Last time I was in this part of the Atlantic Ocean (on the catamaran Club Med in January) we had 25-30 knots from the west and we were blasting along at 30 knots. Today we have 7.5 knots from the north and our speed is 8 – 8.5 knots under spinnaker. The weather forecast for the next few days is not much better.

Lucky we have good spinnakers. We’re living by the six-hour skeds (position reports) and we’re relieved that we’re still hanging in there. We are doing OK. I think we still have a few more days of light air ahead but it can’t go on for ever. We could do with the Trade Winds right now. We don’t expect them until after we get past the Cape Verde Islands.

My prediction of a 35-day first leg to Cape Town is looking pretty good.

Grant Dalton