Posn 44 28.2N 15 29.7W Co 060 Speed 7.3 knots Wind speed 25 – 30 knots Maximum wind 47 knots Baro 1000 and rising 24 hour run 183nm Sail set: triple reefed main, scrap of jib

With the glass rising and a forecast of moderating wind and seas, decreasing to 15-20 knots tomorrow, Firefly and her crew have had a tough night, made worse by leaks in the forward and after cabins. James reports:

With breaking seas and a Force 9 gale there is raw courage aboard Firefly. The call from Captain Cantankerous (Stewart) is consistently the same, ‘when will it ever end’ as Firefly has now been experiencing gale force conditions for over 36 hours as she follows directly in the wake of the 990 Low Pressure system. The news that it is due to moderate is welcomed by all of us who have spent the 24 hours pinned below to avoid the flying spume and cockpit filling waves.

Despite all of this there are high spirits on board which we keep up by singing rugby songs and boosted by the fact that we have reached the half way mark, 650 miles, in exactly four days.

That’s all for now so a slightly soggy Ciao from Firefly until tomorrow.