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Selden 2020 - LEADERBOARD

Final 100 miles for Maxi Banque Populaire V

by Brian Thompson 6 Jan 2012 19:55 GMT 6 January 2012

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Hi All

Jean Baptiste came on deck this morning and said to us "fast, but not furious", and that's been our mantra. Despite doing outstanding speeds the last 2 days we have not been furious, always been in control... The conditions have just been great with small seas and winds of 25-30 knots..we have been changing between the solent and small gennaker, and between one and two reefs in the main..

Top speed that I did on my last watch was 43.6! That's the fastest I will get to till the finish, as the wind will drop slowly... it might well have been my last full on blast on this mighty machine..

However much we want to get to the finish, to accomplish the goal, to lift the stress of going this fast for so long, to see family and friends, to do other things than live in a carbon tunnel. There is part of you, a small but valid one that is sad to see it ending - could this be the best trip of a lifetime?

So am enjoying these last miles, these last hours as we blast past Ireland, the Scillies and onwards to the finish.

This afternoon has been busy, and like seeing the first jet contrails, the first fishing boats, we are experiencing the first signs of approaching civilisation, of reengagement with the land world.

At 1100 we had a satellite being guided to sit overhead to take picture, at 1300 a French navy/coastguard jet, a Falcon 50, from our boat's home port of Lorient, came to take video. At 1500 we will get a call from the President of France...

It's all going on here!

ETA 2200 to midnight tonight. One last watch to go..and I think our lucky watch streak is going to continue, with having the start, finish and most of the major Capes during our time on deck..

Now with on reef and medium gennaker the wind is starting to drop a little.

We are having the most unorthodox arrival at the finish line - from the North. We almost certainly have now gone the furthest North (52N) and furthest South (62S) of any Jules Verne attempt..

More later after a brief afternoon sleep..

Brian

Follow Banque Populaire on the final 67 miles (as of 8pm) on the tracker here

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