The old Furuno 207 Weatherfax is doing a wonderfull job. For those interested, I save all downloaded charts to educate a next generation sailors at home called Floris (12), Wouter (9) and little princess Alou (6 and who prefers to be a tiger!). Floris will participate in Dutch hampionship teamsailing Optimist (NED3215). Wouter sailing his ‘Wouterzooi’ under NED3086.
Alou mainly coaching the boys from the rib.

A subset of the charts we used during the race I will list on my website after the race. For those interested keep an eye on my website for two weeks after the race.
Bright clear from a steady and sound signal from Pinnenberg (D) show us the next low approaching to give us another hard job tonight and Saturday with some SW headwinds towards St Kilda.
So now, we are sailing as fast we can along the rhumbline to Sula Sgeir. The farther south the better!

With a red thin liner I emphasize the UK and Ireland (which are in fact resized to some larger ‘wattensee insel’ now that these trimarans circumnavigate the empire in only 3 days or even less, ofcourse).

On the rollercoaster La Promesse is these days it’s difficult not to, by accident, take or annexate (is that English) parts of France and Belgium around Dover. One rogue wave made me take Pas de Calais from Dunkerque to Dieppe. An area that could be of stra tegic importance if one wants to control all shipping through the Strait. How lomg would a RBI take in that case?

In my fantasy there is a Furuno weather-next. Where we draw our own weatherchart and feed that into the machine to see that only hours later the weather changes……

Close reach today is a welcome relief after beating in rough seas. Deep and sound sleep helps us charge battery beyond the bulk stage. A good tea (lapsang souchon mixed with earl grey) and coffee (for the captain) as well as a good shave and a more comforta
ble ‘sitstop’ are in the range of float charge and even feel fully charged for a while afterwards.

ARCTIC LADY on starboard. 288m (10m draft, 49m beam) tanker with destination PECEM. Huge hell orange tanks on deck good visible from a distance of 9nm.

Clear weather, few showers. Wind WNW 16-19kts. Backing W later and SW tonight. That’s gonna be another tough 36 hours of beating.

Thanks again for your attention if you’ve come to read this!

JanKees & Bart