As I passed the last mark of the race and headed for the finish line the wind was peaking at 20 kts. I hardened up the sails and pointed straight to the mark, the rigging creaked as the boat heeled over. We crossed the bay at 7kts upwind and finally the finish line was not only within sight but within reach too.
My fist long distance solo race, the first time in an ocean alone in a boat and the first time I had put up with my own company for a whole week and it was over!
I crossed the line to be 1st overall 'solo' boat 3rd overall including the 2 handed boats (on corrected time). The icing on the cake was be told that I have smashed the solo race record by over 50 hours ! To say I am
Happy with the result would be somewhat of an understatement!!
As I approached the finished line Dad was in a Rib to congratulate me, as he was in Ponta Delgada. He helped me rebuild the back end of the boat in the Azores and has been a great support all the way on both legs, he is the reason that I am able to sail and I am very very grateful to him!
Richard was the perfect co-skipper on the way down. Not only could I trust him to look after me and the boat on the way there his attitude towards work was never anything but 100% positive taking more than his share of watches and giving me great advice when needed. He even brought a comfort element to yacht racing which was a new experience- and one that I rather like! It is a shame that the computer failed in the outbound leg, as there was as many many if not more adventures in that leg as the leg home.
Now I have the small job of making a list of things to fix on the boat, before off solo this afternoon for the 30 hour hop to Portsmouth and home! sorting through all the video footage and trying to make something worth watching out of it! Thankyou to everyone that has melt a eye in the blog this week. Knowing people have been reading the blog makes it that much
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