The end is looming in sight with the Prototype  leaders expected to finish late Friday / early Saturday morning   For the rest of the fleet with 1/2 seeing the miles turn to under 1000 nm tactics will be foremost on their minds. 

While the prevailing wind direction is generally favourable to get to St Francis there are still variations in pressure and wind speed which each skipper must work out to determine their own strategy and tactics. 

This is most evident in a pack of 6 boats which Mark O’Connor is part of. Over the past 36 hours Mark has been both leading and at the back of this pack (position 18)  and all points in between. Currently he is ranked 24th at the back having taken an early decision to turn south to reach a more favourable wind stream. At time of writing the boats ahead could be considered to have consolidated their position ahead with Mark trailing 18th place by 25 miles. However with at least another 4 days to get to the finish there is plenty of time for lots of changes in the leader board. Mark has a clean passage of good pressure and winds in his path while the boats at 18th - 21st place ae facing into a soft patch in the near term. plenty to play for. 

Just to remind you all skippers have very limited real time information on board. While we can log into our favourite weather source and get excellent visuals for up to a week ahead, The Mini skippers however have no such luxury and rely solely on a broadcast by the race organisation daily, in French. giving the weather situation, the 48-hour forecast and the distance to the finish for each competitor. From this each Skipper must work out where the variations in pressure and wind speed is in relation to their current position and from that work out how best to use to advantage. 

 They can use a VHF to communicate with the boats close to them but this has a limited range of approx. 15 miles.  

At current rate of speed and forecast weather conditions we would expect Mark to finish sometime on Monday.

The other Irish Interest Grainne Costigan is approx. 140 miles behind Mark in 48 place. However it is important to remember that this is not strictly a race but more  a test of personal endurance and skill to navigate a tiny vessel across the Atlantic. All who achieve that are winners and worthy of every accolade and celebration !

Life on board

The air is warm, the water is warm, and the fast downwind surfs under spinnaker are back. But after 15 days at sea, the heat and salty humidity are making life on board increasingly challenging. To find a bit of comfort in these conditions, Mark brought along a small fan. According to past experience, it can become essential for getting any sleep in this sticky atmosphere.

Here’s a quick look at some of the must-haves aboard Mark’s boat!

Sean Doyle.