I made it!

I'm back from the 1000Nm qualifier, or as it should be called the 1000Nm drift.

Here a small break down of the trip,

Day 1- Strangely I started with a 25 knot beat out of Lorient North, but the wind soon shut down and I was becalmed just heading into the English channel.

Day 2- The best days sailing. In the morning the breeze picked up and I had a spinnaker run across the channel to Lands End and sailed between the Scilly's and the main land through the night.

Day 3- A very light day but made progress with the code zero through the Irish Sea.

Day 4- In light wind and drizzle at first light I rounded the first mark Coningberg of the Irish coast. Then a hard day with loads of sail changes back South.

Day 5- The breeze built all night and I had a hard sail back across the channel in typical English Channel choppy seas and 28 knots of breeze, close hauled but one tack all the way.

Day 6- A glamours day South down the French coast with constant breeze, sun and the code zero up, ate up a lot of miles.

Day 7-Arrived to Rochebonne the furthest Westerly mark at first light, once agin,very light. Then a beat in toward La rochelle to round Ile de Re. Only made 50 Nm in the whole day.

Day 8- I drifted all the way round and under the bridge in the early hours. The breeze built and I started back north with a kite. Soon the breeze started to clock around until I ended up tight with the zero. And once again it dropped off at night.

Day 9- Light start on the jib but the wind veered and allowed me to go back past Lorient with the zero. Technically I had completed my loop and so the 1000Nm, but as I have a race next week further north, so I decided to keep heading up the coat and deliver to Douarnenez. What a fool another 150 miles in no wind, gluten for punishment!

To get to Douarnenez there are 2 routes, around an island or between the gap in huge tides, I checked all the tidal info and it was with me to nip through but it would be tight. I had a few painful hours in no breeze and loads of current thinking I wasn't going to make it in time. But I just snuck through. I had a lovely down wind sail in bright sunshine to finally arrive and step off the boat a 8.15 PM.

So just over 9 days to do 1150Nm pretty good going. 1 big race, the Mini Fastnet and I'm qualified for the Azores and more importantly the 2011 Transat!