So last night our Navigator said we needed to gybe (turn) away from Hawaii and head South, not West. This was met with a chorus of "what have you been smoking?" The issue was that we were running into a re-forming high pressure zone which has less wind. So we turned, knowing that we would be losing ground to the fleet but hoping to find more wind and gain on the fleet in the long-run. This morning's position report confirmed that we had in fact, "taken one for the team" as we are now second in class.

Last night we were in the convergence of a high pressure and low pressure zone which has the effect of making the water go vertical as two opposing currents meet each other. It was an uncomfortable night as we sailed in an ocean that resembled a washing machine on the rinse cycle. Not great for sleeping.

My morning watch starts at 5:00 and this morning this happy time was greeted by a thunderstorm courtesy of Cosme. Later on as I was driving we were met by a school of flying fish who were presumably fleeing some other fish with bigger teeth. Most of the fish went in front or behind us but a few went ping, ping, ping into the side of the boat. You can't help but wonder if flying fish Fred said to flying fish Phil "whoooaa dude, who put up the freaking wall?"

Currently we are moving VERY nicely in fresh breeze, crossing our fingers that we are in more wind than our fleet and that our strategy will work. In the meantime, the monster boats are chasing us as we flee like flying fish, hoping that as they pass they throw us some chocolate bars.

Jim