Update from Joe Gaffney, Jeanneau 36 Canard 0225 Pacific Time:
We are back and running! A bunch of repairs and a boost of team morale and we’re taking the miles back. 20 back since the morning on our fleet and it’s currently 20-25kts with some good seas and we’re ripping along at 9-12kts with the kite up. Everyone is psyched that we’ve found our night legs. Really empowering to feel that we are sailing hard at night instead of feeling like we need to dial it back. Makes the night a time to charge and have fun instead of a time to grind and suffer through.
All in all a great day – one that as a crew we’ve come to grips with what a giant task this has been and will be to get to Lahaina. Coming to grips with it has allowed us to come back into the moment and enjoy it and live for it. A simple flip in mindset but one that feels really good and has made a notable change for us.
Gotta get back on deck – Meg said you had emailed so jumped down to quickly reply because wanted to give you a flavor for the night. Puts any of my downwind night runs on Swiftsure to shame! What a crazy feeling out here 1000 miles from Hawaii burying the boat – unreal. We were just saying if we sail like this to Lahaina and finish 4th of 4 in our Division we’ll buy them all a drink becuase they deserved their top 3 because we didn’t leave anything out here. That’s the goal.
Ed. Note: Thanks, Joe, for sharing. Judging by the comments coming in, it doesn’t take a TP 52 to get a fan base. And it’s great to be able to share thoughts from someone who already knows that while winning is fun, the game itself is what it’s about. -KMH
Kurt grew up racing and cruising in the Midwest, and has raced Lasers since the late 1970s. Currently he is a broker at Swiftsure Yachts. He has been Assistant Editor at Sailing Magazine and a short stint as Editor of Northwest Yachting. Through Meadow Point Publishing he handles various marketing duties for smaller local companies. He currently is partners on a C&C 36 which he cruises throughout the Northwest. He’s married to the amazing Abby and is father to Ian and Gabe.