mattacme's January 23, 2012 blog

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JANUARY 23, 2012 @ 09:46 PM

On the evening of November 18th last year I arrived in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, a Spanish island off the coast of West Africa. I had traveled from California to Boston, where I met a friend I have known since grade school, Ron, and the two of us boarded a flight to Las Palmas with a layover in Madrid. The purpose of our trip was to meet up with another grade school friend, Blake, and his brother Tony aboard his 83 foot yacht in order to serve as crew during the 2011 Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC). The ARC has been running annually for over 20 years from Las Palmas to Rodney Bay, St. Lucia and has proven very popular, as such events go. There were over 210 entries this year. As with most sail races there are classes for each general type of vessel. Our ship, Mustang, fit into the open category. At 65 tons and 83 feet we were by no means the largest and fastest boat in the open class and Mustang's only previous attempt, in 2006 (different owner and crew) resulted in her dismasting half way across. Despite some very stiff competition we prepared to make the best showing possible while enjoying a true gentleman's race, which is sailed entirely with the wind.

I will spare you the minutiae and post pictures with little descriptions of what is pictured, if needed. Otherwise, enjoy.

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Me, Ron and Richard in Mustang's cockpit, 11/19.

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Mustang from across the marina.

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Our neighbor in Las Palmas to port.

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The Captain had a local artist paint this on the wall aft at the Marina.

Under way...

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Me getting the ships cannon ready for firing as we cross the line.

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Dolphins, and these are little ones. About mid way across during a watch on an overcast night we heard a splash and whoosh to port and knew that it was dolphins coming up for a breath and a look at us. Intensely curious, dolphins are always checking out boats. This night we were treated to a phosphorescence light show. I went forward to the bow pulpit and hung out over the water as perhaps a dozen large dolphins swam left and right and among each other just under and ahead of the bow, with an occasional silhouette of one of them breaching the surface, followed by the abundant phosphorescence caused by their re-entry into the water. Pure magic and one of the most incredibly beautiful things I have ever seen.

Back to the passage. A sail arrangement you probably have never seen...

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Wing on wing on wing, The main, an inner fore sail and the outer fore sail, all flying at the same time, one spilling into the next spilling into the last. Very efficient and much safer than flying a purely downwind sail (spinnaker, tri-radial, etc.).

General shots...

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We arrived in St. Lucia on December 5th at 07:30 local time, 13 days and 23 hours after leaving Las Palmas, a very respectable time. Our finish place was 4th in the open class and 24th overall, a fine finish. No one who came in ahead of us belonged behind us and many who came after us ought to have finished ahead.
This is White Knight, a fast Swan sailed by two really cool young Italian gentlemen who were great fun to hang out with.

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I'll end this with a shot of yours truly at the starboard main winch and Mustang at rest on the west coast of St. Lucia.

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NoPantsDave

Cincinnati, OH

OLD SKOOL

FEB 12, 2012 08:45 AM

Didn't want to get the A's thread totally derailed.....

I'd say Atlanta has been even better about finding and developing talent. Tampa seems to be right up there too. Five years ago I might have tried to make an argument in favor of Minnesota or, shockingly, the Yankees.

The Yankees are now diluted with free agents, but look back to their WS teams of 7-12 yrs ago and that was almost all homegrown.

z3nbyte

Oakland, CA

June 2011

FEB 12, 2012 09:16 AM

Sounds like it is shaping up to be a fun event. Always nice to enjoy people real time it's nice of you to be designated driver for the north Bay peeps can't wait!

NoPantsDave

Cincinnati, OH

OLD SKOOL

FEB 12, 2012 10:32 AM

One might even be able to argue that teams like Tampa and Minnesota would not have been able to do what they've done if not for the way that Beane changed the ways in which teams scouted and looked at players.....

I still say Atlanta is right up there if not above Oakland. They produced several rookies of the year, Cy Youngs, MVPs and Hall of Famers while having a payroll somewhere in the middle of the pack. And they parlayed that into something like 14 division championships.

The only Eco I've read is Foucault's Pendulum. I love that book, but haven't gotten around to reading more of him.

Key

SUICIDEGIRL

I'm lost

FEB 12, 2012 03:58 PM

Thank you!

Asio

SUICIDEGIRL

Germany

FEB 13, 2012 05:42 PM

yeah, winter came late this year. And yes, you spotted the mask! I find this picture so hilarious

velvet_petal

I'm lost

November 2006

FEB 14, 2012 08:21 PM

Thank you. That is so sweet of you. Happy Valentine's, mattacme.

Hyatt

Australia

November 2008

FEB 15, 2012 04:40 AM

Awww. Ty for the heart! ♥

Hope you had a happy Valentine's Day.

Lelaina

SUICIDEGIRL

Australia

FEB 15, 2012 06:35 AM

Hey you! No Borderlands as yet, I've actually somehow been sucked in to Skyrim. I will though as I do think it's the kind of game I'd enjoy.

What are you playing right now? Hope life is treating you well

Lethal

SUICIDEGIRL

I'm lost

FEB 15, 2012 02:03 PM

awww

Viejo

Santa Fe, NM

June 2005

FEB 17, 2012 09:33 PM

Noticed one of your "I want..." pics tonight, the Swan 60. If memory (or rumour) serves, the last open-class Whitbread Round-the-World was won by a Swan. That rumoured winner was the first hull I helped rehab after I got out of the Navy. Beautiful lines...

Viejo

Santa Fe, NM

June 2005

FEB 18, 2012 07:35 AM

Unfortunately, most of my time spent with sailing rigs has been under them. I did get to sail Catalinas in the Indian Ocean, but I learned to hate them in the boatyards.
One of these days I'll get out there, once I escape this land-locked state...

Dasha

SUICIDEGIRL

Russian Federation

FEB 18, 2012 09:08 AM

Very cute thanks.

Kyoko

SUICIDEGIRL

Iceland

FEB 19, 2012 02:23 PM

Exciting indeed! Thank YOU!

Caprica

SUICIDEGIRL

Illinois, USA

FEB 21, 2012 10:08 PM

Well, I had to buy a new phone, but that was the first thing I installed!

ckdexterhaven

USA

December 2005

FEB 21, 2012 10:58 PM

I was just listening to some classic Bruno/Radnich via syndication (via downloaded podcast via mp3) and I just felt like saying GOOD KNOWLEDGE. You know what they say ...

SPOILERS! (Click to view)

FEBRUARY 2012

JANUARY 2012

DECEMBER 2011

NOVEMBER 2011