Boom time in the Southern Ocean

It was a busy day onboard Medallia yesterday as I recovered from the last big blow and prepared for the next one which should arrive today. There was a lot of action with a bucket, sponge and bilge pump. Medallia has a few persistent leaks which need my attention so crawling through the black carbon tunnels doing an hour's round of bailing out is a usual activity. The bonus of this is it gets me all around the boat so I can inspect other things as well.

Other than a lot of tidying up I am happy to report we are in good shape. The only niggling problem I have is the jammer in the aft end of the boom for the second reef which had me on another trip out to the end of the boom to remove and replace it - each time I think I have fixed the problem but this is something I will only know when I try the system in anger. It keeps me busy.

All the while I was working on the boat I had my eye on course and boat speed, aware that Didac is just to the north of me and has been clawing back mile by mile on the updates. It's been an incredible opportunity to race so closely with him and I am really enjoying the competition and the company. I am pretty driven on my own to sail as fast as I can but having someone to chase or someone nipping at your heels definitely gives extra incentive to keep the numbers up. We are keeping in touch with occasional text messages and I know that he is enjoying this race a lot more than 2016 when, due to technical difficulties, he started six days after the fleet and sailed the whole race alone. It also gives me good confidence to be pacing with someone who has already completed this race and understands the challenges of the Southern Ocean. 

So now I wait. There is not a lot to do other than sail fast and enjoy the ride. At the moment the sea is flat, the wind is still only 22 knots so I've got the big zero up and we are making the most of these conditions. I have promised myself after this big blow that I can wash my hair and break out a fresh set of thermals - this is something to look forward to.