GOLD COAST 210600ZAPR12 SKED – SANFRASISCO – PANAMA

LAT 21.44.493N
LONG 109.57.518W
DTF 2047nm
ETA 24 Apr 2012
COG 110
SOG 7.7nm

WEATHER WIND 315@10kts, Sea Slight, Swell NW 1m, Cloud 1/8, Baro 1016

Gold Coast Australia’s position has continued to improve as we search for optimum wind on a very light course. By midday the sea breeze that we were hoping for showed little signs of forming and so Gold Coast Australia gybed offshore to cover the fleet and put us in a good position to maximise wind over the coming days. Our unfortunate situation at the moment however is the yachts behind us have more wind and unless we can reach the better pressure to the south east first our lead will continue to decrease. It is interesting to see that the fleet is all still reasonably close even after numerous different tactical strategies have come into play.

Sailing in these light conditions requires immense concentration to ensure optimum trim and a stable spinnaker and the crew are doing a fantastic job sailing the boat and keeping entertained.

Many people wonder what we eat while at sea. As we sail down the Mexican coast, burrito’s are the best option, and tonight they have made a fantastic change to our otherwise delightful menu.

With the lighter winds crew are kept amused spotting the copious amounts of wildlife in the ahead. Today we saw a large pod of whales on their migration north, our first sea-lions lazing in the sun as well as countless dolphins chasing fish.