I just couldn’t go past the M&M’s again- as much as I tried. At least I can now accept it and it won’t be a dilemma anymore.

Still we are heading east- more and more east. But the slight, ever so slight hint of positivity is we are actually heading 2 degrees south of east! I’ll take that as literally a step in the right direction.

Oh wait a minute- I spoke to soon, we just gybed north again…the torture.

Apparently if things happen as expected we could be on this gybe for the next few thousand miles once the wind hopefully clocks around.

We just hope we get more breeze than we have now to hasten things up a bit.

It’s now only 9 knots, but we are managing to maintain nearly 10 knots of boat speed. For the first time this leg we are in nice warm sunshine, blue skies and turquoise sea. Animal had to ask this morning what that big warm glowing circle in the sky was again and why it is still rising off our bow and not our port side.

As usual the deck is a bit of a Chinese laundry drying everything out.

Nico, Will and Stu are spending long hours in the nav station deciphering each sked and weather report that comes in, trying to pick a near impossible path to Auckland as well as keeping one eye on what the other boats are doing. The big question of the last few days was where on earth Puma were heading. My good friend and fellow MCM Amory Ross mentioned he was wanting to go skiing in Japan, but didn’t think he meant in the middle of a leg…

As it turns out they have finally turned east and Will thinks there is potential for credible method to their seeming madness. Time will tell.

Now the conditions on board are more settled Chuny has given himself a wash and full spa treatment with wet wipes and very fragrant moisturizer- lavender if my nose serves me right. Trae just came down below and asked what that bloody awful smell was.

A big bit of excitement for all of the guys this morning was the rugby report we got sent through and my recycled commentary of the climatic last play of the match of the first Super XV rugby game- Auckland Blues vs. Canterbury Crusaders. It sounds like the Blues were robbed, 19-18. Stu was happy though, he couldn’t lose either way having been born in Christchurch and lives in Auckland.
Stu loves Auckland and Piri Weepu too.

The thing Stu loves most about Auckland is that his family live there (obviously) and the proximity to a fantastic international airport when he needs to get away…
(For work obviously).

GOLDEN QUOTES:

“The dark side of me is enjoying sharing a small fraction of a taste of what it is like to actually be in the Volvo Ocean Race with some of its employees who have to be up in the middle of the night connecting us with the media back home in New Zealand.” CHRIS NICHOLSON

“We are still not heading to New Zealand but at least its not raining” ANDY MCLEAN