It was a slow start to the race with the now familiar slatting of sails starting off Point Reyes after a promising start in the bay with the number 3 up and 19 knots of wind.

I went off watch shortly after exiting the bay and awoke to be told there had been dolphins visiting that quickly got bored.

More amazing was something I had never seen before 1000’s upon 1000’s of 2 foot round jelly fish with 10 foot long tentacles stacked as far as you could see down and on either side of the boat. Interspersing the massive fish were small 4 inch long clear jelly fish with small tentacles and the internal body organs looking like planets in a solar system joined together by clear jelly! Another time I came on watch I had just missed a pod of whales moving along at 180 degrees towards the coast. Last night we floated in breeze from 2.5-8 knots working our way very unusually north until we were off Bodega Bay. RB crew is getting into the rythmn of the race and we are steaming along in 9 knots of wind still dragging the stern so there is a lot of very good food cooked by Wayne’s daughter and son in law to consume.