There may have been no chocolates or flowers for Ellen MacArthur and her crew this St Valentine's day but instead, and much more gratefully received, there was 30 knots of wind.
MacArthur said: "At last we're off, 30 knots of wind and we're hooning!"
In the past 24 hours Kingfisher 2 has covered a magnificent 567 miles - her fastest 24-hour run yet.
Kingfisher 2 had been struggling over the last few days to make up lost time in her attempt to break the round the world Jules Verne race record, currently held by Orange, following days of very little in the way of wind.
But now MacArthur and her crew have managed to gain 17 hours on the record deficit thanks both to their blistering speed and their southerly position.
There has been a dramatic turn too in the temperature. After basking in hot sunshine Kingfisher 2 is now experiencing much colder weather as she heads ever further south towards the Southern Ocean.
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