Higher and faster!
A good day for the five sailors left in the race, relieved by Ian’s rescue by the Zi Da Wang, and all sailing in wind that allows them a fast route and a direct course. It’s been a while since everyone in the fleet had sailed in fresh wind all at the same time and the daily mileage – like the morale onboard – will bounce back for the weekend!
Jeremy is well into the trade winds, on a beam reach with a southerly sea pushing him towards la Vendée. Dream conditions for Olleanna and her skipper who are sailing at 6 knots. More of an upwind sail and head waves for Michael, but he doesn’t care too much. The Austrian sailor who had a hard time in the doldrums on the way down had an express doldrum crossing on the way back, and is now focused on the next landmark – the Azores – having kept the 1000+ mile gap to the head of the fleet, without any major problems on Nuri.
It’s decision time at the forefront: Abhilash, downwind, bends his course a little to the east (25°), taking advantage of the strong SSE, while Kirsten, 270 miles further east, is sailing due north on a beam reach in the warm easterlies coming from the Sahara and the Canaries. She is still the fastest in Suhaili Class today, taking 15 miles off her runner-up! Simon, the route master is following the most easterly route of the fleet, determined to make the least distance – and the best VMG – possible to Les Sables d’Olonne!
