Rolex Regatta was interesting!

03-22-12 Off to St Thomas and a great week with my friends Kevin and Peggy Gregory from Buffalo.kevin had just returned from Buffalo the day before so there was no time to get Odyssey, his Beneteau 44.7 ready to go so reluctently we decided the first day to go out with another Buffalo participant and very old friend of Kevin's, Steve Alcott and the old Beneteau 46 "Chantaclaire"that I knew from the Lake Erie Interclub Cruise when his dad raced it, Warren Alcott.
Well, Friday morning came after a good party on Thursday Night finding out that we had 8 people on the boat but only Steve, Kevin and I had ever raced..Very interesting..We made it around in what I would describe as one of the most interesting sailing activities I have ever participated in....I will not go into the details but it was very sad as the captan demonstrated that he had lost all sense of reality.....perhaps I now understand why Mutiny on the Bounty took place! We finished two raced that day and managed to beat one boat...I wonder how but we did and retired to the St Thomas Yacht Club for relief.
I forgot to mention that Peggy Gregory made sandwiches which were the highlight of the day as we sat in Charlotte Amallie bay for ten minutes between races.
I forgot to mention that kevin and Peggy have a wonderful new Condo about a three minute walk to the Yacht Club....wonderful with Odyssey out on a mooring.
Day two came and we wondered down to the Yacht Club to reassure Steve that we would not be racing with him any more...period. Instead we got organized and went out on Odyssey and watched the races. Check out the pictures...Farr 400 (40's) looked great, watched Highland Fling (RP52) come in with a broken mast. Ouch! I remember when this Scotchman had a beautiful Oyster or Swan 60 down in Antigua 25th Race week. What a contrast to this carbon Fibre nothing boat! Goes fast however.
Day three was more of the same...out having a great time motoring around watching the races. The parties were great each night, wind at 15-18 every day, sunny, perhaps 45 big boats. It's a good regatta, Puerto Ricans won a lot of the trophies. I would recommend it to anyone one but pick your ride carefully! Captain Jim