Ecover diary

Golding's crewman Marcus Hutchinson gives insight into life on an Open 60 after a week at sea in the TJV

Ecover sailed through to the next day in ideal downwind surfing conditions allowing the novice number 2 on board to get to grips with this very powerful boat.

I can't really remember now when it started to get very windy but it must have been the second night out when the wind increased to a steady 30 knots coupled with a very short and confused sea. Yes, it was off Finnisterre, although we were a long way offshore. Although we had started with a full moon it was getting smaller and so the first part of the night was always black.

My memory of steering Ecover with Code 5 headsail and full main downwind into these short seas is something I'll never forget. The bow lights would start to light up the fountains of water pushed up by the bow before the boat would start to accelerate noisily as the rudders hummed and the boat shook.

The bow would then drop dramatically and the boat, or more accurately surfboard, would pitch down into what could only have been a deep wave trough. The speeds built 18, 19, 20 and then 24 and 25 knots everything was shaking. The boat starts to lean one way before a quick check on the helm brings it straight, but all the time in the back of your mind you know that somewhere in front is the back of the next wave.