Christelle Brigeot-Mathieu, our steward who joined the team in Papeete, shares a snapshot of life on-board with us:
“It was shaping up to be a peaceful day: the sun has come out and the squalls were moving out of our way, as if somehow respectful of our quest for energy. The grib files were announcing windless conditions and hence there was little prospect of flying our kite, but as long as the sun was out we were felt quietly confident…
All of a sudden, at lunchtime, the wind and the sea simultaneously began to pick up. We went from windless conditions to 30 knots of breeze, from smooth seas to 2.5/3-metre waves. Our Race for Water is now pitching and rolling; the hull is growling and rattling. The storeroom is creaking and the fridges tinkling with all the little glass pots sliding around inside.
Hearts and certain stomachs are trying to remain strong… It’s like being at the funfair on one of those thrilling rides: “Roll up, roll up, Ladies and Gentlemen, fasten your seatbelts and raise your arms up high! We’ll be taking off on the next wave!”
Take heart! Anne is on the bridge going to great lengths to stay on course.
Our lucky star is with us all the same, the sun is out and despite it all our batteries are charging.
Our solar vessel is making headway… towards Fiji!”
