Wild ride through Figaro fleet

First of all a big thank you for all the messages sent through
www.marconannini.com/sms, i just downloaded them all, including some
long-time-no-see friends dropped a line which was cool...

This morning, shortly after i wrote my last update, the wind finally
turned further to the North West so i could ease off the sheets and go
for a ride, I cracked off a few degrees and UniCredit shot off at over
10 knots riding with joy and spraying water everywhere powering through
the seas.

I took the chance, after all the bashing of the night, to catch up with
some sleep, with little traffic around i increased my cat naps to 20
minutes instead of the usual 10. I really got the taste for it, 20
minutes passed out, check around, reset the alarm, several times. I
sleep on a bean bag on the floor with a camping air mat over it and i
even pulled the sleeping bag over me... i was getting quite comfortable.

During one of these naps, with the boat still riding wild at full speed,
i was woken up by my AIS alarm (a system to tell you if there are other
boats around you - works only if they also carry one). Typically this
indicates there is a cargo or other commercial ship nearby, the alarm
buzzes quite early so there typically is plenty of time to act.

I got up and yawned while staring at the AIS screen but this time there
were about 5 or 6 boats with french names all within two miles and
heading over me. I jumped out in the cockpit to see the first one, a
yellow spinnaker cross in front of me, branded lufthansa, followed by
another in black and green... one had already crossed while i was
asleep! I looked around and could see another 5 or 6... then it dawned
on me, the final leg of La Solitaire du Figaro! What a show, in 20 knots
of gusting wind they were all powered up and surfing at full speed!

The rest of the day was spent putting the wrong amount of sail up, a
pasttime of mine, good substitute for the gym or other form of
entertainement. I'm not racing now, but no point going too slow.

I'm at 49 47N 008 50W, some 90 miles west of the scillies...

Ciao,