Blog from EH01

Title: Crash, Vang, Boom!

 

Your joining us live from EH01 surf contest, with the main contender Skipper Andy Middleton at the helm racking up some amazing speeds with just a hanky sized No 4 headsail and no main. He has been averaging 7kts with a surfing best for today at 12.5! With entrants from the known surfing worlds of Australia, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and even Russia its going to be a tough contest! All contenders are hopeful and are looking forward to tonight's surf comp in the pitch black.

 

The sunshine downwind cruise as promised by our sales team hasn’t happened yet. We have had some hefty winds, some big swells. We have been parked up for 4 hours, to then being smashed by heavy rain for 10 hours and now are in the middle of been battered by all kinds of weather from all directions. As you can see by our surf comp report this is not getting us down on EH we are making good progress and are all thinking about our arrival at St Lucia in the sun.

 

I add a personal note to this blog in regards to last nights hectic events. With some last minute surprise very heavy gusts hitting us in the pitch black with the wind almost squarely behind us I inadvertently managed to do my first and only! Crash gybe which managed to rip off our vang from the boom. Fortunately for me/ us this appears to be our only damage. Our brave and valiant maverick of a skipper clambered forward in these harsh conditions with a leatherman in each hand and a mouthful of cable ties and managed to rig a Hand Billy to replace the damaged vang and all is good with the world. I imagine that this recent event will come with a rather large beer fine!

 

All crew are safe with the only injury being to my pride!

 

Hello and goodbye to all,

 

Gareth

(First Mate)

 

pps A special mention to my wife Anya who I am missing dearly and think about all the time. Love you!