It’s fair to say that I’m an emotional wreck about my last day in the office tomorrow. I would consider myself a strong person but in the last two weeks I’ve cried twice and I think I’m heading for a hatrick.

I checked my phone just as I was walking into a client meeting today. BAD IDEA.

‘I think you’re awesome. Lots of love and see you on the other side. Big bro’

How am I expected to talk about managing currency risk when he’s just dropped an emotional bombshell?!

Anyway, a quick crossfit blast this evening and another attempt at a bloody pull-up has been sufficiently distracting.

That is until I get a message from Sarah. ‘Good luck tomorrow!’ Without this lady my adventure would look very different, probably a weekend dinghy regatta in Canary Wharf! Lovely to hear from her and I’m touched by her wishes.

Just as I go to close my eyes I have one last glimpse at the tracker. If I dont I know Hugo will be more up to date than me. WTF. Excuse my French. We’re pointing to Africa. We’re meant to be going to South America. They know that right? I revert true to form and resume back seat sailing. The news however infers disaster has struck.

Our water maker, one of the few critical items for survival, literally, has packed up. The crew are turning to prunes and more importantly the boat is turning around. We’re heading for Telemed at the back of the fleet to collect a spare part and make amends.

It will actually be quite fun to do a boat to boat transfer. You can’t just throw, you have to rig up a pully system to protect the precious cargo. We’re well drilled in such things but it will be different doing it for real AND doing it with Diane (the skipper of Telemed). That’ll make it even more exciting. I’m wondering if her crew fitted bumpers to her boat during prep week because she’s got an unfortunate habit of putting holes in it! Extra long transfer lines please!

We’re hoping for a timing correction from the race officials but this is nothing short of a demoralising disaster heading back into the light airs that we’ve battled so hard to escape. Still, we’ll be a boat for Ichorcoal to chase and that’ll be a fitting distraction for all.

One more alarm!