The Race – report 1

This is report 1, as after some sleep, food, and beer at the legendary Customs House (forget the sleep – that’ll be later), I will be able to report the race with more clarity. Sorry for the lack of posting during the race, but this is a different beast, and there’s no time, let alone no way of sitting at a keyboard. The boat spent a lot of the trip in the high teens to mid-twenties in knots of speed – the race was over in 2 nights, not the usual 4. It was full on the whole way for all 14 crew – very wet; extremely noisy; and quite complex. The days practicing paid off – they reduced, but didn’t eliminate, mistakes – this was to be expected. The end of the race, reaching at 20 knots under the Organ Pipes, gybing up the river to Hobart, and the reception from the public at the dock – were memories that will last.

As no one came down the dock with a Rolex timepiece, it is assumed we didn’t win. Results should be clearer in the next 2 days as the other boats finished.

Report 2 in more detail tomorrow.