All of a sudden the season here in Antigua is over, classics were a blast and the last race of Antigua race week just finished today. There will be prize giving and a big party tonight and then over the next two days all the boats will have gone and English harbor will be like a ghost time for another six months.
Dorade will be loaded onto a ship in St Thomas at the end of next week and she will be in Rhode Island a week later. We chose not to sail her back as we have a crew practice session on the 22nd May and any breakages or weather hold ups would be detrimental to our chances of winning the Newport to Bermuda race in a month’s time.
The container was shipped out of here on Tuesday and gradually we are getting our stuff together and planning the move out. It is amazing how much stuff I seem to have collected whilst here for the past six months. At least we will be back here again next December.
Before we leave and seeing as we still have a bit of time before the ship comes we are varnishing like crazy. The last couple of regattas have taken their toll on the bright work and it has been six months since the last coat. Over a thousand miles of sailing and sea water crashing over the boat don’t help but that is what she was born to do.
Bermuda training in Newport is going to be critical as there are going to be a few new people on for that race and Dorade can be a little complicated or confusing at first will all the lines the same color and so many different sails to choose from. More time on the water getting to know the boat is going to be a huge bonus.
Between training and the race we will be making a few upgrades to some of the instruments, possibly upgrading the H3000 to the H5000, new GPS antennae and a forestay load pin censor. After that is over to the south of France to hang with the Daughters of Dorade.
Antigua it has been an Amazing six months and we will miss you, however we will be back very soon.
Ben
