Yacht Saga Insurance
Wednesday 25th April 2007
Lat 41 22N Long 051 25W
Miles To Bilbao: 2,072 nm
Distance In 24 Hours: 305.1 nm
Average Speed In 24 Hours: 12.71 knots

‘One week at sea and still more than 2,000 miles to go so we will not be setting records. Mind, going north with SAGA to find the westerly winds cost me at least a day, but I would have lost that by now if I had stayed south anyway. We are almost past the southern tip of the Grand Banks and are east of Newfoundland.

‘One thing I have noticed this trip is that it takes me longer to recover from hard work than it used when I was younger. I am still aching in the arms and legs from the baling and it has left me feeling tired still. That ‘s about the only advantage I can think of that the youths have over me! Added a bruise during the night tumbling across the boat when caught off balance by a large wave but you expect that sort of thing and the only way to avoid it would be to pad up like an American Football player which would inhibit speed of movement.

‘The Velux team gave me a small package as a delayed birthday present which I opened yesterday. I had forgotten how good chocolate tasted, thanks guys!

‘Unai’s OC tracker is still giving trouble so we are not getting consistent positions for him except he appears to be about 9 degrees south and 8 degrees east of me. That puts him in a totally different weather pattern, but not necessarily a bad one from his point of view as there are westerly winds predicted for that area. It is still a question of who gets lucky with their weather but it is going to be very hard to beat him by enough to regain 3rd overall and I would not guarantee beating him for 3rd on this leg although I would prefer to have my position than his. There is still everything to play for.’ RKJ