After our short pit stop — which seemed rather long for us —, we are back on track again. Everything is all right, although we are searching for the good winds. With a short review of the skipper Nándor Fa.

24th February, in the night.

We were in a speedy and steady run until the night, when it started to increase. The increase had forgotten to stop at the promised 35 knots. I was in my rest when I heard C wildly working outside. He had reefed the third line, and left the stay up, then sat down to the door with a strange face expression and said: “I think I’m injured.” “I went to the front to tie the halyard, when a wave jogged the boat and made me smash into the edge of the daggerboard with my shoulder.” “Get off your cloths, I’ll check it!” — I said. Fortunately nothing serious, it’s not broken, just a little bit bruised through the cloth, and it hurts. A little later he fits as a fiddle, no problem at all, at least he doesn’t show it.

After one hour sailing, we had a 45 knots wind kicking us, which I first thought would be just an average shower I saw on the radar. One more hour, and it’s roaring with 58 knots. We rolled up the stay and continued with only the main. We’ve been progressing for hours this way, like nothing could slow us, within monstrous punches that the boat swallows with every single inch if it. Sometimes we are heeled 50°, then the bottom get punches so powerful it hurt me as I’m listening – even though I’m sitting on the bean-bag. When we surf on one wave with 23 kts, punches come from all directions. If we slow slightly, it beats us from the back. The whole boat bangs and shakes.

The boat is perfectly dry. Even now, when we are already sailing and the whole system is under burden.

Sailing out in the night against strong currents and headwinds was not easy, but one hour later we were already slaloming among reefs that we had programmed into our digital map. In another hour all this is behind us and we are out on the open ocean again.

We should go south but the wind comes from there, we are beating. We have to finght our way through a local high pressure bubble, after that we will be back on track.”

THANKS A LOT to GRAY – for all his support he gave to us in NZL Bluff  pit stop and also thanks for your pics at the moment of saying good bye to the Spirit of Hungary skippers – FAIR WIND for sailing towards to Cap Horn! And will often comes to our mind the nice Hungarian couple in Bluff – many thanks to Judit and Ricsi for our sun-dried fresh clothes.

At 09 25 UTC our position is: 48° 38,7′ S, 169° 42′ E

Moonlight – ©SpiritHu DSC_0851-1