Pete

The last day getting ready, tomorrow (crimble day) is a rest day to goof off, and then boxing day is early bubble and squeek (it’s an English boxing day tradition of culinary mastery) then off to sea.   Pete spent the day at the Victoria Hospital undergoing all sorts of tests – in the end they decided I was grumpy and tall. Oh and sinusitis, or was it appendicitis (they just put it is on the end of words to…

Today was all about a final plan to sail through the start area and out through the Heads plus final safety issues addressed, the briefings and meetings for Fearless Leader and Jay as Captain and Navigator respectively. But the ultimate key plan was to go out and practice not pasting the only reef in the middle of the harbour, not run through the spectator fleet (3,500+ boats) and try and not be over early as they do not inform you…

Two long days of safety work; sailing out in the ocean beyond the “heads”, and seemingly endless chores to get the boat in full racing condition, and we’re on track. The sailing community is giving us plenty of full on Australian humour, returned in kind. Today’s practice had us doing spinnaker work under the Harbor Bridge, and tacking along by the Opera House – all a bit surreal. Crew dinner at Bondi Beach tonight, and then two more days of…

Australian Broadcasting Corp. interview with Joe Mele before the race. \

All Joe Mele has heard since arriving in Australia from New York earlier this month is that anyone sailing a yacht out of Sydney and turning right towards Hobart is out of their mind. He’ll realise a decade-long dream on Boxing Day when he does just that as captain of Triple Lindy, the only American entry in this year’s Sydney to Hobart, determined to successfully navigate the unpredictable waters of Bass Strait amid an undercurrent of apprehension. Everyone I have talked to…

From today’s Australian: Australians are used to American yachtsmen arriving for the annual Rolex Sydney to Hobart race with the world’s newest, largest and most expensive ocean racers and making off with the silverware after leading the fleet into Hobart. It started with Huey Long and Ondine I in 1962 and again with Ondine II in 1968 and then Ondine III in 1974. Jim Kilroy arrived with Kialoa II in 1971 and then set an elapsed time record that lasted…

The mast featured large in today’s session – it wasn’t straight and there were many conflicting theories concerning why. The relative tightness of the various wires (shrouds) holding it up were discussed. In the end a rigger was summoned, and the offending wire was identified as we sailed back and forth in the harbor in stiff breeze. Shortly after the junior rigger was sent aloft to do mysterious rigging things, all agreed the mast was now perfect. This did not…

All the crew, most of the families, and some of the luggage now arrived – snow in Canada causing all sorts of issues. You’d think they’d be used to it, but it seemed to take Air Canada completely by surprise. Lots of lending of clothing, but somehow no one interested in my smalls.   After hours of boat chores, and jet lagged wandering around, we were ready to actually have a sail in the afternoon. But first ABC news dropped…