Yesterday, when we reefed the main sail, we dressed MaRe into her pyjama; main sail at reef 2 and the genoa fully out. Until we need to put a reef into the genoa wind can increase above 20 KN.

The first part of the night, starting at 1900, was not too fast but also not slow.

Then past 0400 a squall came closer and we got 20 KN is wind. MaRe really ran down here course.

With TWS of more than 15 KN, right now 17 – 18 KN, she runs between high 7 and low 9 KN STW. This and the crew still in their cabins, I’m reluctant to change to reef 1. With reef 1 she would most like run 10 KN and maybe a bit more. But there are also a bunch of very low hanging nimbus clouds around us. Each of them has its own wind system.

While I wrote above line, one of them load its wind on us. Pretty quickly we had 26 KN TWS and for safety reasons I reduced the genoa. A bit slower, but safer.

The swell got higher now. Sometimes it reaches 2 m and runs at angle of around 110 PRT on to MaRe. Wind waves are above a meter. While sitting in the helm station I hope I don’t get a full body shower. However, so far I’m dry.

Looking at the TWD (True Wind Direction) I hope it turns back to E. Currently it blows from ENE.

I like to watch MaRe how she deals easily with the waves. She just climbes up the waves and glides – never surfs – them down. Only very seldom she bounces hard into the back of a wave in front of her.

Caused by the position of the sun, the sea mostly appears blue-grey. It’s a powerful come color showing that she requests respect and will not tolerate fooling around.

Extrapolating what she made in the last 9.8 h under sail, the day distance will become 165 NM. Pretty good for sailing most of the time in her pyjama.

Will see soon the real day distance.