A potential major breakage was averted this morning when, during the rig check at first light, Guillermo Altadill discovered that the pin connecting the cap shroud had worked half way out. Watch captain David Scully files this report on the incident - and on a few other timely topics:

"The sun rose on the sparkling sea this morning, to reveal that our rig was about to fall down. Guillermo Altadill, walking forward after his trick on the helm, happened to look up, and noticed that the large pin securing a link plate in the shrouds, had wandered part of the way out of it's mounting. Pausing briefly for a few Hail Mary's, we jibed, took a hammer to it, and restored our rigging to it's normal integrity. At some time, probably during our fifty knot upwind slog to the start, the split pin securing the big rigging pin in place had sheared, and the big pin had been slowly leaving the boat ever since. Had we jibed and unloaded the pin, our return jibe might have been made memorable by the graceful descent of the rig and sailplan. Thanks to the sharp eyed Catalan, we are not, at this writing, paddling to the Canaries.   more...