Weather it was: once we got to Start Point the guys on watch (I'd gone off watch at 3am) were fighting to keep the boat moving forward in the right direction, even with our smallest set of storm sails. We kept falling off waves with a loud bang - which felt pretty worrying from my bunk. During their watch, Cath slipped in the Saloon, while making Tea, when the boat pitched suddenly and she hit her side on the Navigator's seat. She's not too badly hurt, but could,'t move too well - probably a cracked rib - so she spent the rest of the race flat out on a bunk. After their three hour watch, the skipper asked me to check what the weatehr forecast was and where our nearest bolthole was. The bolthole was Plymouth, and the weather forecast (6am this morning) was showing another 36 hours of the same or worse. We could have probably managed 6 more hours, but 36 would probably have broken more of either crew or boat, so Plymouthit was, along with hundred of other boats (many of whom were Class 1 and Class zero and got there after us!)

I got the train home at three, got home at seven thirty. Habanero will be sailed back to Burnham on Crouch on Wednesday evening, once the weather has passed through. There's four doing the delivery, so I'm surplus to requirements and can get home. Great experience. very frustrating. Good to see other Burnham boats that we sail against most weeks, Cosmic Dancer and Tigo 4 still in the race. Nice to see Rambler holding her own against Leopard. PRB leading the Open 60s is just too boringly predictable!

well done anyway Rob

haha - I'd forgotten they'd changed the names: I'm Laa Laa

nice shades