Leg 2, Days 5-6-7

Leg 2 Day 5
During the night the wind continued backing to north-west. At midday I found myself sailing in company with the catamaran Backlash, old friends from the Round Britain Race. The fast reaching conditions we experienced all day was a perfect catamaran wind and during the night she disappeared over the horizon ahead.

Leg 2 Day 6
Another day of fast reaching during which I achieved my best 24 hours run of 177 miles. Spoke on the VHF with Charm of Rhu, a beautifully varnished International 8 Metre, whom I had passed during the night.

Trimming the spinnaker (self-portrait)

Leg 2 Day 7
The wind backed to the West during the night and dropped leaving the sails slatting in the sloppy, left-over seas. As a new depression moved East the wind quickly increased and with the spinnaker hoisted I started sailing fast. After passing the J110 Yet Another Cunning Plan surfing at 10knots plus it became clear that the kite had to come down, things were getting a little out of hand. Reluctantly handing control back to the autopilot, I was halfway through snuffing the spinnaker when a crash gybe laid the boat over and I found myself thigh deep in water. I had made the serious mistake of leaving a preventer on the boom from the earlier light winds and now my route back to the cockpit was mostly underwater. By unclipping my safety harness I was able to scramble up to the high side and make my way back to the cockpit to release the preventer, but not before it had bent the pulpit to which the preventer turning block was attached. With the boat now upright, I was able to get the spinnaker under control, a reef in the main, small jib up and sailing again. Now somewhat slower but still doing 8 knots with the shaken up and chastened skipper back in control. 24hours run 175 miles.