So finally the day dawned for the start! We were more or less ready and actually had quite a relaxed morning with phone calls to everyone at home and a last breakfast ashore in the cafe, but many others had engineers and riggers aboard till
the very last moment, still more would have to wait for a day or so before all the repairs could be completed.
The marina is rather complex not having any finger pontoons so we had to leave in turn with two of the marina staff in a rather decrepit dingy coming and untying our bow lines which had disappeared under water once we tightened them up, once free we had
to motor smartly out missing the submerged lines of our erstwhile neighbours. We were amongst the last to leave having been amongst the first to arrive last Friday. The price of fame apparently!
The start line was a line between the outer breakwater and a large inflatable buoy with the committee boat nearby. James had picked up some hot intelligence from someone he met in the bar who had done the trip before that we should start at the committee
boat end of the line where the wind would be steadiest, hence in true racer style we staked our claim to a piece of water nearby and waited patiently for the gun. James did a fabulous job of defending our space (Don't forget this is NOT a race of course!),
and apart from one catamaran who briefly got in the way, we made the best start in the fleet by miles leading the entire fleet out of the bay. Shortly afterwards up went the cruising chute and we were off in style.
The piece of water between the two Islands has what is called an acceleration zone, which is essentially like a strong sea breeze that blows every afternoon, so it was soon time to take down the spinnaker ( not easy but we are getting better at it!), and
head north in order to avoid a huge wind shadow cast you the very mountainous Santa Antao Island. Frustratingly as night fell the wind dropped very light and we were fearful that the rest of the fleet would catch us up…..None the less we feasted on Jane’s
recipe for Spanish fish stew, using fish caught be a neighbouring boat crew on a sport fishing day. Wahu apparently. Very good and free in the bargain.
Anyway it is now morning of day 2 and the cruising chute is back up, this time being flown as a spinnaker a la Tim and Galatea style. James took a lot of persuading to try this crazy idea, but I think begrudgingly now agreeing that it works rather well….although
he has just told me that the jury is still out! He is hard to please!! We are doing over 7kts in 11kts of wind. Sea much much flatter than on the way down and not a cloud in the sky. The down side is that it is incredibly hot so we are all almost naked!
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Tim Corfield
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Corfield Morris Ltd, Fine & Decorative Art Advisors
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phone: 02070383548
Mobile: 07798881383
 
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