Tradewinds
Puffin is still anchored north of Picton, for boat repairs and skipper recovery. Ian (CH) who spent several days helming by hand in heavy weather last week is suffering from severe frostbites on his hands. He says that time will do its healing work and that he will be able to get back on course soon. 800 miles from Cape Horn, Guy Waites, no longer in the GGR but still sailing, is making good progress (120/140 nm/d) in “strong to gale force winds, squalls with hail and sleet”. Tradewinds rendez-vous in the South?
In the Atlantic, Jeremy (CH) continues to alternate between heavy weather one day and light winds the next. This morning, he is in the southerlies of yesterday’s deep low-pressure, he will meet a high pressure today, followed by NW tomorrow. More confused seas? Yes please! Michael went to see Trindade up close and is just entering the easterly trades for -possibly- a 900-mile sprint towards the doldrums which are now further north than when Kirsten entered.
Kirsten, the closest to the exit, is facing some good and some bad. On the plus side, she has extended her lead over Abhilash to 330 miles this morning; on the minus, the forecast for the week seems less favourable to the east than to the west and more stable close to Brazil than Africa. The cruising class on Clara is clocking miles, Simon (CH) in a middle position, is now within 200 miles of Kirsten and has taken 150 miles away from Abhilash.
