This has been a fast day for VALIS! We made 167 miles yesterday (8:00 AM to 8:00 AM), and at the current rate tomorrow’s numbers should be even better. We’ve got wind of 18-20 kts (occassionally up to 24 kts) on the beam, with seas big enough to give us the occasional push.
Last night we were sailing under clear, starry skies, watching Venus, Saturn and Mars and an incredible Milky Way. Around 2:00AM, with John and me standing watch, the entire sky lit up with two or three huge flashes. The boat was illuminated as if by a floodlight from directly overhead. This must have been a space junk or a meteor breaking up as it fell through the atmosphere.
Today we’vve got sunny skies and sparkling seas. There may be a sail on the horizon — our job is to keep it there as long as possible. The wind is still too far forward to fly the spinnaker, but we are sailing at close to our top speed with a full main, genoa, and staysail.
-Paul / VALIS
Photo: Tirso at the helm, riding the wild surf.