This afternoon – it is stunning to actually witness – Diana is swimming stronger and stronger. Her strokes are up to 50 per minute, she is eating pasta, gobbling bananas, bits of peanut butter sandwiches, along with high-carb & high calorie liquid concoctions. Bonnie Stoll has not left her side.

Conditions remain calm beyond expectations. Angie Sollinger, a crew member, said she has lived in the Caribbean for 27 years and has rarely witnessed this extensive period of the Doldrums.

Around 1pm – and don’t everybody get excited here – an Oceanic white tipped shark was spotted near Diana in the midst of the three boat flotilla. Diana is deeply committed to the safety of these extraordinary animals. It was a testament to the talents of her safety divers as they approached the shark. Rob MacDonald, one of the divers, swam towards the shark, where they faced off within 10 feet of one another. “I guess he thought I was more aggressive than him, and he turned in the other direction,” said MacDonald. Everyone else, it must be said, breathed a huge sigh of relief.

At 3:15pm today, Diana is now 35 statutory miles from Havana about one-third of the way to Florida.