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R2 Leg 2 'Spinnaker time' blog installment 2




06/05/2017

We were finally able to put our spinnaker training into practice as today
was the first day flying a spinnaker. We hoisted the asymmetric spinnaker on
Friday morning to make the most of the very light winds. When the positions
came in, it was a nice surprise to see that we were not all that far behind
the rest of the fleet, despite all the palaver with Mark's ascensions to the
lofty heights above to fix the main halyard.

Jonny has been continuing his battle with misbehaving salt water taps today.
After six days of wrestling and grappling with various pipes and wires
underneath the floorboards, assisted by the delightful Miss Matthews, he is
now convinced he has found the source of the problem - a eureka moment for
all concerned! We are therefore eagerly awaiting the arrival of mysterious
"parts" on Monday when we get to Gran Canaria to hopefully resolve all
aforementioned problems.

The standard of food had been set very high by previous watches and so Red
Watch had their work cut out for them. We got so excited by how wonderful
our meals were (we even got four compliments in a row from the Skipper!)
that our portion control may have become a little enthusiastic. Notable
mention goes to the custard with Libby making enough to feed 55! Louisa
still claims she could have eaten the excess!

Night watch conversations hit an all time high this evening. Who could have
thought that dishwasher loading, washing machines and cardigans could be so
entertaining... Could it be sleep deprivation?! Or could it be a combination
of sugar induced madness caused by hot chocolate, fudge and our very own
handmade apple, raisin and cinnamon flapjacks... I guess we will never know!

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