After having warmed up Winsome last week during the Cowes Week for this race, we started with an early start right under the eyes of the RORC Officials on the RYS platform. We could not have done worse, but thanks to having had an OCS during our warming-up-week, we became (a little bit) wiser and decided to turn back, and restart properly, in order to avoid a 50% penalty.
So we had a late start but thanks to using the tide on the Solent optimally, coupled with a good dosis of luck which we all need as sailors, we came as first boat to Hurst Castle.
Now we are between Start Point and Lizard Point and we are getting accustomed to our sea life, getting up and getting to sleep every 4 (in day time) or 3 hours (at night).
In spite of careful preparations for this race, I forgot something very important and that was the CD of Amy Winehouse. At every watch change, music is being played -rather loud- as a wake up call and every year we use a different CD for it. During the Sevenstar Round Britain & Ireland Race it was Masquerade by Katchaturian.
We are in good spirits, in spite of sailing a dry boat, and we can see on the AIS that lots of boats are behind us. Unfortunately AIS is showing only an area of approximately 10 sq Nautical Miles so we are unable to see at this moment a boat like Tonnerre de Breskens with our good friend Piet Vroon on board. Even Marinero disappeared from the 10 sq Nm area so chances for an overall win in Ken Newman's 25th (?) Fastnet Race are diminishing.
It is now 04:40 UTC, it is daylight already and the horizon behind us is turning red.
