Wendell and Shelly joined up with Ken and Kristine in Antiqua. With a shallow draft the Grateful Red found spots that had no other vessels. With sailors like Wendell and shelly the symmetrical spinnaker was flown. The ending destination being St. Barth for Les Voiles de St. Barth Regatta, and a check out of the St. Martin party site – Mary’s Boon Beach House
The Offshore Racing Council was the governing organization for the world offshore regatta in Cres, Croatia. There is not an ORC governing body in the USA so the ORC regattas had never had a USA built boat with a USA flag in their regattas. In Spring of 2010 the Grateful Red was measured by an ORC measurer at Port Napoleon – qualifying the Grateful Red for the ORC worlds in Cres. We had a worldwide crew of Wendell, Ken and Charlie from the USA and team Holland of Leneke, Jeroen and Clarissa from the Netherlands, Trouble…no wind at the regatta. In the 80 mile offshore overnight race the TP52 racing machines with professional crews averaged less than two knots. The Grateful Red had sterring linkage issues and did not participate in the overnight. Team Holland lead by Jeroen and Clarissa, had a part fabricated on site and repaired the linkage. The Grateful Red raced the last day, only regatta day with winds over five knots, and beat a few boats. Success!
In Chaumont the rivers run into the Atlantic ocean; once through the Balesme Tunnel (five kilometers long), the rivers run to the Mediterranean Sea. Wendell and Shelley joined Ken and Kristine in this winter-like ending to the French canals, the last fifty locks into the Saone river. Then Burgundy wine tastings, Gevry Chambertin, Aloxe Corton, and Vosee Romanee in the north; Chassagne Montrachet and Meursault in the south of the Cote d’Or. So much wine, so little time!
See you on the Water
