A bright and breezy day in southern Portugal today, perfect for a trip along the coast to Albufeira and the marina, home of Julian Mead (and his boat Prodigal Daughter) who was kindly taking us out for a day on the waves. Julian, normally busy running Eurosail, was an excellent teacher and it was a valuable opportunity to get some time on the water and get back up to speed on the workings of the Bavaria.

Our sail took us on a round trip of about 22 miles along the coast to beyond Portimao and back. Wind strength ranged from 2 knots to 20 on a day of shifty winds but all in all a great sail.

We finished our day by inspecting the new Musto Gortex outer wear - very comfortable and we'll be kept warm and dry in the mid-Atlantic!

Back to London tomorrow for the final few weeks prep ahead of the sail south to the Canaries and then the big trip west!