Antigua

April 25th

I am back. Reformed I decided I will not reach 25 if I do not start behaving. Very productive day of full-on maintenance. Refitting intake for watermaker - up mast twice rigging check, steering checked, stern greaser lubbed, deck pump sorted, tri colour bulbs replaced etc, etc, etc, all worked very well.

Signed up for race week - got invited to free rum party (already my resolve is weakening but am made of strong stuff). Mike and I out for a quiet night - met Jenny who was retelling malicious stories about the previous few nights of partying to the whole bar!

Back to Cherry - dinghy and outboard in perfect nick as new Yamaha 2hp purchased by Malc that day as replacement for sodden one that fell off the back of the sunsail dink.

April 26th

Further refitting and then in evening, at 3pm got a car and went to rum party. Nil to drink but still lost on way to airport. Got there and met Kenny, struggling with sails, computer etc. Back to boat for whisky. Eventually Dom and Mike back.

April 27th

All day spent snorkelling in Pineapple Beach - both Mike and Kenny enjoyed very much - both chased by Baracuda's. All ended up at Colombo's for the free mount gay rum party - all managed to procure hats under false boat names and enjoyed copious free rum -  some, more than others - Malcolm AWOL - found in dinghy in coffin like position. Mike and I headed out into Falmouth for partying - both back separately - as usual, me police/taxi, mike the donkey swam.

April 28th

Rest and recuperation for all. Malcolm and Kenny to Last Lemming for lunch after we all fitted mainsail - still a little drunk quiet, quiet day. 

April 29th

Race day one. Up at 6am - getting the ol' gal ready for racing - deposited the dinghy with  a kindly lady on a wreck of a boat and headed out to sea. Fought our way past the on coming race fleets who started before us and prepared ourselves for the start. Crossed the line 4th - not bad at all and then proceeded amongst a massive fleet all the boat's much larger than ours with the wind gusting 25 knots -  a really cool sight of spinnakers all around us, we had to give way to the largest yacht in the fleet Mari Chai - as they almost chopped us in half. 

on the west side of Antigua our wind died and we were not sure we would finish although we pressed on and finished at 1626 exactly and the ruddy committee boat was nowhere to be seen -  they had bogged off to the party.

I later protested and got our time added and we ended up 10th out of 14 boats -  not as bad. Night spent on the lash on the beach though not too wild as all keen to race better today.

Quiet night myself on Night Owl for Scotch and Malcolm on Odessey of Canada for beer and much drooling over the Bowman 42. And so to bed.