Ellen Macarthur Trust

Happy New Year

Happy New Year
 
Well, one of my New Year wishes came true; wind - hence my lack of contact recently, I'm sorry. 
 
We had a celstial treat on NY Eve with perhaps the most perfect sunset I have ever seen (and yes, we did see the "green flash", Digby even filmed it), followed ten minutes later by the rising of a perfect full moon in the east, so bright I could easily read outside. New Year's Day started memorably. After a live interview with BBC Breakfast at 0730 (in complete darkness here - and exactly how few people were awake at that time on NY day anyway?), I started to set the sails but the wind was all over the place. But just as the sun rose and we lined up to do our next live with BBC World, BANG!, the wind hit like a brick, 25 knots on the beam. After a mixed fortune in the wind stakes since leaving Lanzarote 22 days ago, Impossible Dream got up on her haunches and started to fly; don't tell Mike the owner but I wonder if ID has ever hit 13.8 knots under sail before? Do you remember that rollercoaster analogy I used in a blog a few weeks ago to describe the motion of the boat? Well, it was like that except someone pushed the turbo button. If you saw the 1025 live BBC piece, you may have seen the excitement, thrill and terror in my eyes - if not, then Digby's shaky camera work may have given the game away.  The wind has stayed with us, although is now 12 knots from astern so we are making a modest, if not more comfortable 6 knots. As I type, we have 780 miles to go - current ETA, lunchtime on Thursday 7th, but don't hold me to it.
 
There is a terrific 3 minute video just uploaded onto the BBC website which I'd urge you to watch, it's a mini masterpiece - especially when you consider it was all filmed, edited then sent back via satellite from mid-Atlantic - heartfelt thanks to STRATOS who make this incredible hardware, Quicklink for the software, the BBC (Mark, you know you are the main man) and of course Digby who does all the clever stuff, although you wouldn't think him capable if you saw the photo of him wearing that mankini. CLICK HERE to see the video.
 
I, or should I say, Susana (typing as I dictated), cleared a backlog of 60 emails for me yesterday although I'm already back up to 30 so, if you are one of those, please bear with me, I will reply when I can.
 
Elaine & Tim are being given the finest hospitality in the BVI, thank you Colin & Alison, although Elaine phoned to say that they have gone to St Thomas in the USVI this weekend to visit the family of a young man who has also suffered a spinal cord injury. If I have time, I hope to pop over myself before we leave (it now looks as though we will have to defer our flights a few days so I can sort out a number of business matters in the BVI which I had planned to do when our ETA was much earlier) but Digby & Susana will be heading back as planned on the 10th (assuming this wind continues).
 
Happy New Year to everyone.