[password]Tusi2284
[position]24 43.03S 179 05.50E
[speed]5.5 knots
[heading]240M
[weather]S 25-30 knots, seas 4m, cloud cover 30%, barometer 1022
[status]All ok onboard but very uncomfortable conditions. The wind has been up to 35 knots and we get the occasional wave of 5m that breaks right over the boat. The wind has backed about 20 degrees since this morning but we can't change our heading with it because that would have us sailing even more directly into the waves and we can't do that, they're too big and too steep. So we're going to have to continue on our course of just south of west until the waves moderate, hopefully tomorrow. We're looking forward to reaching the centre of the anticyclone to the SW of us to get some light winds but each time we download the GFS model runs they show the anticyclone centre getting smaller while the circling winds get stronger. So we might miss it all together. We've made only about 100nm towards NZ after leaving North Minerva yesterday morning so not great progress. We're very curious about how the other yachts that left Minerva with us are doing but we haven't seen or heard any of them. Maybe we'll catch up with some of them in Opua. So fingers crossed for better conditions tomorrow!

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