Seeing all of the damage reports coming in from the fleet after the upwind pounding we were getting, I was hoping to get away with little damage. But, just as the wind started to weaken, disaster struck this morning when I discovered the outer forestay very loose. Upon checking the fore peak and assuming a pin had come out of the hydraulic tensioner, I discovered the compartment full of hydraulic oil from the cylinder. I’m assuming the hose has ruptured due to the pounding away in the front of the boat. I’ve taken the genoa forestay down and stowed it away for the rest of the race as this is something I cannot fix during the race. It’s very disappointing at this point to be hampered without the genoa but unless something else happens, we should be able to finish the race without a problem, just a little slower than anticipated. The goal is to qualify for the Vendee Globe and that’s what we aim to do.

Otherwise it a great sunny day outside and the waves have subsided to the point that the boat doesn’t bang anymore.