The ill-famed Bay of Biscay showed her true self on March 16th.  But this wasn’t Puffin’s first rodeo, and we wouldn’t have noticed the heavy weather if the replaced Windpilot had been the right size.  Unfortunately, the servo pendulum was 200 mm shorter than the original one and was frequently in the air—even after [...]

My father and friends cheered for me remotely while I rounded Cape Horn for the first time back on March 5th, 1991. This time two of my friends, and my father, were close by. Not virtually, but, unfortunately, in a rather tangible way. My father's ashes and a handful of soil from Dezso Balogh [...]

This leg became very long, but its related comments in Puffin’s logbook are extremely brief. First, the exhausting struggle to stay in the race left neither time nor energy for detailed notes. Second, the frustration caused by the slow progress. During this time, the logbook contained short, usually one-word references to the weather, the [...]

The gorgeous Tasmanian coastline faded, and we lost view of land by November 5th. We hoped to see land again at Christmas, with some luck at Cape Horn. We were not even mid-way to the finish, but I was raring to go like a stable-bound horse. Well, perhaps [...]

November greeted Puffin above Tasmania’s continental shelf—and almost on the rocks of Maatsuyker Islands. A strong storm was Tasmania-bound. Don urged me to accelerate my progress, hoping for better shelter in the coastal area. I would have rather slowed down, as the open waters offer more safety for solo sailors. And I hate any [...]