Graham

The title is "Graham", but the picture is one of a spinnaker?


Way back in the 1982 South Atlantic Race to Punta Del Este, Uruguay we gave the spinnakers on our boat names. I remember the intermediate kite was called "Daantjie" after one of the boat's owners. (The owners did not sail with us!) The spinnaker was built just like Daantjie. Tough and strong and could take whatever came its way.


For the Governors Cup we are going to call this spinnaker "Graham".

Why, because it has a story. Just like Graham, the guy who is "lending" it to us, always has a story. Lending it, but at the same time saying to me it is okay to cut it smaller to fit our boat.


I have known Graham since late 1981 when he joined our Uruguay Race team as a last minute replacement for a guy who had made his girlfriend pregnant and had to get married instead of going sailing.

When I mentioned to Graham some months ago that the budget was getting a bit tight he told me he's got an asymmetrical kite we can use.
My immediate response was "what spinnaker, why on earth would you have an asymmetrical kite in your possession?"

And then came the story.
"I bought it with some other sails and furlers and this and that from an insurance company"
"Huh?"
"Yep, remember that Island Spirit cat that flipped off the Wild Coast? It got pulled in here upside down and was declared a write off. The salvage people were dumping the lose gear on the dock and I chatted to the insurer's rep and they sold me the stuff". "The kite has never been used".


The kite turned out to be much too big for our boat. See "Pontoon sailing", one of my earlier blogs.

But in true Graham style his response was that I am free to have it cut down to size to suit our boat. Thanks a stack Graham, you're a real pal!


Tomorrow Graham the Kite leaves for Cape Town to be cut down to size.


PS.


Graham has also lent us a liferaft.


And here is his story.

The raft is from Graham's cabin cruiser. A real floating passion pit. Wait for it. The boat once upon a time belonged to that Pommy actor Austin Powers! Graham promptly changed the name of the boat to "Austin".