First Night

With just a couple of knots of breeze from the SW I hoisted my new North Light No.1 on the leg down to the Lizard. This kept Bucks Eagle behind me. I noticed boats inshore moving fast, very soon the expected NW came visibly across the water and hit me with 20k. Down with the No.1, up No.3. The wind carried on increasing, and Hakuna became more and more difficult for the autopilot to control in the strong breeze with a difficult building cross-sea.

Bucks Eagle was catching with a reef in and most of her big furling masthead genoa out. My first reef went in. They caught up as I did a bare-headed change down to the No.4. It was fast, wet 8-9 knot reaching and we stuck together even when the wind picked to 30k and my 2nd reef was required. A mackerel was washed aboard at one point. During the early hours we parted company as the wind backed a little and they chose to stay with the wind angle while I kept to the course. Supper the first night was energy bars!