RACE 12 - DAY 3 SKIPPER REPORT

Just a quick one from me until we settle into this race... The Le Mans start was good. We were first out the blocks with a spinnaker but I was overly cautious with the Code 3, our smaller spinnaker and so we changed to the Code 1 after a time... Then we ended up losing a little angle on those opting for Windseekers. The breeze dropped considerably to their advantage and then as it increased it turned back in our favour. We knew the breeze would increase, unfortunately this was a slow transition and in the process it went forward meaning we lost out once more on the Windseekers.

Inevitably the time came for us all to change back to standard head sails and now we are all relatively tight within a few miles. Not much in the way of tactics to be had now for the next couple of hundred miles, just boat speed. We are keeping amongst the pack for now. Hats off to Zhuhai, they did what I wanted to do: hoist a Code 1 and went their own way. But I didn't want to split from the pack too early. Seems it would have paid off. Hindsight is 2020. They have pulled out four and a half miles. Still, the next 30 hours will see the fast boats pull ahead. I'm not really sure how we stack up as we are not a good upwind boat in my opinion but once there's a good breeze we seem to hold our own!

Thanks to all the team and thoughts with you Di - send us an update for Robert to read out at lunch. Missing home and Katie and all my family.