It's blowing a gale!!!

Quick update, wind steady between 32 and 36 knots, it's blowing a
gale! Had my share of fun as the conditions deteriorated, I was merrily
taking some video of the impressive following seas when a wave hit
UniCredit sideways and spun the boat into the wind and onto the other
tack... believe me it gets messy.

I jumped to let the runner off as the battens almost bent over the
runner, eased the sheet and went to let the staysail sheet off and bring
it to the other side... ooops, too quick, there were no stopper knots on
the sheets, silly me, they both run out before i even realise, and the
most violent of flogging ensued, like having a crazy witch at the bow
having an epileptic fit, i immediately fired the staysail haliard, but
with all the wind pressure it only slackeed off rather then falling... i
went to the bow to manhandle it down, meanwhile the two sheets managed
to flog themselves in the most elaborate and tight of knots i've ever
seen, forget a monkey's fist, this was the result of decades of advanced
engineering studies by a madman.

So i spent my brunch-time at the bow, being washed over by waves,
undoing the intricate knots, the sheets flogging managed to get other
lines involved, the lazyjack tensioning line, the spinnaker haliard, two
of the cunninghams... believe me, all in the space of a minute...

Many buckets of water later all was sorted, i decided to take the third
reef as i just dont want to break anything, i thought it would be
slow... as soon as finished i leapt of a wave at 17 knots, two walls of
white water either side of UniCredit... phew, it's not slow then.

If any of the above sounds too technical, just imagine lots of water,
lots of noise, lines flying everywhere, sails flogging, a little man at
the bow exploring new rude words and no one to shout them at... ah ah
what a pretty picture.

Progress is good, 100 miles closer to home in the last 9 hours and a
half. 300 miles to St Catherine's isle of wight... current position is
48 46N 008 22W.

The masthead spinnaker haliard is flying somewhere mid mast entangled in
the lazy jack, dont as how, but i dont think i'll fly a spinnaker any
time soon! Other than that, all still in one piece, no damage.

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Ciao,
Marco.