St Lucia for a game of bat n ball
MALARKEY
Jo & Trevor Bush
Mon 19 Mar 2007 16:27
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Rodney Bay Lagoon 14:04.5N 60:57.0W
We had a great sail form Prickly Bay, Grenada to
Rodney Bay, St Lucia. It was some 140 miles or so and all of it a close reach in
winds varying from 5 to 20 Knts. It was great having Stuart & Sven on board
to help. They seemed to enjoy tweeking the boats bits of string to make it go
faster as much as I do.
It was Stuarts idea to go to the cricket. Being a
New Zealander so far from home and his native boys just up the road a way,
it was clearly too much for him to resist. Sven, his nipper, sure wasn't
going to miss it either. We were heading north anyway, so a plan fell
together easily. Stuart and Sven would sail with us to St Lucia and fly back to
their yacht 'Essence' back in Grenada after the match. Pamela & Bindi chose
to stay behind more because they wanted some girly time together rather than not
wishing to see the cricket. In fact it is Stuarts wife Pamela who really is the
cricket boff. I believe that Stuart was more interested in the party atmosphere
than the cricket and I suspect that the following pictures may go some way to
prove it.
Firstly, we were sat in the cockpit having breckers
and we noticed a plastic duck floating by. Stuart recognised it as a Kiwi and
figured it was a mascot that had blown off one of the NZ boats and needed
rescuing. Stuart & Sven then jumped into the dinghy and was in hot persuit
of the wayward kiwi. Typically the outboard conked out and then we had 2 lots of
Kiwi's needing rescuing. Jo & I figured it was an omen and a sure sign that
NZ would flounder in the cricket. But they managed to retrieve the situation and
saved the kiwi mascot too.
  Friendly rivalry had already started even before we
got to the match and the England flag was already under attack from a
particularly viscous plastic kiwi.
   Only the Caribbean could host a World Cup Cricket
match that had a dedicated party stand. Inclusive with the entry fee was a meal,
8 drinks (yes eight drinks), and entertainment throughout the
game. Everytime a four or a six was scored loud Caribbean Soca music would play
and everyone would jump up and dance around to celebrate, (everyone supporting
the team in bat that is). Then at lunch, when normally one would expect a sedate
affair with tea & cucumber sandwiches with the crusts cut off, we get a
jerk chicken dinner, even more booze and the local Soca Pop Star doing a
turn.
Of course the party doesn't finish after the match,
it goes on afterwards outside the ground. There was a band and even more food
& drink on offer immediately outside and a street party going on til the
early hours in the local village just outside Rodney Bay.
  All in all we had a great day with some of us
alittle worse for wear. Oh and bye the way, the cricket wasn't too bad
either, England lost, I think!
   A cricket action shot for Pete for back in the
office.
A shot of the 'Barmy Army' also for
Pete.
And finally, the victorious Kiwis doing the 'Hacka' (sorry about the
spelling)
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