The day started out with the ship heading north-east along the coast of Menorca giving some good views of the island. The ship then turned to sail east towards Sardinia. The wind was from the north-east, just abaft of the beam. Perfect for a bit of decent sailing. Wind strength varied throughout the day. The T'gallants were up and down like yo-yos! Even the fore royal was set at one point, although it was handed less than an hour later and we suspect it was just a cunning ploy to make us all work a bit harder! Winds picked up to a constant force 8-9 around 8pm, resulting in an entertaining evening in the lower mess with people and drinks flying all over the place!
Suzie did a lovely tango across the lower mess with Simon, while Tara was busy throwing herself into the arms of Jorgen!
Night watches got a bit exciting when the fore course sheet came loose and the bosun's mates were roused from their slumbers to sort it out. They did an excellent job, despite being up to their waists in water at times on deck. Some of the cadets also had a bit of a paddle while tightening some of the fore braces. Wind speeds stayed high overnight with many gusts topping 50 knots and we sped along at up to 10 knots for the majority of the night.
There was plenty of heeling going on with the ship reaching 40 degrees to starboard on many occasions, leading to an uncomfortable and sleepless night for most members of the crew, although some lucky souls actually got the best night sleep of the voyage so far! For those of us on night watches the weather led to an interesting night and was thoroughly enjoyed by some!