Hello
all
First of all, very
many thanks to all who have emailed their good wishes to us. It is really
heartening to know that so many of you have remembered our big day, and what a
day it was!
We had an early
start as there was still a lot to do, and at 10 a.m. Pedro at the Texaco fuel
pontoon right opposite us started pounding out Canarian music, and gave a
farewell greeting to the yachts as each one motored slowly past. The sun
was shining and everyone was in good spirits. There was a crowd of
spectators all along the walls leading to the exit, with World Cruising Club
staff taking photos of each yacht as they left the marina. The crew on
board are Bob & Elaine, Alan Painter and Paul Lund, good friends from the
Offshore Cruising Club (Overlord), and Nick Webster, who goes back to Bob's
school days, and owns a Halberg Rassy 36.
Our start was at
1300, and we left with full main and genoa, amongst 225 other yachts, with
spectator craft and a fire tug pumping water from its hoses high into the
air.
Later in the early
evening the wind picked up, and we finished up with 2 reefs in the main and the
staysail, gybing south and west.
This morning we were
greeted by a spectacular dolphin display, with probably 20-30 animals, surfacing
and jumping, one with a spectacular jump about 6 feet into the air. We are
currently 85nm south west of Gran Canaria, with a mere 2678 nm to go.
Everyone is well, and Pipistrelle is sailing well.
Bob, Elaine, Nick
Alan & Paul