video's Home of Jazz leg 1

I just uploaded a number of videos from Home of Jazz leg 1, on YouTube. The start and some unedited ocean stuff.

Home of Jazz - becalmed near finish

Yesterday evening land in sight! Great view of the island from a
distance while the sun going down. At midnight I passed Caba Armel and
after that it became very difficult with the wind shadow of the Island.
At 05.00 the wind died out. Sails down at 06.00 and up again at 08.30.
Now fast approaching the finish line in drizzle. I expect some sunshine
when I get then in about 1,5 hours.

Home of Jazz - Glorious sunshine sailing

What a beautiful day! Blue sky, deep blue water, white foam and he
prospect of seeing the contours of Sao Miguel later today. Yesterday I
got too tired. Stupid mistake off course. I started making mistakes. But
after all the work being done the boat could sail at some speed through
the night while I was catching up sleep. Now feeling much better, reefed
out and full speed again. My boat is very dry but nevertheless
everything is rather wet on board.

Home of Jazz - Finally tacked

Today was a really rough day with winds in the 30+ region for many
hours. At 19.00 I tacked when the baro stopped falling. Shook a reef out
and changed a jib in difficult sea conditions, even dangeros to work at
deck. Et maintenant le captain va cherger son couchette.

Home of Jazz - Upwind battle

What a magnificent race this is. A great variety of sailing conditions
including upwind sailing in a force 5/6. I am trying to catch up a few
boats if possible. Truant and FanFan (both also single handed I believe)
passed me when I had mainsail problems and I am trying hard to come back
now. A warm wind is blowing from SW. Just a T-shirt under my foulies.

Home of Jazz - Chapter Three

This leg seems to have three chapters: chapter one "Reaching Down",
chapter two "Depression Crossing our Path", and now we just started the
third and last chapter "Beating into the Azores". The chapters are
devided by extended calms.
Reaching Down went pretty well for me, but I did not very well with the
low and suffered nasty damage that slowed me down for a day. Now beating
into the Azores has started. Over the next couple of days the wind is
right on the noze, it will increase a bit before shifting to the west.
Last night there was a spectacular moonset. In combination with some sea
fog this created an amazing light show with strange reflections.

HOME OF JAZZ MAINSAIL FIXED

I can't tell you how happy I am that the main is fixed. Although still
choppy seas, I decided to give it a go in stead of waiting till after
dark for the calms to set in according to the grib files. In my head I
repeated every stept to take for the repair a hundred times today.
Almost I blew it. Tired now but very happy that all the mainsail cars in
the (square) top are replaced. On my way again! I will have to catch up a
few boats upwind. Tadaa!!