Keep the speed up!

04’14.1S 016’33.1W course 342′ speed 6,8 kn

We made enough West around noon and so we gibed to find ourselves perfectly on course and speeding along nicely on a starboard tack. The wind that had decreased during the night, had picked back up after sunrise and so we hurled along with a nice 7 knots on our courseline. During the day we tried not to over heat and during the night everybody comes back alive. This morning at 04:00 utc we swapped jibs, something we have not done before, but now is the time. Our speed was dropping below the 6 knots every now and then, so we need to make the most of it. Now we are back to an average of 6,5 sometimes 7,5 knots, and that feels good.

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This jib was made in 2010 and has seen us through so much. We have ordered canvas for a new one, as we need to be extremely careful with this old beauty as she has some wear and tear on her. Wel you could say, she has some miles on her as well. She sailed her first Tall Ships Races 2010, first in the Mediterranean sea, then the North Sea. With Jannette on the helm, starting off in the dark, heading for Aalborg and Gijs and me (me in my pyjamas as I had to be called) on the front deck trying to get this beast down, as the wind was gusting 5 to 6 bf and the jib alone is over 70m2! And she definitely won us some of those Tall Ships Races with the light weather!! Little did we know, she would last one whole circumnavigation and two rounds around the Americas and would be bringing us home today! What a sail!!

Another crossword puzzle distracted our minds this afternoon, so we did not think of the heat too much. Steering is easy, being on the helm is comfortable as you have a little breeze to cool you down. Finding a shady spot during noon is hard though..

All is warm and well on board! Jet

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