Newport Bermuda 2014 is underway! We departed Newport Shipyard at 1100 this am, checked in with Race Committee, and proceeded down Narragansett Bay to the starting area. The crowds of boats (led, of course, by Triple Lindy’s cheering section onboard Scott Perrin’s “Scott Free”) were all interested in how the fleet would handle the light and variable winds at starting line. Our crew of 10 has been excited to get moving down the course. At the start we maneuvered with the #1 Jib, and then set a light spinnaker to go downwind towards the Brenton Reef #4 mark. In rapid succession we gybed for clear air, and then lost our wind entirely as a shift brought the winds around to SW at 7-9kts. We kept a wonderful angle in the light air and kept the boat moving at 7-8kts. Just before we had dinner, we sighted a whale sounding in the distance, and were entertained by a pod of dolphins running alongside Triple Lindy and playing in our bow wave. We loved the dinner — a wonderful pork stew recipe over couscous that hit the spot after a busy day of racing. As darkness fell, so did the breeze, and each watch was working very hard through numerous sail changes to keep Triple Lindy moving. As we neared the maritime traffic separation scheme for the approaches to New York we sighted some fishing vessels working the area 60nm SE of Montauk. As we enter the wee hours of Saturday morning, it has been a huge challenge to keep any sort of headway on the boat, and we have been bunched up with other competitors who are struggling to keep moving. This is offshore racing! The Moon rose early this am, and was quite redish in appearance. We appreciate all the family and friends who support us in this sailing adventure.

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