was looking at it and if I can be at Cape Horn in ten days then that is pretty fast. And there can be some serious compression in the Atlantic. If the leaders get around into headwinds and we are approaching from the west at speed, that could be good. But it does feel fast. It feels like I am just starting to get used to being down here and it will be time to go north again. But in saying that I can’t wait for Cape Horn.
