Lat 35d 45m N, 128d 15m W COG 220 d mag, SOG 7.7 kts TWS 18 kts, TWD 335 deg mag. Full main and 120% genoa.
We had a great run yesterday, racking up 181 miles from 8:00AM to 8:00AM. We have gained a little on the competition, and the current conditions are good for us. We aren’t the most northern boat in the fleet, but it looks like we want to dive just a little deeper to stay out of the developing light-wind Pacific High. This means sailing a few more miles, but not many as the course adjustment is minor. If we sail much further south (the “traditional” Hawaii run) we also get lighter predicted conditions, so we are threading the needle. This looks like another rhumb-line race. Of course, the forecasts are just that, and are subject to change…
The sky is patchy overcast, but we have blue sky overhead now (and we are getting +15 Amps into the batteries from the solar panels). The seas are smaller today, and the ride is almost comfortable. We are all in good spirits. For the first day we were avoiding spicy food, but we tonight are already looking forward to a Chicken Fajita dinner!
Aloha, Paul / VALIS