2002
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Antigua Sailing Week – Day 5
May 3, 2002
You have been staying current, right? That and we didn’t go sailing today (because of our torn mainsail) so we don’t have any sailing pictures. With no sailing remaining in our race schedule, the crew all got assembled and went out to dinner together, and some ended up afterwards swinging on a Swan 68, consuming beverages, and dancing to the reggae band that was on the foredeck!!!!! What a blast-o-rama that was! They didn’t have to rise early in the morning to go sailing! By the way, after 4 days of sailing were we in 19th place overall. Plus we beat a “buoy boat” in our class with our Around The World racer!
Today was the last day of racing for ASW 2002, and the boats that did get out saw winds peaking over 30 knots, which would have been two reefs and the little staysail upwind for us had we sailed. It was so windy that “Equation” a SC-70 retired early not wanting to risk people and the rig. Our navigator Ashley, who went out with them today said “After we buried the bow going downwind at 15 knots, washing the foredeck and the #3 back to the companionway, the skipper decided to call it quits. We almost lost the sail.” In fact there were reports of folks getting separated from their boats and others getting hurt. A few were dismasted, and one boat came in with a rig that looked like it should have come down, it was so twisted, bent and out of column. It looked like a gust hit the chute and the runners were not on.
Meanwhile, OceanPlanet was at the docks, getting cleaned up for Tomorrows Open House on the boat.
Some of the crew are sticking around for the awards presentation and Nelson’s Formal Ball Saturday night. So with not much else to do today the team photographer and web-wonk took some local pictures of historic English Harbour to take home to his family, and to share with you here.
Some new faces and some old reliable standards were on hand. Second from the left, Wadadli (Wah-Dodd-lee) the local beer. In fact “Wadadli” or maybe “Wahadli” used to be the name of Antiqua as used by the West Indians.
Again, we all had a terrific time. Thanks Bruce! But tell us why the flights home are so much longer than the same flights that brought us to Antigua?
OceanPlanet will leave Antigua for either Tortola for sail repairs, or may jam straight for Charleston SC. Right now the weather is perfect for that dash to the north. Stay tuned!