Latitude of Bahrain

Hi All
 
Windy conditions on Bahrain Team Pindar as I make my way towards the Azores High, which is now just 400 miles ahead of me. Yesterday followed a familiar pattern of light winds during the day, less than 20 knots, and by the evening massive squalls arriving, increasing the wind to over 30 knots, where it continued all night, even once the skies had cleared. Maximum wind was 40 knots.
 
I actually sustained a metre long tear to my mainsail as I was reefing to 3rd reef in the evening squalls, and I will repair that once the spray stops flying across the deck, and before I go back to 2nd reef. All the equipment is getting tired after this marathon event, and everyone’s sails are not as strong as they were at the start after the endless movement and the sun damage. Fortunately the keel hydraulics are hanging in there, despite the bouncy conditions.
 
Interesting racing tactics for the 4 boats going for 3rd place, as Sam has started beating around the east side of the high whilst Marc is going well north to go downwind around the west side, two very different options. Fortunately for me, the High will move south so that I will not have to go so far around it on the West side. Dee is coming up very fast as she needs to get through the high pressure and away to the east before the high moves north again. She is going quicker than all of us, but I have to wait for calmer conditions to cant my keel further and get some more power. It is the slamming that really loads up the keel system, so either flatter water or downwind conditions are going to be suit me better now. I just need to be patient for another 24 hours and nurse the boat through these rough conditions. It’s not easy at all seeing Dee coming up and not being able to put the foot down to match her, but I have to keep thinking of the big picture – finish, finish, finish!
 
For the 3rd time on this voyage around the planet I have gone past Bahrain, twice now I have been on the same latitude as I traverse the North Atlantic, and once I passed the same longitude as I sped across the cold Indian Ocean. Now passing the latitude of Bahrain from south to north, with 2200 miles to go till the finish, I can see that people are starting to make plans to see my arrival; my family will be coming over from the UK,  Andrew Pindar and our  shore team will be  there, and several dignitaries from Bahrain will be flying over, together with Sami Kooheji, who was at the Athens Games in the Laser class and done several crazy long distance dinghy adventures, just the kind of guy we need sailing on the 60!
 
Ok, one more rough night to come and then it will be time to shake out the bigger sails tomorrow as the high pressure appoaches.
 
Sea temp 22.2 degrees at 2430N 3930W. Seen several white terns nearby and numerous flying fish.
 
Brian