Last evening the City of Portsmouth and Ocean Marine Yacht Center ‘officially’ welcomed the Caribbean 1500 participants to town with a happy hour reception at Griff’s on High Street.
“We’re thrilled that you’re back again for a third year,” said Jim Bento, owner and operator of Ocean Marine Yacht Center. David Schulte, representing the City of Portsmouth, echoed similar sentiments. “I just can’t understand how any of you could consider crossing an ocean in a such a small boat!” David, a non-sailor, joked.
Colin, a nine-year-old fiddle prodigy, highlighted the evenings events with his traditional Scottish music as he strolled around the room entertaining the sailors. Beer and wine flowed from the bar, and hot hors d’ouvres were served.
---
The weather cleared this morning in town, and the day dawned bright and clear, a wonderful respite after the past 24 hours of rain. The rally seminar program kicked off in earnest this morning, with talks on crossing the Gulf Stream, SSB tips and tricks, and a diesel engine roundtable at Roger Brown’s conference room on High Street in town. The Ladies Roundtable gets underway this afternoon.
The Gulf Stream seminar focused on how wind, weather and currents all come together to dictate a good window to depart the coast and head offshore. Stay tuned for a feature article later today that will focus on the specifics of weather and current planning, and discuss the realities of how to choose a weather window.