Day 3
Another day of stunning sailing onboard the good ship FALKEN. It has been fascinating to witness the change of temperature since our departure from Cuba. Although the sun has been present every day since then, it has clearly cooled down to a lovely temperature, even needing a hoodie at night! We're still upwind and we're still very quick. Today we crossed our halfway point of the trip and we only have a little less than 600 nautical miles to go—just as far as a Fastnet Race.
This morning we were very fortunate to witness an incredible moonrise followed by an even more stunning sunrise! We have also been very lucky with the stars and we've been stargazing every single night, identifying different constellations and learning about different stories and mythology.
Everyone onboard is doing great and the helming has been super smooth; everyone has definitely qualified for upwind helming! Hopefully, on tomorrow's blog I can tell you all about the beautiful downwind sailing that is coming...
- Alex
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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!