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Scarlet Oyster - Normal service is resumed! Day 11 on Scarlet



Will be a short one this time (I promise!)

Last couple of days have been almost like something from a sailing brochure! Steady 15-18knots directly behind with blue skies and no rain, these winds closely resemble the mythical 'Trade Winds' that you sometimes hear about!

Perfect sailing then? Well nearly! Having had a night of 20knots plus wind with the monster kite up a few nights ago, we have developed a sort of taste for the 'powered up' feel!, the gentle rolling along at 8knots av speed without the sensation it is all going to end in tears imminently is frankly a bit boring! Also this is not helped that a couple of boats coming down from the N have been 'enjoying' (or perhaps enduring!) our now preferred 'powered up' mode for 2 days while we have been cruising along.

We have kept them at arm's length (for now), but Tronko and Arrabbiata have stormed up the leader board last few days, finally reaping the reward for their braver Northern route. Our route has been the most direct of the class, and this is nothing to be scoffed at, as everything else being equal a shorter route is a faster one, the weather was not looking predictable enough in my opinion to go adding huge mileage to find an 'advantage' that may simply not exist when you get there, and only ever existed on a grib file prediction for a few days' time!

We have been running some calculations on Caro, if they get in averaging about 10kn from now, and we get some more 'powered up' sailing for the rest of our trip we believe we can beat them, there is of course a rather big 'if' in this statement! Caro have done a great job of demonstrating the advantage of a very fast yacht in such an offshore contest, we simply would not have had the speed to get over the top of the low pressure systems like they did, with their speed they have been able to 'choose' their weather and
sail to the sections of the course that have given them their preferred conditions (also rather powered up!). We could not have taken the same option, and would have likely ended up in the middle of a low pressure having taken an upwind beating!

Watermaker has been working very well since the addition of a bubble box to pick up the air that finds its way under the boat, we will all be able to enjoy a quick shower this evening! Will do a stocktake on water tomorrow, as I think we have rather more emergency supply now than we require!

Food has been great, no weight loss to report from the captain anyway! And owing to our apple a day policy we have not had an doctor's visits, we can probably sell on some of the apples to the fruit boat in Rodney bay on arrival!

All well on board, quite looking forward to the 1000mile mark now!

Now to look at the weather again, that seems to threatening yet another park up or rather the wind going on 'strike' again!

Cheers

Ross

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