On the 16^th Sue went off and attended a Provisioning Seminar whilst I lolled around with 'me man' flu.  Suprisingly felt good enough by evening to go with Gerry and Sara to a close by Italian Restaurant and felt even better are scoffing a big pizza and bottle of red.

Think it was the combo of great company and tiredness that led to a side splitting laughing session with the guys that spilt over onto adjacent tables.  What a night.  Clearly on the mend.

Woke early 17^th with headache gone and at last, able to attend my first ARC seminar.  This one Radio Communications was well presented and seemed to raise the general anxiety level of the audience........ 

I thought before today I was the only one who did not know what they are doing with a SSB radio.  It seems 90% of the other skippers don’t either!  There's going to be a few of them really pushing things to get systems up and running by start time. 

On reflection, the ARC organisers should have run this seminar two weeks back.  As a for instance, over 100 boats took up the invitation of a radio check by the seminar presentation firm - and frankly, there is no way their small team of two techhies will do all that in the time we've got left.  What it has highlighted is our need to organise our own ship to ship and ship to shore communication check prior to the start – and resolving what we’ll do if we do find any fault (ie going back rather than risking the crossing with no comms).

Also picked up two additional plastic 20 litre fuel containers FOC off a close by race boat.  Mini the Moocher is a Kerr yacht.  You tend to see this style of lightweight flyer rocketing about around the Solent rather than on an Atlantic crossing.  So light you can almost see the sky thrugh the hull, and needing a crew of 7, who will have to exist in a tiny windowless cabin under a wide open deck and not sun protected deck – methinks they’ll know they’ve had a sail by the time they get to St. Lucia. 

Anyway, nice guys.  And they wanted the boat to be as light as possible so offloaded all non essential items,  Hence we snaffling the containers.  So with a hefty humph we’ve now added a further 50 litres of fuel into Swagmans lazarette.  If we keep doing this she’s going to sail with her bow pointing skyward!!

As Andrew from Mini is also a race weather forecaster, we’ve done a deal and will carry four of their lightweight (and when I say lightweight, I mean really lightweight) spinnakers over for them.  Andrew will in return provide us with customised weather routings, twice a day, for the crossing.  That will ensure we place ourselves in the best possible spots to gain every advantage we can from the winds.

He has already suggested the first few days look like they will be make or break days with a low wind high pressure system sitting out to our south west.  We’ve also discussed a suggested initial route.  But I can’t tell you because it’s a secret. 

And besides, it’s a rally - not a race.

Went last night to a Cocktail Party hosted by local Lymington firm Berthron.  It was held at the Real Club Nautico - very flash in their pool side bar setting - and after grabbed a cab with jetty neighbours Hannah and Matt.  I'm guess they are early 30's  - on honeymoon - which is a year long and seeing them sail their Swiss built Sunbeam yacht from the UK to New Zealand - from where they'll ship it back and resume thier careers.  Nice eh to have such options at such an age.  God.  Sounding more and more like me dad every day.......

Anyway.  The four of us went to the old town and to a highly recommnended Spanish restaurant.  Superb tapas.  Sorry, can't remember the name - alongside the Veggie Market building below the cathedral - but if you are in town try to find it - worth the effort.

So.  Now lets all learn this mantra.

Its a rally - not a race.

Its a rally - not a race.

Cheers

JOHN