Strong Winds and a Storm Petrel

Last night we picked up much more wind as we headed more southwest- right on plan. Big black clouds astern at midnight and gusting 35knots so I rolled a reef into the Genoa before handing over to Emily at midnight.

When I rose for breakfast it was still in the thirties with more dark clouds astern so we headed up to wind and dropped the mainsail. It needed care because there's a little bit of material worn through on the luff which could snag and rip as it comes down.

Once back on course with Genoa only we still made 7.5 knots, but not the 8-9knots we'd done earlier.

Whilst eating breakfast I spotted a bedraggled bird on the fore deck amongst all the tiny flying fish. Mark collected it and wrapped it in an old tea towel to warm and dry it. It looks like a Galapagos storm petrel with dark body and white rump, but if there's a black stripe on the white rump
It would be a Leach's storm petrel. Difficult to tell when it's in such a mess.

It seems very vulnerable with all feathers wet and needing preening. Wings rather swallow like and very long. The beak is a typical tube-nose with tubular nostril above.