We've been bouncing and banging along in strong trade winds. Currently two reefs in the mainsail and a very small genoa, and we've still been averaging seven knots. Because the wind is from the East and we are traveling NNE the wind is ahead of us which makes for a bumpy, fast ride. Normally not much flies around on a catamaran but yesterday and today have definitely been hold on days. We are roughly on the same latitude as Minerva reef now. This is a pair of atolls where we stopped over for a couple of days last year. A lot of the boats that left New Zealand at the same time as us are planning to stop there. However, in these strong winds I doubt that it will be that pleasant. We prefer to head straight on, and are still due to get to Savu Savu some time on Sunday evening..

This also means that we can celebrate our wedding anniversary on land rather than on the passage from Minerva to Savu Savu. Despite the bumpiness of the journey gourmet food continues but we take great advantage of the oven. Yesterday was a Moroccan sweet potato dish with sausages.

We haven't seen so many birds in the last two days but the journey was enlivened by the sight of a large albatross. We watched it circling and planing with virtually no movement of its huge wings.