Atlantic Blog #1 - Monday 24th November

This is the first blog from Yacht Laros on the high seas as part of ARC 2014 comes to you via HF radio link and the good offices of the Blogmasters Jane and Laura McCulloch. We have been delayed from starting by almost one day due to a tropical low pressure storm pashing through Las Palmas creating unseasonal waves.  It nearly washed out the crew dinner, out on a patio overlooking the marina with sunshade canvass as our only protection.  Monday morning started early waving off our fifth crew member to the airport, Chris Austin, who very sadly has had to return to UK at short notice. The crew consists of Tanya (CJ), Danny McCulloch (sweet tooth), Debs and Johnny. We managed a creditable start in the top third of the pack, and choose to head south with first sighting of dolphins of the trip under our bow when most others headed southeast. We have made up considerable ground over the afternoon and are looking forward to a more westerly routing during the first night.  Sails will be reefed for a comfortable sail to get into the groove.  Swell currently 3-4 metres and Sweet Tooth is surfing us down the waves at anything between 15.4 knots/hour (tops) and 7.  We are swiftly loosing sight of Gran Canaria and the rest of the fleet.  Surprising how quickly we become one of one visually.  The AIS though gives us a good picture of others, and we look forward to the Yellow Brick update which, thanks to an early Christmas present from co-owner to co-owner (iPad Air - wow) can give us a picture of the other boats, as you see them! We are looking forward to further wind tonight after Tanya's chili con carne.  A very good first day and more to come, for sure.  The forecast is for stable NE tradewinds which will bode well for a fast crossing.