My 200 mile lead is now down to under 100 and the boy (J-P) is still closing. The only two good bits of fortune I’m having are that I have been able to get west enough (the only way the wind would let me go!) so that at least I have now put myself between J-P and the finishing line. The second is that the wind has now backed in the last hour so that, instead of heading back to Brazil on a course of 245, I am on the same 310 degree course as J-P and pointing at Charleston.

Extraordinary how things go. Marc had almost closed on Gio, but slightly to the east of him. He then started to lose ground so, as I closed up on them both I tried to head slightly more to the west. Suddenly Gio broke free and Marc and I were trapped with tons of rain and no wind. Now I’m making 2 knots towards the finish. If I didn’t have 2 knots of the South Equatorial Current pushing me I would be here forever, it seems.