After a night in which I slept like a log (because I forgot to set the Screaming Meanie to wake me up) and the boat sailed rather slowly 25 degrees off course, the result is not too bad. I expected the others to have flown past me, leaving me in the calms. Fortunately, the 0800Z position reports showed that the others were becalmed, too. I, for once, was still sailing at 4 knots at that time. Not any more; the wind has died to 2 or 3 knots, from dead behind. Half an hour ago it suddenly became misty. So, anticipating a wind from the south, I jibed. Having done so, the mist disappeared... And all the while, the grib files promise the best of weather!!

Last night I was followed by a group of about 15 whales. They were (difficult to estimate) between 4 and 7 meters long, pitch black, with a blunt nose, and otherwise behaving like dolphins. Only a bit more sedately, with the occasional tale above the water but no jumps etc. This morning I had a whole group of dolphins around the boat. At least 25 of them, and, as we were going so slowly, they were very close to the boat. So close that, with me hanging over the side at the bow (I had just replaced the code 0 for the spinaker, so was on the foredeck anyway), I could occasionally touch one. This group was quite lively, played with each other and some jumped clear out of the water.

And in the mean time, while writing this, the sails keep on slamming against the mast... Wind, wind, wind...

Bart

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