Heineken_Background

The 2008 Heineken Regatta on "DONNYBROOK".

Well it's over....it went by really quickly. It was great sailing but incredibly physically demanding. I was grinding, along (principally) with Andrew, Mike and Ollie and I really wasn't physically up to the task...but what the hey, I got to go sailing on a great boat with a great bunch of guys (and one girl....go Julie).

Got there late on Thursday (snow...again!!) and missed the sail to St Bart's. Racing got under way on Friday with the 'round St Maarten Race. Saturday followed with two short windward/leeward races and then a race to Marigot where the boat stayed overnight. We were supposed to race back on Sunday but Jim (the owner) had an early flight back and we couldn't do it....I think everyone was disappointed, but "it is what it is". The wind was blowing 25 to 30 knots most of the time so it was tough going....those short windward/leeward races were brutal. We managed to blow up a brand new, unused kite (@ $30,000??), but, other than that, things seemed to go well. I took a few photos, although not as many as I would have liked.....it was just too busy. Go to Heineken for some more info. We were in Spinnaker 1.

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