And another apology, this time for the spelling and punctuation in the previous post but it was written in haste during a bumpy ride.

The sail south was about as easy as it could be. In fact, this boat has been on the same tack pretty much since leaving Lisbon. If it started leaning the other way I think the shock would kill me. We have got to grips with the Parasailor, which is worth Googling if you don't know what I'm talking about. As a downwind sail it does seem much easier and more stable than a spinnaker. I wish the makers would supply some kind of instructions, or 'tips', as I suspect I'm not getting the best out of it. Also, whenever you ask what the upper limit is they reply 'fly it for as long as you feel comfortable.' Some help. Anyway, around 20 knots is where I lose my bottle and down it comes. We've always got it down with ease so far.
Cabo Frio gave us a bit of a shock. It turned cold! We needed a sweater on the night watch. Yet here in Rio it is hotter than ever. We also used a very pretty anchorage close to a cleft in the rocks through which you can squeeze and s ave ten miles on the course to Rio. It turned out to be a wind hole and a gentle NE4 started to hit us at over 30 knots and gave the anchor chain a decent stretch.
As we had hoped, Rio appeared in the dawn, the Sugar Loaf Mountain and the statue of Christ the Redeemer keeping lookout. And as he looks out over this city, what he sees must sadden his heart, as my next post will reveal.