Thanks and Dark Shadow

Firstly I want to say a huge thank you to Laurence Caille, she has been an absolute star helping Ryan and I before and after the Azores, feeding us, washing for us and letting us use here house. Its made life so much easier and taken all the race stress away.

Now I'm back to the Wally. I'm stuck in the airport in Nantes until 7am so thought I just add a picture if Dark Shadow to show the contrast of the sailing. Its crazy the Mini would fit on the foredeck of the Wally and ropes I use as halyards they use as lashing to tie bits up in the container. Its a different world.

I’m back in the civilised world, well France anyway….

I’m sad to say I’m disappointed with the race back from the Azores.

I got off to a great start in very light breeze I managed to keep with the front few boats. Going into the first night I decided to opt for a shorter course more on the rhum line than the routing had suggested. This paid off and the 2^nd day I was in 2^nd position with a long gap behind. But in the second night as the breeze came up my problems began. Through the night all 3 spinnakers I have ripped! The worst thing was that it wasn’t down to human error or trying to push to hard, they just started disintegrating.

So I had another 6 days of downwind sailing with no spinnakers, trying to soak down with a code 0. It was very painful; especially knowing the rest of the fleet would be flying along.

I changed my tactics and tried to sail the best route to be most I range for the 0 but it was hard with the wind direction.

I was sure I’d be one of the last boats back but I ended up doing okay somehow. There are still boats coming in. I’ll find out official results soon.

Now, some busy days packing the boat away on the trailer and getting it ready to take either back to Lorient or the UK. Then off to Dark Shadow in Sardinia for the Maxi Worlds.

On my way back!

So the holiday is over and we're heading back to France tomorrow.

The weather is looking in a great direction, mainly reaching and downwind, but it is looking very light at times with many wind holes along the route. The general plan is to stay North of rhum line to try and get the edge of the good breeze.

The routing predicts a 26th finish. I'm feeling very positive, its defiantly a race for the newer prototypes but some hard work and no more breakages, I think I can do well. Top 10 here I come! Next blog from back in France!