received 19.12.08 1458 GMT
After the initial shock and disappointment set in that we broke our boat, it started to become apparent that we would be able to sail to the Malacca Straits and deliver the boat to Singapore. Even though we would be sailing in a severely crippled state, this was fantastic news.
After the adrenalin rush of our near disaster faded, it dawned on me that my workload of navigating was dramatically reduced to some basic route planning and weather analysis. The logical next step was to take a ‘good night’s sleep’…not just my typical nap. I got up from my desk, brushed my teeth, washed my face with some fresh water and dragged our big masthead spinnaker into a nice corner of the boat. I fell asleep and decided that I wasn’t going to get up until the sun came up. A couple dreams later, I decided to move into an open bunk… on the leeward side…oh yes, the leeward side of the boat. I pressed on in my mission to sleep until dawn.
Once again, I gained a slight bit of consciousness, and realised that I missed the sail bag. It was so comforting during the first segment of my slumber after all… Since I was over indulging myself, I didn’t hesitate, I moved back to the beanbag. A couple hours later, I woke up and the sun was shining down into the companionway hatch.
I did it. Mission complete. I slept for six hours straight. Considering in this entire race I haven’t slept for more than 90 minutes in a row, I claimed victory on my mission to sleep in mad excess. I have felt amazing all day today. I had some breakfast oatmeal, drove for couple hours, casually confirmed that we were still heading east every once in a while, talked to a passing tanker ship on the radio in my best southern American truck driver accent, and now I am writing this blog.
I just might make it two in a row.
Matt out- until the sun comes up.
Matt Gregory - navigator
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