Log date Thursday 14 February 2007
Position Lat 53 58S Long 99 37W
Miles To Norfolk, USA 8,039 nm
Distance In 24 Hours 221.8 nm
Average Speed In 24 Hours 9.24

Happy Valentine’s Day from the Southern Ocean! I can’t say I’m feeling that romantic so no poetry for you today!

Into double digits for longitude. The wind has eased away to a Force 4, the lowest for five days. Unai [Basurko] has more wind further south I think as he has gained some miles on me. During the time without information I gained on both the others, now I know where they are I am losing out. There’s a message there somewhere!

I got more main sail set on Saga Insurance after a battle with the runners which had got the wrong side of the sail, so we have the maximum I can set at the moment.

The weather forecasts from Chile is now coming through, after a gap of 60 hours without any information, and race control have started sending positions again, there was a problem with the system, which gives some indication of what the others close by are getting.

A quiet day, doing chores like baling out the sail locker, getting the grease gun to work to the entire satisfaction of the steering gear, checking fuel remaining, etc. I’ve used 28 gallons of diesel since the start, slightly less than a gallon a day for charging and we have been using more power recently as the auto-pilot has had more work to do with the large seas we have been having. I’m not sure where the water enters the sail locker, but ten buckets, 20 gallons, is manageable after six days. It is cold again but dry at the moment.

RKJ