VALIS had another daily-record run at this morning’s 9:00AM roll call: 168 nautical miles made good towards Kaneohe. This was the best 24-hour run in our division, and in some others. The low numbers indicate the lighter winds we have all been seeing, often dropping below ten knots.
This morning at 6:00 AM we crossed the halfway point! John’s little Tiki Drummer became quite agitated and woke the entire off-watch crew with his primitive percussion performance. The entire day has been a halfway party, with the normally rigid discipline being temporarily relaxed; coats and ties not required at dinner tonight.
And what a dinner it was! We started with a crisp cabbage Caesar salad, followed by hot corn on the cob, and for the main course BBQ ribs and chicken, ably prepared by Michael, Rich, and John.
Credit must be given to Michael and Steve, and their wives, who provided most of the pre-prepared meals we have enjoyed so far. Thank you!
This has been a light-air day for the most part, but the skies have been sunny since noon, and the sea is finally showing the beautiful deep-water blue that help make ocean sailing such a glorious experience. We have been seeing flying fish, tropicbirds, and two days ago we had an impressive albatross pay us a visit. Now the wind has come up a bit, and the sailing is fine. We have been flying our colorful lightweight spinnaker since this morning, and this has helped us make the most of the conditions.
Position as of 6:45PM: lat 28deg 29min N, lon 141deg 53min W Speed: 6.5 kts, course 220 deg magnetic. Distance to finish line: 959 nautical miles
-Paul
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