We ran with the big Z spinnaker most of the day and into the night. Slowly filled in to 18 / 19 knots from the aft quarter with 12 / 13 knots of apparent wind on deck. Champagne sailing weather. But whilst all looked perfect at deck level, turns out the spinnaker halyard sheaves at the top of the mast were sawing rather than sheaving. As these things always do, this all came to light in the middle of the night after the crew had to wrestle a big soggy sail back on board in pitch black. All more than a little frustrating and does mean bringing big Z to the UK for a visit to Saunders as sail repair options in Lanzarote are limited.

So today we have limited sail plan options. There's a full Atlantic swell running and it's not safe to send someone up the mast to fix the sheaves. As all downwind sails are off menu for the rest of this passage, for the day we went for the tried and tested method of a poled-out blade jib. Pilot wasn't very happy about keeping the more precise course this rig required so we hand steered most of the day, touching 11 knots. But to be safe, and for the night, we moved the jib across and come up a few degrees. A little slower but safer.

Cyriaque in the galley tonight for what promises to be a real treat: hand made crepes stuffed with ham and cheese. A bowl full of batter, a flat crepe pan, Zephyr rolling downwind wing on wing on a full ocean swell - what could possibly go wrong?? Tomorrow will tell if a Zephyr first or the mother of all messes.