Mixed conditions

10th into the Plymouth pitstop, Miranda Merron reports from 40 Degrees in the 1000 Milles Brittany Ferries

Yesterday morning at 1100, 17 Class 40s set sail from St Malo on the 1000 Milles Brittany Ferries Race, en route to six hour pit-stops in Plymouth and Santander, then back to St Malo. The fleet started in sunshine and lightupwind tacking to the end of the channel in St Malo (as it was nearly high tide, we got to sail over rocks that are more than visible at low water...), and then to the turning mark at NE Minquiers, before heading to Plymouth.

The light conditions suit 40 Degrees, and we were in third place from a few miles into the race until we passed Guernsey. As forecast, the sunshine and light breeze was replaced in a matter of hours by a cold front, up to 32 knots of wind and driving rain. Reaching in heavy air is not 40 Degrees' strong point, and we finished 10th into Plymouth, just over 1 1/2 hours behind the first boat. Most of the fleet is pretty close together, and there are still 850 miles of race track. Coming into Plymouth in filthy conditions (yes, it was the middle of the night) was quite hairy, as was coming into QAB, where luckily some fellow competitors happened to be on the dock, and grabbed our mooring lines. There isn't that much room to manoeuvre when it's windy in there!

A quick cup of tea, as much sleep as could be fitted in to the pit-stop, and we are off again. We are close-reaching across the Channel towards the Chenal du Four, one boat just ahead, one just behind us. It is grey, and the sea is quite lumpy, but there are occasional glimpses of blue sky. Should be sunny soon!

Miranda and Peter/ 40 Degrees. 50 08N 4 14W, TWS 13 kts, COG 195