Another healthy start to the day for Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing. After a hearty South African "braai" last night at the team base, a few of us decided that we should probably burn off a few calories today by climbing up one of Table Mountain’s smaller cousins; Lion's Head.

At around 10:00 a.m. this morning we began the trek under stunning blue skies and barely a breath of wind (rare for Cape Town!) A few hours later and a couple hundred metres up, we were overlooking the incredible turquoise water sprawled out in front Cape Town and the adjacent town of Camps Bay. I have now done this climb four times, and it never ceases to impress. Table Mountain and its adjoining peaks, The 12 Apostles, are truly a wonder of nature.

However we must not forget why we are in Africa, where the scale of almost anything seems several times bigger than that of the rest of the world, and can often leave you in awe for hours on end. Same goes for its weather. While this morning we enjoyed several hours of blue-bird climbing conditions - tomorrow, or even later this afternoon we could very easily see wind speeds of 30+ knots sustained! It's a tricky place to predict sometimes, but no doubt it will make for an exciting import race come the 10th of December.

Tomorrow morning Azzam arrives on her ship at 0600 hrs local time. An eight man team comprised of both sailing and shore team will greet her at the industrial docks in Cape Town and bring her around to our new base within the VOR village. Once safely at our base, the fun will begin. The familiar long days, and sometimes long nights that are synonymous with this race will once again be enjoyed. The shore team will be back in their element and the excitement of racing will take hold of everyone involved.