It was ice on the deck and extremely slippery when I woke up this morning in Treguier marina. But as soon the sun was up it disappeared and I could start moving around without having support for every step I took. All the forecast models promised a fresh southeasterly up to a bit over 20 knots and not too much waves. Perfect conditions for a fast passage to Guernsey, and for once the forecasts was correct. After motorsailing the seven miles out to open sea, the wind piped up and I started to reach plus six knots most of the time and after an hour or so I was doing more than seven, even over eight for brief but quite regular moments. I had the wind right on the beam and the waves as well, which made for a pretty smooth ride all the way.

If I count the distance from outside the Treguier river to St Peters Port, around 44 miles, I averaged very close to seven knot, by far a new record for Atlantis. And I had no help from the current that runs east-west here. It is moments like this that makes me stick to this sometimes crazy lifestyle.

Guernsey is on British time, one hour after mainland Europe, so it was early afternoon when I entered Victoria marina. Here I will fill up with taxfree diesel tomorrow and then see if I dare to negotiate Alderney race in the afternoon. Ideally I shall leave three hours before high water St Peters Port, but I can't come over the marina sill until two hours before, and then the diesel pump, so I will be at Alderney

at mid tide when the current is as strongest. On the other hand the tidal coefficient is still very low, so it will not be extreme conditions with the wind with the current as well.