Half-way there!

We reached the half-way point of our longest passage this evening and to celebrate, we toasted the trip so far and the trip to come with a small rum and coke each. Oh yes, we know how to party on Kika! It feels fantastic to have come so far and actually it doesn't seem like an interminably long time that we've been at sea. We have both enjoyed it far more than the Atlantic crossing, mainly due to the fact that in general, the wind has been favourable and I haven't been seasick. We are still in first place (not that we are competitive at all) but Zefferin will probably take the lead in about 5 days' time. We are swapping positions with the 5 other boats in our 'flotilla' twice daily, and everyone is feverishly working out ETAs and potential changes to the order of boats, but it's all very good natured. Nick has taken the time to write a program which graphically displays all the boats' courses (based on their daily positions) since departure from the Galapagos. It's interesting to compare progress.

We broke the record again for highest daily run (160 miles) which has further boosted our morale. Currently we are bowling along at 7 knots with a poled out genoa and 2 reefs in the main. It has been yet another 24 hours devoid of other vessels. Activities today have included: salt water shower (Nick), making hummus (Ellen), nerding on computer (Nick and Ellen), nerding with a book (Ellen), making felafels (Nick), turning eggs (Ellen), admiring George the wind-vane (Nick), adjusting baggy-wrinkles (Nick) oh, and a bit of sail trimming (Nick and Ellen). It doesn't sound like we do much, but with our speed consistently high, and the sea being moderate to rough, it's quite a mission to achieve simple tasks aboard, and I seem to be acquiring more bruises by the hour.

Those of us in the flotilla are all getting a little bored with the passage by now, and our chat times on the SSB are becoming more and more lengthy and silly. Topics of discussion include books read, meals enjoyed, making landfall, sail configuration, and, top of the bill, what have you managed to scrape off your deck to eat! It has become a ritual to go out at first light and collect anything edible which may have landed on the topsides in the night. I never thought I would eat flying fish (they look so boney and dry) but they are delicious fried in a little flour. Nick did the deck rounds this morning and came back with such a small squid that I thought he'd merely sneezed on his hand! He'd been spared the gutting of it because when he prized it from the deck, it left its guts behind - delightful! Anyway, we fried this tiny snot-like thing and after cooking it was the size of a safety pin! I think it was pretty good, though I'm not sure my miniscule portion qualified me to make a judgment. I wonder what delicacies tomorrow will bring?

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Position @ 19:25 UTC: S06° 27' W113° 25'
Daily distance run: 160 nm
Distance to go: 1517 nm
Cumulative distance: 1329 nm
Engine hours:0
Wind: SE 15-20 knots
Weather: moderate/rough sea, 20% cloud cover, 1011 millibars