Starts out beautiful, tho not quite heading on course to New Zealand. On the horizon is a nice wall of clouds that further changes the cours.. Shorten sail, you never know what you are going to get. As momma used to say about a box of chocolates. And nothing really but a wind shift and now cloudy day.

New Zealand says, “Not today!”. We are home of Team Emirates, you must “want” to sail to come here!

At least the ‘Noser-lys’ were in the forecast where the wind was predicted to come straight at you for day or so. Our little pointy thing at the top of the mast is pointing to New Zealand as that is exactly where the wind is coming from. This is definitely NOT champagne sailing more of Jagger-Bomb sailing.

With Jagger-Bombs you never do them by yourself, same with this passage we are all swilling the Jagger today The top circles are the boats that left Fiji, and the others from Vanuatu and Tonga. Vanuatu boats were waiting for a bit, but they the cyclone activity pressed them into action. As the boats from Tonga had already made minerva reef when the activity picked up and initially forecast to head that direction too. Makes for a busy ocean out here.

Morning can’t come soon enough for the Advil in the form of another wind shift(high pressure), this time favorable, that lets everyone recover from the Jagger-Bombs and remember that champagne sailing is why we do it..

Just short of being half way: 590 miles to go, all well shaken up on board. James bond would be proud.