Date/time0630 (BST)
Position5404 1023
True windspeed/direction26kts – north-westerly
Sea conditionsrough – 3m seas

Morning, we have just past Black Rock and her outlying rocks. Conditions are a little challenging with the winds quite gusty and oscillating through 20 degrees. Artemis handles the conditions well but her crew would prefer the wind to be aft of the beam instead of just cracked (10 degrees off close hauled)!

It looks like a long port tack up to Muckle Flugga (top of Shetlands) some 525 nm away. Conditions should ease in the next eight hours making life on board a little easier. I think Ian Cowie, our journalist from The Daily Telegraph onboard, is wondering what he has got himself into! He is coping really well considering all this is uncharted territory for him and I’m sure he will be an old sea dog by the time we dock in Cowes.

We are not that far off record pace for the RBI crewed mono record. Unfortunately though, the RORC course does not include a couple of islands that we would need to go round to sail the official record course. It is tempting to go round them anyway but this is a race and we would hate to lose either the lead or a handicap place through being too greedy.

Spirits are high on board but we are all looking forward to some fast downwind sailing.

Cheers,

Will and all onboard.