After last nights performance which saw me taking down the spinnaker pole on a rolling and pitching deck sans trousers as a result of another wind shift, today has brought a welcome change for the better.

The sea is calmer, the wind a pleasant force 5 from the right direction and I’m hoping this state of affairs will continue. I don’t fancy another night like last night. By the time morning came, the cereal boxes had fallen on the floor, followed by the eggs (just as well they were cooked) and I found myself sliding from one end of the bed to another.

We are now well south of the Canaries, about 160 miles off the Western Sahara, and it is getting hot. There is nothing to see here but the sea as you can see in the photo…