![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.firstclasssailing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Southern-Ocean-sailing.jpg\" "\\"Southern")
<\/a><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Storm is over, back to normality. After a couple of nasty and
\nuncomfortable sailing days we just hoisted the small spinnaker and are
\nfinally heading east at decent speeds. The computer has recalculated the
\nexpected date of arrival in wellington and instead of some crazy date six
\nmonths in the future we finally show arriving in the early days of
\njanuary, fingers crossed that’s what will happen.<\/p>\n
Sailing through the stormy conditions of yesterday and the day before was
\nwet, tiring, cold and uncomfortable, we went down to storm jib and 3 reefs
\nin the mainsail and beat for hours on end in 35-40 knots with gusts to 45.<\/p>\n
The sea state was horrendous as for some reason we keep coming across
\nrandom surface currents sometimes in favour sometimes against of up to 2
\nknots, in high winds these currents contributed to stirring a very nasty
\nsea with cross waves and no apparent pattern or sense… occasionally the
\nboat would climb a wave from nowhere at right angles and fall from the top
\ninto a trough with the loudest of crashes, i kept checking the floor and
\nkeel box for any signs of damage, maybe i was being paranoid, but with the
\nclosest piece of land nearly 2000 miles away you tend to worry about these
\nthings…<\/p>\n
Through the worst of the winds, when it was blowing solid 40 knots under a
\nrainy sky the colour of lead and charcoal, rain drops would hit your face
\nwith such violence they hurt, they hurt your eyeballs when you tried to
\nlook forward and any trip to the cockpit involved a total soaking.<\/p>\n
Today when things got better we first hoisted the staysail, then removed a
\nreef from the mainsail, then it was time for the solent, now finally we
\nare flying our smallest spinnaker, the A5, and the spirits are definitely
\nmuch higher although both Hugo and I are tired, the stormy conditions take
\ntheir toll, you are never quite there, either trying to sleep in wet
\nfoulies, or forcing some food your stomac does not really welcome or stare
\nat the instruments hoping you dont have to go outside to be wipped by icy
\nwater…<\/p>\n
The Indian Ocean has already given us a few kickings, the first night of
\nthis leg and now these last couple of days: you fear it in a different
\nway, with that feeling that yes you must try to avoid the worst as you
\ndon’t want to find out how bad it really can get. We tacked south to avoid
\nthe worst, added many miles and lost time, but glad we did so, when it was
\nblowing 45 knots we started to feel we were no longer in full control, it
\nwas not dangerous yet as we could have of course run downwind or hove-to
\nor dropped sail, but we could not sail in the direction we wanted and we
\nwere being thrown about and started slamming uncomfortably, we certainly
\nwere not racing, just pushing forward.<\/p>\n
Thanks for all the messages of support you sent us during the worst
\nmoments, for those wanting to send us a message please do so through the
\nsatellite service at www.marconannini.com\/sms<\/a>, it’s free, dont worry, we
\npick up the bill!<\/p>\n