The best of the best

All day yesterday and all night, we have been waiting for the wind to
veer to NE then N then West before dying and forcing us to hoist the
Yanmar sail. In fact, all night last night, it stayed ESE with overcast
skies and drizzle, but this morning it started veering to ENE then NE
and I thought that this was the beginning of the end.
In fact, since 11 this morning, the wind set itself on NE 15 knots and
has not changed since. We have full genoa and full main with the wind at
60 degrees on starboard tack and we are sailing nicely at 5.5 knots. The
sea is blue, the sky sunny, the swell at last is that long gentle swell
that we were promised for the Pacific, and I am beginning to believe
that we might get lucky and keep that wind much longer until it is ready
to switch rapidly to SW, then SSW then S then SE. We might possibly make
Neiafu on the 14th instead of the 15th.
It will take around 9 days to get to Noumea, so I am thinking that we
will have to leave Neiafu no later than 19th to make Noumea before then
end of the month.
Yesterday, a gigantic fish struck and not only took the lure but also
broke the line, after putting so much tension on it that when it broke
it became severely entangled. Claude spent a good part of the afternoon
sorting out the mess. We are again fishing with the line out, but so far
no strike.
This turns out to be a wonderful day at sea.