Update, day 77: magic moments!
Thank you for your warm wishes and hearty breaths. It appears to have done the trick as I am making decent progress given the conditions and am currently 60 miles ahead of my where my routing suggested I would be. Yesterday's frustration appears in retrospect to have been rather mellow dramatic but I feared that I would be imprisoned forever in a shaking and shivering, brain rattling "calm"! Last night put it all into perspective as I glided over a now calm sea under a clear moonless night. The milky way shone overhead and was reflected in the waves by millions of bright spots of glowing plankton. Dolphins' shushing breathes echoed up the taught fabric of the sails and their bright bio-luminescent paths criss crossed underneath the bow like fallen meteors. It was a magic moment and all the frustrations from earlier fell away and I was again happy to take on the challenges of this race if it provided such privileged moments in return. They don't always show up on the tracker but I am tacking on every shift and changing sails between the small jib and the Code 0 as the wind continues its capricious dance around the horizon. The overall goal is to make miles northwards, because that's were home is, but also to head eastwards because there is a favourable shift out there that will allow me to sail north on a reach rather than picking my way straight upwind. I hope you're enjoying a happy weekend.
