SAIL.SailMagazine

You'll have to excuse our absence on SAILfeed in the past week. It's been full-on getting the Atlantic Cup and ARC Europe rallies underway here in Tortola. But it's been a blast too, and now the fleet is finally at sea! I wrote this press release just now to announce the departure. To follow the fleet, head on over to worldcruising.com. On Wednesday, Mia and I head to Bermuda, where the fun continues! After sailing in ARC Europe last year on Kinship, it's fun to be on the organizing side this year. Enjoy!

Thirty yachts hailing from twelve different nations took the start at noon today in the ARC Europe and Atlantic Cup Cruising Rallies. The 2013 editions of each event marks the first occasion in which both fleets took the same starting line, and will compete together in two classes en route to Bermuda.

Written by Ben Ellison on May 3, 2013 for Panbo, The Marine Electronics Hub

Our first couple of nights after leaving La Paz we had strong coromuel winds, but after getting just another twenty miles or so north the nights have been silent. No swell—the beauty of the east coast of Baja—and not a ripple on the water. You can’t sleep better than that.

Today we motored an hour north to Puerto Escondido—it is time to fill up the water tanks, do some laundry, and stock up some fresh fruit.

We moved on up to Bahia Candeleros today where we had promised the kids the most awesome kid pool ever. Silly stupid parents—never promise anything to kids.

After anchoring the dinghy in the shallows we waded ashore in front of the all-inclusive resort that had welcomed all cruisers with open arms last year. Up the stairs we went on a beeline for the pool. At the top of the stairs a security guard walked towards us and I got that sinking feeling.

“Hola. Have you been here before?” he asked.

Taken aback—happily—I replied, “Yes, last year.”

“Bienvenidos.” Welcome.

With seven more boats, this picture would have been complete

Hallelujah, the Vega Carina was approaching Barbados from Trinidad as of late Wednesday, presumably with The Container aboard and its contents of seven 5O5s, masts and sails for another dozen or more boats, and international juror Vicki Gilmour’s rule book.

All right, so this was a little awkward.

The family we offered the clothes to came out in their boat this afternoon. We invited them aboard and we all sat up front and played with the car and some toys for a little bit.

Cool. Nice little boy, friendly mother and I had a nice chat with the dad and a friend of theirs. We gave them the bag of clothes and as they were pulling away the dad asked me again, “Langostas?”

Sure, we’ll take some lobster.

Indulge your notsalgia for a day when the racing was dramatic, and the crews were sailing for their countries.

Is there any chance the next edition will match this?

We motored north on a flat sea bound for Agua Verde just three hours away. Another in a string of rather uneventful days—days we are always thankful for. Nothing broke, nobody got hurt, Lowe got his nap in, and we arrived in what is one of my favorite bays.

Does God think that because it rains in torrents I am not to go to Peru
And destroy the world?

Doesn’t relate, quite, but it’s a gangbusters line and I’ve always wanted to use it. From the wonderful, fierce poet, Ai. And it did rain in torrents, straight down, with no wind on Monday in Bridgetown, Barbados and destroyed plans to sail race five of the 2013 SAP 5O5 World Championship

Written by Ben Ellison on Apr 29, 2013 for Panbo, The Marine Electronics Hub

Shot some video today while we motored north from San Evaristo to Los Gatos. We had maybe fifteen knots on the nose when we left, and an hour or so later the seas had gone calm. A twenty-seven mile trip, it took us about five hours to complete. This video should give you some idea of what life is like during a typical Bumfuzzle moving day.

Come my children who love the sea, and all who sail upon her,
A tale I would tell of a wayward thing, a truly vexing bother,
Lost, not quite, nor forgot, not at all, for I speak of the one, The Container.
‘Tis known she rests on a shipping dock. Good news? You could sight her,
But this dock, this day, was meant I must say for shipping some other
Danged container to some place other than the frikking 505 Worlds.

You have to admire the concentration of this crew, which does not appear to notice what is happening behind them. (via)

An inspired video that is only tangentially related to sailing and water, but too good not to post.

So: this is for all the adventurous women out there. May more of you find your way onto a sailboat.

"Who wants fish?"
"Me!"
"Me!"
"Yes, please!"

The magic word is “Friday.”

Unless you go to someone else and ask when the wayward West Coast container will arrive at or near the site of the SAP 505 Worlds, and that person tells you “Saturday.”