Aboard Phesheya-Racing today has been much like yesterday – tack, tack, reef mainsail, tack, shake out reef, tack, tack.  All a bit tedious.  Anyway, as far as we can make out congratulations seem to be in order for Concise 2 who have sailed a great Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race and who appear to have beaten us and the course record quite squarely.  Well done.  At the moment we have no chance of beating our own elapased time from the Shetland Round Britain and Ireland Race and only a very slim chance at the old, pre-Concise 2, record.  We are close to the old record speed at the moment but the weather forecast does not look at all favourable or a fast finish from our pesent position.

Highlight of the day today has been getting a fish trap wrapped around the keel as we passed the Isles of Scilly.  This brought us to a grinding halt a we called all hands on deck to use the boat hook and a knife to free ourselves.  The trap was marked with the letters F.Y.  It somehow seemed appropriate at the time…

Other comments from onboard today:  “Heavy boats like Hull & Humber and Edinburgh Inspiring Capital should be banned from the course as they are leaving potholes everywhere!”  This as Phesheya-Racing flies off the top of yet another wave and crashes into the trough behind it.

At the last position report it seemed that Edinburgh Inspiring Capital is actually still behind us,so we shouldn’t be too judgemental.  Hull & Humber should be quite close by, though we can’t see them on the AIS.  Visibility is probably not much better than 4 or 5 miles at the moment and even the Isles of Scilly are difficult to spot from quite close by.

John B is also still ahead of us and providing us with another target to aim for. 

Meanwhile we continue to bash our way upwind with no respite in sight.  Another 200-odd miles to go.  Land’s End by this evening