- 10:00 UTC
- 177.6 nautical miles to go
- 2nd place
“To get to Horta we are first having to sail towards the centre of a very large high pressure system, called the Azores High (!), so the wind is slowly dropping with every mile. We are doing our best to keep the boat moving well at all times to try and cut down the 19 mile lead that the Spanish built up in the strong reaching conditions.
“We are pleased to be on the attack at the moment, having chopped off a few miles overnight, reducing the lead’s advantage to 12 miles. Imerys is gliding along nicely and we’re hoping to keep closing the gap and have a chance to fight for the lead. We are expecting to get in around midday tomorrow so it doesn’t give us long, but soon there will be some important tactical choices to make that could changes things.
“After the insanely fast but very tiring sailing crossing the Atlantic section, Corentin and I have been packing in quite a lot of rest, so we can focus on this crucial last 24 hours to claw our way back. This has given us time to eat properly and Corentin even revealed 2kg of smoked ham that he had stashed away – survival food he calls it! Aside from that, he is enjoying the full extent of my English cooking skills of “power porridge”, which is mightily effective in helping you sit at the helm for hours on end.
“Staying focussed – Imerys out” Phil
