The Breeze lightens and we take the reefs out.I am on mother watch and making lunch but go up tohelp out with  racing change to yankee 1.We are 11 minutes headless a time we will get down even lower going forward.We are 3rd past vm sunshine continuing to get lifted,happy days.

The next day is frustrating our electrics are out again. WTC(the eventul winners of this leg) sail by. We have the code 2 up at midday ,but the sloppy sea state make it not worthwhile and we take it down. now it’s lightish winds under white sails.  downwind

Our next pre dawn watch there is thick fog and we only have the compass to steer by. HB must be flying a kite and go past.
Then it rains and the wind drops. finally we’re on the wind at 9.5 knots make ground on HB who presumably are  bearing away to drop kite in windshift.

We are now smashing away into the wind all day all night somewhere east of Okinawa. A situation that continues for some time.

On the 28th there ismore upwind  we put in first reef soon after our morning watch starts  with sea state and wind continually building  Zhuhai is occasionally seen behind ,we seem to be picking the shifts better and they are well behind  by watch change
The 2nd reef gos in during morning and there is much activity downstairs with the 
pump to get water from the tanks broken and being replaced.
At night there is more upwind  with Y3 and 1 reef ,there is complete cloud and nothing to see to help steer no stars or moon ,luminescent tape on the bow helps to see whether the bow is turning ,
The steering is largely by feel ,looking up at windex, and glancing down at the wind instruments to keep the wind at the right angle
in the pre dawn watch I find some light reflecting of the dark clouds to help keep a straight course ,
we get the skipper Mike to the helm for the first time in our watch and  he comments how didficult it is and takes a bit to get his bearings
<span;>as dawn breaks it seems the waves are just running from the clouds and sea around is steamy ,,as it gets lighter we finally get to see the front we have been steering into all this time.