At 8:58 local time on May 26th Zephyr drew up alongside the fuel dock in Quinta do Lorde Marina, Madeira after a particularly lively night which had seen 8 headsail changes as the wind eased and strengthened and backed and veered with a mind of its own. The brunt of that activity was borne by the sterling team of George and Harry whose energy, enthusiasm, and pure hard work have been hugely appreciated - not to mention their jokes, pranks and imaginative cooking.

And so the passage came to an end - a fascinating mix of balmy days, starry nights, and a very bouncy last 48 hours, which provided every element that we could wish for. Coupled with bonhomie and the great sadness at David's loss this has been a very special trip and one that will be remembered for a long time.

Micky, George and Harry all got off in Madeira and the new team of Chris Copeland, Izzey Hung and Richard Sharples join David for the next leg from Madeira to Alicante. Weather conditions favour an early departure later today or first thing tomorrow , so watch this space and thank you for all your kind and generous remarks.