A wet day for our Olympics. Bill was in one of the teams. Events included sack race, spoon diving, flag raising and holding breathe underwater.. That's what the photo is of. Medal ceremony is later but Bill thinks his team came equal first. We also have a birthday dinner to go to - we have had a quiet patch but the record is 5 birthdays on the same night. 1000 miles to go.

A sort of water skiing only possible when the pool water is on the move. Need a lesson in wave harmonics to understand why it starts. The slopped water heads to our cabin but our high step keeps us dry inside. Bill has just been to the service and we have a crew pantomime tonight. Seems a little unseasonal in this temperature - we are forgetting how near Christmas we are.

The photo is of a rigger rehanging a mended sail. He and another have been up there for 2 hours- fortunately the swell is very even today but they are really high up. A busy day today - another treasure hunt and a picture quiz. People are using the pool more and we are waiting for a noisy Canadian family to stop hogging the pool. The "mom" is large and there isn't room for us yet. 25 30n. 39 43 w

Another day at sea ,another clear blue sky and empty horizon. Now 1800 miles to go. Every lunch buffet has s theme- today it's American- can't think what haute cuisine that will be! Spent last night listening to one passenger talking about dog sledding in the north of Ontario- looked like fun but hard work ad you had to run behind the sled up hills in copious amounts of thermal clothing.

Not really very near Mauritania - not near anything at all. As the picture shows the sea is blue with occasional shoals of flying fish but apart from those there is nothing not even other shipping. The sun is getting stronger and the water in the pool is almost warm enough for me- about 23. We have been busy doing a treasure hunt and are going to hear a Canadian passenger talk about a 3 day dog sledding trip. It sounds excellent nut you camp out and need clothes ...