Videocast 11: snow will not slow us down

Day 49

Happy New Year everyone, hope you all had a great night and we wish all the very best for the new year. Having past the international date line we will be celebrating new year this evening but no big parties for us, just a toast to absent friends with our well traveled bottle of Johnnie Walker.

While you all saw in the new year in the UK we have been trucking along at over 20 knots in bright sunshine and plenty of spray.

The race director sent us some ice information that was passed on by Francis Joyon who is currently attempting to beat Dame Ellen's record around the world. He has in the last few days passed Cape Horn on the way home and is currently about a week ahead of Ellen's record. The ice information is useless for us as it seems the weather is going to keep us well to the north and in warm water. No ice for us for a little while, if at all and that sounds great to us!

Unfortunately it does mean that we are having to sail further than the leader and by how much is still unclear. The low pressure that is coming south from the north could leave us sailing upwind in gale force winds and we must do everything possible to avoid this, even sailing north if we have to.

Despite the charging across waves at 20 knots we have managed to continue to eat well from our Wellington supplies. Beans, bacon and mashed potato for breakfast and egg mayo rolls for lunch. If it gets lighter I have promised Capey omlettes for dinner. It is New Years Eve after all.