Greetings from Rodney Bay

So eventually we made it, but no prizes for us in the “race”, we were the 114th boat to come in,but our overall final position in the rally was 66th (out of 250 boats or so- not bad! )and then 8th in class( similar overall size), this difference is due to ratings and motoring penalties, which meant that our position improved due to the ratings (i.e. larger boats with more sails etc. get penalised more), and the motoring penalties (hrs. motored added to the final time) were not so bad as we thought. It took us 22 days 10 hrs. 24 min 47 sec.arriving on the 13th at 7.24pm.That's 2700 NM and we actually sailed more than 3000 NM .     Presently on  Thursday evening 16th, there are still about 60 to 70 boats still to arrive, which just goes to show how slow this years ARC has been due to the light winds( one of the slowest in the ARC history since 1986). Penalties for motoring have now be added to the time and looking down the list of boats already arrived quite a few put  a considerable amount of engine hrs. in, we put 90 in. The cut off date is the 18th, any boats arriving after that date will be met and welcomed just not included in the “race” results.  

 

Anyway other than light and indifferent winds it has been a fantastic journey of adventure, with everybody getting on very well and most helpful to each other. We were fortunate to find and take on board Federico who has been brilliant and good company to us all -especially to Nick who found another “Techie” to chat to on watch, and to Debs who he would sing Opera to, and for me he did whatever was asked of him around the boat in an absolute efficient manner, quite an achievement considering the language difference and full marks for knowing what “let it off” or “come up” meant ,or “no not that one – the yellow flecked one!” at three in the morning in the pitch black !  .And that reminds me of another Italian chap we had on board sailing with us ,who once said to me “ Guy it does not matter how loud you say it I still do not know what a “cleat” is “   So we were very lucky to get some one so versatile and  helpful as crew.

My thanks to Nick who worked so hard in Las Palmas helping me get the boat ready and has kept an eye on rigging /instruments and generally ensuring that the Systems keep running

– Of course Deborah who kept us going with tremendous food and her good Spirit on board (although not necessarily on her watch at 4 am  I hasten to add ) she had a pretty good Atlantic crossing overall , probably due to the light winds,- I didn't even hear the words “put a reef in” for the last third of the journey. Or it could have been that there was no mention of Hurricanes blowing this time , as there was the last time we did this crossing in 1999 , as i remember it Hurricane Lenny was blowing 2000 miles away in the Caribbean and we were just of Africa at the time-and Debs got very anxious about it  as it magnified in size and proximity to us - you have to realize that the Atlantic passage chart is only 2 ft. across and it did look rather close to her. As I've always said she is by far the bravest one on board.

Me -well someone else had better tell you that , but i did shout less, except when  the cordial drink i had my eye on was emptied before i had drunk any. There was also a time  when the boat was  heeling badly in strong headwinds and all the fridge contents fell out when i opened the fridge door to get some milk. It was a desperate act to  try to pack them back in-with one hand in between lulls in the wind only for them all to fly out again with the next lurch of the boat.. The galley – did turn blue with my shouts  and dare i say it –screams.. and I did  kick a few tins around the galley  – much to the amusement of Fred who stood behind me and who must have been wondering if he had made the right choice of boat to crew on!

 

Anyway its back to Rum punch as i,m wasting good R & R time and the next party is just about to begin!

 

Signing out for now and thanks for following

Until the next time!!!

Guy

LADY OF AVALON