On Saturday I decided to change my course to stay with Jean-Pierre Dick, just until I knew that he was happy with the boat and had made his decision about what to.
The front passed over myself and JP and I stayed close to him to make sure he had company. JP is a fantastic sailor and I am confident in his abilities but I know if I had been in his position I would have wanted someone to have my back, especially given how strong the winds were.
JP did not ask me to assist him in any way, but I felt that I could not just sail off and leave him until I knew that he was confident and had confirmed his intentions.
For me it was simple. I just did not want to be too far away from him, in case he had an issue with the coming strong winds.
Yesterday JP called me on the phone to thank me for staying with him overnight and to also say that he felt fully confident in his ability to now sail towards Portugal. With the good forecast and improving conditions, I was happy that the big danger had passed.
I am now heading back towards Les Sables, and the finishing line!