Tuesday, July 22nd

27 09 N
141 44 W

8 knots

So I'm sitting here, waiting for my MRE (Chicken Fajitas) to warm up. The off gassing from the heater is less than appetizing and smells somewhere between burning electronics and over heated radiator fluid. However, it heats the food that I can eat.

We are now working on Mark III of the tiller head attachment. Not having a stable connection between the tiller and rudder has held us back. We have not been able to push the boat at 100%. However, like so much in life, perfection and the perfect situation are rare. The challenge is what makes it all fun.

The sailing, although light has been really nice. No, not the perfect conditions for us, but lovely, none the less. The reality is that with 900 miles to go it is still a wide open race. While Hula Girl has a pretty good lead the distance is quite close between the next 5 boats. We were hindered, in the standings, by conditions that had all of us sailing into lighter air. This meant that the boats behind were able to catch up. Whether we'll be able to sail away from them, however, is a whole other question. By Sunday, there will be nothing left but the crying. Until then, we're having a great time being in the middle of the fight.

The weather has been very unstable and our routing has changed 6 times in a day and a half. It ail adds to the fun.

Love to all.