Noon Update July 20- Day 13

Oops, yesterday was the 19th not the 18th…with The NY Times Not being delivered to our boat yesterday morning (where the hell was that kid???) I am not quite sure of the date….
We are currently 653 miles from Newport and have sailed 1,637 miles from Horta on this leg. In total from Lagos, Portugal we are around 2,700 miles down the road. Just numbers.
Last night had its moments, one of them was sailing into a squall that produce strong winds, torrential rain and then ABSOLUTELY no wind. The boat, very slowly, turned in circles and so did the compass and chart plotter. This continued for a while with us in the center of the cloud formation just drifting along. I told Laurie to start the engine and get us out of this nebulous world and back on the road. 5 minutes later we were again sailing in 18 knots of wind doing 8 knots boat speed. This was the 2nd time the engine was on for less than 5 minutes and the 3rd time we used the engine was to go BACKWARDS to find and retrieve the drone. This has indeed been a sailing trip. Today has been a strong, fast day. With 2 reefs in the main and the jib rolled half way we have been cruising at 6-10 knots. This brings us to the reigning speed champion aboard Heldeleine…..ladies and gentlemen, from the land that has produced Matadors and Conquistadors, I present to you Andres Jimenez with a 2018 Heldeleine Transatlantic récord of 12.5 knots!!! Well done, my friend. He would say a few words but with the groupies and endorsement deals arriving, the poor lad has no time for the press.
Things are supposed to freshen up overnight and for the next 40 hours. Look to the live map to see if the record will hold! So, on we go.


Comments

Noon Update July 20- Day 13 — 5 Comments

  1. At present—.8 or .9 knots.
    Wind beating into you. Merde!
    Fear not—-the winds are good in next couple of days!!
    You are almost there! 😊👍

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