La Cigale - Day 4 - 22 November - Starstruck

Breakthrough with the sky at night on watch last night. Found Orion's Belt, recognised from a slide in Stokey Woodall's presentation, and then discovered the search function on Night Sky app opened up a mine of information. I was delighted to find that the three signature stars are also known as the "Tres Marias" (Three Marys) or "Los Tres Magos" (The Three Wise Men) in some Spanish speaking cultures. Feeling festive. Thanks to the app, orientation my way from Orion I was able to work out the dog star Sirius, Lepus the Hare and Canis Major. Francis thought the coolest thing was spotting Betelgeuse - he's big into Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy at the mo, and apparently it's the planet Ford Prefect and Zafod Beeblebrox is from.

Going from the sublime to the ridiculous, Catherine at breakfast this morning declared "Mummy, wouldn't it be funny if cows could sail a boat and go moo on the radio?!"

Later on that morning we had a call on the VHF, not from a bovine boat but another cat! It was TOGINA, the one boat in the ARC rally that has decided on the same course as us for the same reason - taking advantage of the wind on the Great Circle Route, before dropping down to join the trade winds when the weather permits.

While TOGINA races ahead, our progress has been a bit slow and frustrating today: we managed to rip the gennaker from AMARONE first thing, and drop a D shackle in the sea, then had a moment's panic about our fuel consumption before we twigged that we were looking at the water not the fuel gauge, doh!

Still, the visit from a pod of dolphins, first of the crossing, was a joy. As was receiving group email to all the kids from Hilmer and Hampers on INDIAN SUMMER.

After yesterday's delicious mahi-mahi - the freshest fish we have ever eaten, pan-fried with fresh basil and a twist of lemon - thoughts turn to what this evening has in store. The kids and I have just been reading together more tales of derring do and forest feasts washed down with March ale in Robin Hood - Merrye Englande may be a distant dream right now, but spending nights under the twinkling stars is something we certainly can relate to!