Day 2 At-sea
Day one is now behind us, and it is the first time I’ve had the chance to sit down and take a breath. Last night was some of the most epic sailing I’ve had in the last year, with one gust at 40 knots of true wind speed and FALKEN surfing down some pretty impressive waves with three reefs, doing impressive speeds! We have covered over 270 nm in the last 28 hours. The crew have all been superstars and have handled the helm like pros, even if it is the first time offshore for a few of them.
The conditions are now lightening, and we have increased to two reefs and full Yankee sail, pushing us along nicely. You can hear the screams of excitement from on deck every time FALKEN surfs down a wave, or big laughter after a wave covers the deck. I really had missed blasting along downwind towards our destination! We’re going to make the most of it, as the weather models indicate that the wind might start decreasing soon.
I am about to start cooking a Mediterranean salad with couscous for dinner, the perfect meal for a very hard-working crew that deserves every praise you can think of!
A very fast and happy team,
Alex
laline96@gmail.com
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HMS Night Watch Party
Wing on wing worked well until the wind shifted then the helm became the cone of despair for our night watch crew of three (H, M and S) Alex made the decision to drop the pole, shifting wing on wing to a close reach. Wind increased to low teens and speed picked up to a flying pace. Day spent wandering toward Ensenada. Alex, Adam and David got us into port under another starry night.
No Kitemares Today
After a night marked by sudden wind accelerations peeling off Point Conception, and a vibrant, pulsating sky blistered with shooting stars, the off-watch woke to commotion on the foredeck. The wind had gone light and the swell had tapered just enough to raise the spinnaker. The sail filled with an urgent pop, the sheet strained and Falken charged down the face of the next wave. By mid-day, we doused the spinnaker and set our minds to the more precise task of safely punching through a gap in the notorious Cortez Bank. The border to Mexico looms ahead.
The California coast
We had a very lively first day of sailing with steady winds between 25 and 30 kn gusting to mid 30s. All of the crew got experience at difficult downwind helming as we covered 200 nautical miles in the first 24 hours. This morning brings winds in the teens and calmer seas. The sun is still shining, and the green monster has been slayed by those afflicted!