Our cross country riding and drag hunting days are long behind us but the sail from St Lucia to Martinique brought back all the memories.   The winds had dropped a good deal (only gusting above 25knots), the seas had calmed somewhat (max height 2.5m) and the skies had lightened, so we donned our lifejackets and, with 3 reefs in the main, full staysail and a heavily reefed yankee, we set off across the acceleration zone close on the wind.  Ocean Rainbow was in her element, we ‘sat deep’ as she rode down into the troughs and then rose up again and sailed over the waves.  Time and time again we thought we would get a good soaking but somehow she cleared the tops of the waves every time and just raced down the other side.   Humphrey Hydrovane steered a great course along the “run-line” and we arrived in Le Marin without hesitation, deviation or the engine!   Totally exhilarating.