34:23.38 N 011:26.51W

On passage, Gibraltar to Lanzarotte via Madeira

We have just passed the halfway point of our 550 nautical mile (632 normal miles) journey to Madeira.

For the last two days we have had probably our best sail ever.  Perfect conditions to exceed 6 knots (approx 7mph) speed over ground at a comfortable angle on a calm sea with the sun shining.  We have the Atlantic swell of course but it is long and low rather than the horrible short and sharp of the Med.  The wind has dropped over the course of the morning so we now have the engine on which is fine for a couple of hours to charge the batteries and run the watermaker but less fun to keep it on permanently.  Forecast is in our favour though so fingers crossed.

Fantastic dolphin sighting at noon today.  Forty or more playing in our bow wave and behind the boat.  We could see them very clearly under the water as well because there is no sun there is no glare.

Crew all very chipper. It is great sharing the watches between four of us because it means only one three hour watch each and so less disrupted sleep.  It will be between five of us from now on which will shorten the watch time even further.  Moyra has done three nights under instruction and is now fully competency assessed to take her own watch.

All for now.