On our way to Monopoli to Bari, after motoring a while, we decided that finally we could put up the sails. As I was preparing to unroll the Genoa I suddenly saw our main sail flying in the air… Roberto who had not seen it yet did not understand me shouting “we have a problem with our main sail” ! Yet, quickly when he saw me pointing the flying main sail he understood what I meant… and what we realised it that the piece that joins the main sail to the boom had broken and thus the main sheet was flying from side to side. Immediately we put ourselves in the position that allowed us to roll the main sheet in and continued motoring and Roberto called our new friend from “Vieste” Luigi who organised for representatives from Montefusco Sail to help us with the repair In Brindisi given that it was based in Lecce (which is closer to Brindisi than to Monopoli). As we could not do anything in Monopoli we took the opportunity to wonder in this very charming and lively (enfin!)   town in Les Pouilles. We had a “rich" aperitif on its main animated square - Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi.

Given that the day after the day we stopped in Monopoli a couple of friends were expected onboard in Brindisi, we left early (5.50 am) the next day (which meant I had to do my online YOGA lesson while motoring which was quite challenging, yet interesting !) so as to be early in Brindisi to have the sail repaired. 5 minutes after our arrival in Brindisi, the guys from Montefusco Sails arrived and the work of taking down the main sail started… Roberto mentioned that they would “try” to bring it back on the same night, which I doubted very much so I thought we may had to say one more day in Brindisi, but I was WRONG ! Around 7 pm on that same day, we say the Montefusco Sails guy arrive on the pontoon with our sail - exceptional and only in Italy would this happen. So the work to put the sail up started… at 08:30 pm the work was finished, we offered them a beer and as we were both exhausted Roberto and I decided to go out to eat in the Marina.

The next day at 08:30 we welcomed Rebecca and Francois who proved during this first day sailing very hands on and motivated, wonderful !