November 11th 2022

Time does strange things when you are out on a vast ocean on a boat. It speeds up, it slows down, it bends around objects, it plays with the light and Tuesday becomes Friday.

I know this much, we sailed 24 hours a day.  We sailed as the sun rose and the moon set and we were still sailing as the sun set and the moon rose. 

We sailed under a full moon and then under the milky way when the nights were less bright. In the darkness we sailed happily along at 7.5 and 8 knots leaving a trail of phosphorescent star dust behind us.  We do solo watches so the night time is quite magical sailing Optimistic through the Milky Way leaving a  trail of glitter behind her. 

Every day there have been hundreds of flying fish flittering by at high speeds and bouncing off waves.  We have yet to see the creature chasing them from below the water but they seem to be fleeing for their tiny silver winged lives. I wonder where the three whales are who cruised by effortlessly the other day. 

We have tried lots of different sail configurations in an attempt to maximize our speed and keep moving up the fleet.  For several days we flew the spinnaker all day and all night.  All of your senses are heightened when sailing at night.  Flying the spinnaker in the darkness in 18 knots of wind and  9 foot swells on your own requires a laser focus and nothing else exists.  At times there are gusts and the boat accelerates, rounds up and heels over the big kite threatens to become a scoop full of water and pull us over unless we ease the sheets in time. It’s intense, fun and alive, an adrenaline, seratonin cocktail shaken not stirred.

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