Tinned fruit and custard

Day 22 and we are out of the Doldrums.... I hope! Between 3 and 5 days was the estimated length of time we were meant to spend in them but instead we have spent over 10. It has been so frustrating watching our position slip down the leader board, however Matt is a great leader and has kept motivating us in our daily briefings to push the boat and try to get the best out of her in the little wind we had been given, sometimes we could do nothing as we sat for hours on end doing zero knots! The team has been looking forward to getting into the Trade winds and yesterday they came and they are still here today so we have been beating upwind averaging around 7 knots, which is good.

Life on board has been very difficult with the extreme heat, but we have all been able to have some fun as well; I have discovered a new love for tinned fruit and custard, so now when ever there is any left over everyone knows who to give it to! Last night Hannah made chocolate brownies for everyone and even if I hadn't spent 22 days on a boat, I would still say they were the best'est I have ever tasted.

I went up the mast the other day to reattach a slider that connects the main sail to the mast track, being winched up by Ed and Chris (repeatedly being told I need to cut out on the custard), I had to go up and down a few times as I dropped the slider down to the one 2 metres below, I got the job done in the end but they were not very happy, haha! At least it gave them a bit more exercise!

With only around one more week before we get to Rio, I will be saying goodbye to a few folk who I've got to know well over the past month, including Hannah; chief baker and a great friend, Alan; my mother buddy, Ross; my singing partner who is always cheerful and Will; who always has me laughing! I hope I stay in touch with all of them in the future, we also say short goodbyes to; David, Andy, Katherine and Mark who will rejoining the boat family on later legs which is great.

So now we are only hours from the Equator, Hannah and I have been making Neptune's costume for tomorrows crossing into the Southern Hemisphere, more about this in my next blog.