Finally away
Moondancer
Mon 24 Nov 2008 17:29
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Saturday
Skippers briefing. Main point of
interest was the weather and the best course to take. The
weather forecaster bravely said that there was little doubt that
going south to Cape Verde and then along the Trade Winds was the the only way to
go, there being a big area of no wind along the more direct route. Beware
of the accelleration zone of high wind off the southern end of the island and
don't get caught in the wind shadow that can extend some hundreds of
miles.
Everybody is pretty sorted by now
but is panic impulse buying non-essential stores. Our few tasty
cheeses appeared shamefully tame against some scandinavians in
the next checkout queue who were wielding a whole spanish ham complete
with hoof, viking style. Massive bunches, cut straight from the
plant, of green bananas are lashed to the decks of several yachts along our
dock. Thank goodness we didn't tick "bananas" on the order form halpfully
provided to all the boats by the local vegetable wholesaler.
Went to the very smart department store in search of English
newspapers and the girl at the magazine department nodded enthusiastically and
pointed proudly at the the Sun and the Daily Star. Sweet.
Very good dinner at the hospitable Club and then
back to the boat for an early night (it slipped to brandy and cigars) to
watch midnight fireworks let off from the end of the dock. The noise
was as dramatic as the display.
Sunday
Everyone in their smartest logoed shirts being
photographed by wives and sweethearts and all the crews wishing one
another well. The noisy, cheerful marching band added to the
carnival atmosphere, the weather was bright and sunny, waving crowds lined
dock walls and the wind was a light moderate breeze giving a running
start. Our attitude to starting (a term borrowed from the safety examiners
who were very careful in their choice of language incase something they
said could be construed as a recommendation) was that we would make a reasonable
start for the fun of the game but not be too keen and be a bit late to
avoid a melee on the line, 30 seconds late would be just
fine. Got out onto the water, sails up early to get a feel for
the boat, the conditions and the water. Watched the racing
division start and clocked thte best tactics, then made a couple of preparatory
ciruits round the bay and at 1 minute 40 seconds tacked and made our run for the
line. In no time we were pursued by highly polished hulls at least
half as big as us again. We all forced to dodge to right and left as
a mad catamaran wildly and inexplicably dashed wildly and blindly through
the fleet going the wrong way on port. Incredibly the tightly
packed fleet managed to avoid it and one another. Then things got
tight indeed. As we approached the line we were being squeezed
tighter and tighter together by a spectator boat on one side and
yachts determined not to be forced over the line early on the
other. We were drawn inextricably into this funnel of
closing yachts and choppy, corkscrewing water and ended up with one highly
polished bow just a few feet away (sometimes less) on our
starboard side and the same on our port side. A collision was less
than a second away. The three of us walked this perilous, very high
stake tightrope in absolute silence, not a word from any of the crew
either. This was really serious, not a time for any posturing
or advice. At last the start gun went and the squeeze was off,
one crew member still just feet away understatedly offered,"Hairy
start". I would have liked to have said, "Oh really?", but my throat was
too dry to utter a word.
As we all breathed more easily and laughed
nervously we realised that the genoa had got itself stuck, it would not furl,
unfurl or come down. We spent the next three hours ignominiously pulling
it this way and that and at last we licked it. Luckily brave Fiona's offer
to go aloft was not tested.
Posted by Andrew bravely and expertly skippering
Moondancer for the start!
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