Hey ma!

Pain is much better thanks but I’m getting cabin fever.  Sea state is such
that it is not sensible for me to try to get up the companion way onto deck.
I lie in my bunk watching the water weave its way over the hatch, down the companion way and into the bilges usually via an unsuspecting victim stood in the wrong place at the wrong time.  I’m not sure I will ever get bored of someone who has spent hours trying to stay dry on deck get a soaking in their pants.  So much for champagne sailing.  As I type it is peeing with rain and my watch are starting the evolution to change down from a yankee 2 to a yankee 3, something I’d normally be waist deep in water for.  Our first use of that sail in this race.  The wind must be steadily north of 30kts. It seems the wind hole that we were expecting may have moved inland.

I took a stroll down to the nav station last night richocheting of the bunks
en route (my technique is no different to everyone else’s).  I saw what
looked like a greg shaped shoe sticking out of it so seized the opportunity
to familiarise myself with where we were.  It seems like we’re in the middle of the pack holding close to the rhumb line.  A tactic that has worked for us in the past.  We’re chewing through the mileage with 930- ish miles to go as I type.  I think things will slow as we draw closer to Airlie as we have the small matter of a reef (great barrieR) and some islands to negotiate. As things stand I may get an extra cocktail on my sun lounger.

Greg is taking a more sidelined approach for this race in the hopes in
kickstarts everyone’s competitive energy and enthusiasm for following legs. Something has to change. I had to bite my tongue on race start when starfish spoke of what a relaxed and enjoyable start it was…WE WERE LAST!!!  When things aren’t going well everyone has their 2 pence worth although we’ve not yet had a happy hour for that to be publicly aired.

Happiness in my parallel world is remembering that on boat prep day you
bought one too many ice-creams.  I had to plan my mission to the freezer
meticulously and prepare myself for the potential disappointment of finding no ice cream nestled between the beef chunks and vegetarian sausages.  I waited for the end of dinner time when most had taken to their bunks and pounced in darkness. IT WAS THERE! Beats morphine tablets any day!

I started to write my land to-do list yesterday. I shan’t do that again for
a while.  I’m in the Pacific, who cares about the car’s MOT! Can’t wait to
see you ma and J&G&E&K&D.  Its going to be a massive family frenzy when I get home in time for our January Christmas. Presents are on the to-do list that I refuse to write let alone action! 😉

Lots of love to all xxx