Cheers!

Cheers!



My co-skipper and navigator/ weather router and race strategist (that's one person!), Jeremy Bagshaw and I toasting the future success of our voyage. That rock in the background isn't just any old rock by the way. It is THE ROCK. That rock is Cabo de Hornos. Cape Horn.



As the winning skipper of the previous Governors Cup race, Jeremy comes with a degree of celebrity status. Our objective...........to have a good fast passage and to be first boat in at St Helena.
Jeremy is talking about beating the mailship there................That means a 9 day trip. Can be done. But it is sailing. All depends on the weather.




Way back in 1985 the two of us were part of Rod van der Wheele's crew onboard Wings in the South Atlantic Race to Punta del Este, Uruguay. That was a great voyage and afterwards the two of us remained behind to sail Wings back to Port Elizabeth for Rod. With one other guy onboard, we tackled the hard slog back to South Africa on the 10 meter long Wings.
To this day, that voyage stands out as the hardest trip I have ever done on a yacht. The weather was atrocious. It was cold. We had no autopilot. It was just a relentless bash.



We had strong headwinds, we had storms, we hove-to more than once just to get some rest and to get out of the cold. We had hailstorms, but we also had some incredible runs under kite approaching Cape Town.



The fact that we are still on speaking terms after that sail means that the hop to St Helena should be a walk in the park for us.



Back to the present.



In 4 weeks time we leave St Francis Bay to sail Banjo down to Simonstown for our 1st December start.



I hope to put the boat back into the canals outside our home tomorrow afternoon after work. Depending on the weather and the state of the river mouth this coming Saturday or Sunday, we will get the boat through under the bridge in the St Francis Bay canals and step the mast. Then through the surf at the river bar and back to our berth in Port St Francis.




Once back in the harbour I will relax a bit.



This evening I got the job list out. Not much left to do. Small jobs like wash the sailcover, measure the running rigging for the spinnaker, make Jeremy's cockpit shade and make Jeremy's deck chairs................these rockstars want everything.



Back at the business I am working my butt off. The "while I'm gone" file is just about complete. The new pole yard is coming on well and should be done by Friday. We have a paint tinting machine coming into our St Francis Bay store by the end of the month. I have to throw a staff party and long service awards evening in early November.



We are just about ready to leave!