after the finish

I've finished.  The last days up to the finish
and after I haven’t thought about updating the blog and
position.
I finished Sunday lunchtime EDS having spent 27 days 4 hours 30 minutes
at sea.
Finishing was a wonderful experience.  My wife Marie-Claire and
the other skippers in the EIRA class Will and Christian coming aboard just after
the finish.  Suddenly I had some crew.  The welcome  with
hooters, sirens and a flotilla of trip boats culminating with cannon as I
arrived at the Newport Yacht club which is an exceptionally welcoming
club.  The Newport Yacht Club Commodore has greeted  every OSTAR
skipper on the dock side when they tied up.
  Then it been socialising, partying and making lists of jobs to
be completed on Flamingo Lady before the return trip via Halifax and the
Azores.It takes a day to get use being ashore, new routine, having contact
with lots of people and sharing the event with the other skippers.It’s also
very busy here at the Yacht Club since they are also finishing the Bermuda 1:2
race, (single handed to Bermuda and double handed back).We had very little
damage on the trip, with the rod kicker bracket failure being one.  But the
most annoying being the mainsheet cleats not gripping the sheet.  The
mainsheet system was new this year and failed a few days into the race and was
not up to the job.   For twenty plus days  I have been tying the
mainsheet with a clove hitch, which hinders rapid adjustment, not a problem a
thousand miles out but a hindrance over the last 100 miles, which was a close
hauled finish.
I am very pleased with the performance of Flamingo Lady in the OSTAR
and I have learnt a great deal and overall enjoyed it.
 
MikeLat:41.29.35Lon:71.19.10

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