Leg 7 Race 11.. Mexico is really long.

13.05.2024

Our dragon is causing quite the stir in the ocean these days, not least amongst the fleet, but also within the wildlife off the Mexican coast. Dolphins approach with sincere interest as they murmur and muster, two by two, leaping and bounding to witness the spectacle that is the ocean dragon. Once here, the kids play and spin around our bow with toddler-like enthusiasm as they discover a new trick, whilst careful elders watch with cautious eyes, breaching to check that all is well above as it is below. These dolphins gain so much height in the small constant swell, their large dark figures diving in pairs in a very sweet synchrony. Squids… have been the deviants of the night. Unlike the respectful dolphins, these beasties breach their bodies high onto the deck, trying to sucker a kiss onto the nearest unsuspecting crew member; it seems once they score a hit they cast a curse of intrigue over their victim. YM and Noodles are now taking to collect the slimey, white creatures into jars for later inspection.

As we cruise down past the Bahia stretch of Mexico the sun has returned in full force. Our now seriously pasty bipods have begun baring near-bioluminescent appendages to the intense warmth of the rays. Though the nights are still cool, the days now bring shorts and sunglasses to replace smocks and socks. For a while, actually, in the switch of clothing, faces would appear from the companionway, assessing what attire is appropriate, and give a muddled shake of the head as they attempt to pick a crewmate they assimilate most with. As the speaker returns to play tunes, everyone returns to the wheel to take on the now more tame winds; though our version of tame is still an overpowered Code 1 with a constant 15-20knot breeze, as opposed the the random 26knot gusts of the previous few days; Captain, Rambo, and Lady Fingers all attend a masterclass from Rick as we slide up and down the rolling waves.

9knots is the aim, the powers of the hole have declared it so. Whilst we now have a fair lead of 120miles from second place Ha Ha, it’s still not a safe enough buffer with the incoming light winds ahead. Each 10 miles we make on the fleet now will buy us an extra hour of dead still sail slobbing; we are bracing for a 16 hour period of very little wind, and if we make it through before the others catch up, we will have a hurricane to contend with between the first and second potential finishing gates. Though the mood on the boat is very relaxed, we are also excited for each new report - everyone is aware of the potential threat of the boats behind. With up to 2000 miles still left in the race, we aren’t safe yet; we made up 400 miles on Ha Ha in the last 1500 of the last race. Bekezela might struggle though, 300 miles to the rear they may be increasing our chances of a brief visit to Costa Rica…

The tangerine sun fell softly into the sea as the day met its quietus in the form of a cool breeze and the lavender-mint beginnings of the night. The wind has eased, putting our dragon into a snail’s gallop as we head south-south-east on a new gybe. The vibes are immaculate but the hoard is gaining, time to trim trim trim before we turn tail to the gate.

Will x