#7. Bermuda to Azores | Day 2

27 May

Monday, 27 May 2024
2000 GMT

Before we left Bermuda we studied the weather and went through all the possible routing options. In the end, with all weather models predicting Northerly winds for the last three days of our trip, we decided to take the Northern route. This is adding some extra miles, but hopefully we will be in a better position for the predicted Northerlies.

So far, we had two slow days with very light or sometimes even no wind at all. Luckily the sea was as flat as it gets without that residue swell that sometimes slaps the little wind there is out of the sails.

The crew has been patiently steering FALKEN, slowly building some speed and then keeping it up. They have done a great job and we only had to motor when the windex stopped moving entirely. It gave everyone some time to settle into boat life and get used to helming. However it started to get a little bit boring and we all wished for a bit more wind.

To our delight the weather forecast was correct: by mid morning the wind started building and veering. FALKEN settled on a close reach with a full mainsail and yankee, slowly following the wind around until we were on course to our next waypoint. This afternoon the wind increased even more and we put the first reef into the mainsail. FALKEN now gliding along at 8, 9, 9 and a half knots boat speed with a constant 20 degree heel. Fantastic sailing!

Not so fantastic for our apprentice Athena though, who is on dinner duty tonight. Cooking for 11 people whilst at a 20 degree heel is a bit painful. So we furled the Yankee and hoisted the staysail. This reduced the angle of heel to a more manageable 15 degrees and FALKEN, the fast and slippery boat she is, still powers along at 8 knots plus.

For the next 48 hours the forecast predicts a steady Force 4 to 5 with the wind veering from the ESE to the SSW, which will allow us to sail more freer. This probably means reaching with the Mainsail, Staysail and Yankee. FALKEN’s favorite point of sail! Fast sailing guaranteed.

Fair winds and a following sea,
- Chris