Thursday 20th shows that as the wind built overnight, we woke to find the ship simply buzzing along, still at the head of her class, with the sea whirling in the portholes and the sneaky Bulgarians threatening on our Port side.
Immediately after breakfast, it was all hands to braces as we tacked, to round the last waypoint of the race. At 11 o'clock we tacked again, and as I write we are plunging North West up the Black sea, ready to tack back to Varna, hopefully just in time to cross the line before the official end of the race, at 4am 'Black Sea Time!' (BST!) The ship has been doing us proud, pullling mightily under at times 19 of her 20 sails, a real sight!
Speaking of sights, all day we have been treated to the 'Mir' and the 'Kaliakra', a Bulgarian Barquentine, battle it out on the horizon, just ahead.
Everyone on board is in good spirits, looking forward to the festivities that await us at the finish.
Jonathan, Forward Starboard - on the sunny bridge deck.