Skipper's log: Phil Sharp, skipper, Imerys Clean Energy (Class40)

"We’re doing a change of sail, it's normal in the Doldrums! We’ve made a dozen changes of sail a day, these last few days in the Doldrums have been really difficult, more difficult than I imagined, especially psychologically. Yesterday's wind was amazing, we had 2 or 3 hours with 25 and 35 knots, under the little spinnaker, and then nothing, for hours...Tonight is decisive, it’s the last before the change of conditions. We would like to get out (of the Doldrums) in the lead because in reaching conditions, we know that we are slower than the third generation boats. After Cape Verde, we downloaded (weather) files that were pushing us to go to the west. This is something we could not really control.”