Emotions are running high as I prepare yet again for another race start. All sorts of thoughts are running around me head ..... disappointment for Tom that he's not with me ..... the inevitable doubt as to whether I'm up to the task of going Solo ..... however prepared I am, what have I forgotten ..... will anything let me down on route?

But however nervous I'm feeling, ultimately I know I'm as ready as I can be & I've just got to take it one shift at a time, one day at a time. Not being stupid & going off too fast, I know it's a race but the boat is hardly setup as a solo race challenger.

My mind set is that firstly I want to get through the mental block of the first couple of days to lay the Indian Ocean ghosts to rest. After that I'm more than happy just to get across in last place, anything better will be a bonus. In that way I at least don't have the concerns of how I'm doing against the rest of the fleet, I'll let them all worry about that.

It looks like we have a potential 10 day window to get as far south as possible before we may have the next low pressure system bringing unfavorable winds. That's a whole lot more than anticipated based on the last month's weather so we have to be thankful for that. If luck & the high pressure over the Azores holds out then the system may track higher north but I won't be holding my breath.

So it'll be a last pasta supper tonight with a few of my fellow competitors, Rich & Steve from 'No Fear' & Rich & Tom from 'Red Arrow'. Then no doubt it'll be a restless night on the boat & probably not the last.

Eventually I've posted the first Race Diary dispatch after a few technical issues, which I hope won't continue so that I can't post regular updates. However expect me to be off the air for the majority of the next 10 days whilst I hammer south & get into a routine. But don't forget to use the 'Race Progress' link to check on how I'm getting on.

Best wishes to all,

Roger out