Nov 23, 2005 – 0250hrs UTC

0250hrs 23 Nov 2005 UTC 45’04”S 087’48”E Ref 576

DB: dmgDistance Made Good; More here 120, gps 134, dtg  2452, margin 500, day 95, 34 to start, 25 to TI.(Shld be last sentence in this message)

How much better can it get? We are hooooning downwind twinned at 7 – 8 kts, huge breaking following sea, intermittent sunlight and sparkle, Berri rolling and skewing like crazy – and – get this – the dolphins are back, cavorting all around us in the chaos. Wonderful. And we have had a lovely series of garbled phone calls from Drapers Hall, London, and the RORCRoyal Ocean Racing Club, located in London awards. We spoke to Caro, Janet, Chris (yes! He does exist, unless it was another dero in the next bus shelterExplanation here along!!) Laura, Roger, John and at least one other person whose name got lost in the noise. Sorry. There will be emails and photos. Thanks to everyone at RORCRoyal Ocean Racing Club, located in London – huge honour and deeply appreciated and thanks to Caro for deputising and for phone calls. We finished Dave’s RANSARoyal Australian Navy Sailing Association; a sailing club located in Sydney, Australia. Bundy on the strength of all of that. One largish tot each was all there was. Roger, (PB not CYCCruising Yacht Club of Australia) if you are reading this, PB could have a go along the lines you suggested, but way too late for this year, I think.

Australia has appeared on the GPS screen too – only the bottom left hand corner but we’re almost home. I think the odds have shifted our way – start line here we come.

For all y’all out there, this is a good moment for the deros in the bus shelterExplanation here. Thanks in wheelbarrow loads for your interest and support and enthusiasm. It has been and is an extraordinary experience. If any of you feel the need for a challenge, Steve and I intend to get ourselves on to the start line of the 2007 London Marathon with as many of you as want to come along. Else, we’re going to miss you. Let us know. There might be a book launch at about the same time.

The next little milestone will be in the propagationIn the logs, this refers to the radiation of signal energy and is customarily qualified by the words abysmal, ratshit or lousy engine in the sailmailSailmail is the system that Berrimilla uses for email communication. It is a non-profit association of yacht owners operating a network of private coast stations in the maritime Mobile Radio Service. package on the laptop. Africa is at 3026 miles, Firefly NSWNew South Wales. State in the East of Australia. New South Wales' capital city is Sydney. at 3043. in about 7 miles, they will change places at the top of the stations list. WOOOHOOOa primitive, exultant, gibbon-like call given out by an old geezerDictionaries define a geezer as an old person, generally an eccentric old man. Its origin likely in the word masquerader (colloquially, guiser) from Middle English gysar. Go figure, as the Americans say.; many variations as listed, in order of emphasis: Woohoo Woooohooo WOOOHOOO WOOOHOOO! WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOa primitive, exultant, gibbon-like call given out by an old geezerDictionaries define a geezer as an old person, generally an eccentric old man. Its origin likely in the word masquerader (colloquially, guiser) from Middle English gysar. Go figure, as the Americans say.; many variations as listed, in order of emphasis: Woohoo Woooohooo WOOOHOOO WOOOHOOO! WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO!!. Then we will get to hear Derek on the long range Penta skedShort for schedule. A pre-arranged (scheduled) time and frequency for radio contact often co-ordinated by a shore station, such as Penta Comstat, which is monitoring location and safety of boats in their area. Failure to respond to one or more sked can be a sign of trouble and we’ll know we’re almost back with a tick in the box.

Much too early to think about a coming home party yet, but get the idea at least pencilled into the relevant bit of the cortex and come along – it may be at very short notice.