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What is really behind Mother Nature's Psyche??

by Greg Harms, July 2nd, 2008



Vic-Maui 2008 will be recorded in the 40-year race annals as a year when Mother Nature showed her more devious, relentless and less seductive side. Is she just in a bad mood these days and taking it out on the fleet, or is there a method to her madness??

It's very possible that she's looking down on the 2008 fleet and recognizing that there's a tremendous amount of talent out there. To make it simple, and put the Pacific High where it's supposed to be, and provide idyllic trade winds for a great down-wind ride into Maui, would be too much of a push-over for these highly qualified racing veterans. True to her reputation, she's demanding her notorious respect, and challenging each and everyone aboard to make the most of their navigation, fortitude and seamanship skills. In the trade wind zone, airs continue light and variable, making the crews aboard Strum, Zulu and Red Heather play wind-seeker. In the western wake of the low, Turicum, Passepartout and Seeker are gaining at least temporary advantage from northwesterly winds, while further to the east, Blackwatch and Starlight Express continue to face southwesterly headwinds.

While the 2008 fleet may be smaller in numbers, it has attracted the likes of many great Pacific west coast sailors/racers including: Wink Vogel and 2 sons Tim and Randy (4, 3, 3 Vic-Maui races respectively), Warren Hale (4 Vic-Maui races), Vern Berkhardt (6 Vic-Maui races), Marlene Bolster (3 Vic-Maui races), Frank Schriver (4+ Vic-Maui races) to name a few. The list of additional highly reputable sailors in the fleet is too long to name, and can be found in the fleet summaries. Suffice to say that one of the true attractions of sailing is; the more you know, the more you realize you don't know, and just when you think you may have it all figured out, Mother Nature will step in and dish out a new challenge to humble you. That's what keeps everyone coming back for more, and why Vic-Maui is such a notoriously challenging and exciting race.

After 10 days at sea, camaraderie aboard is one of the great highlights of ocean racing. Personalities and character traits are all now fully exposed and a cohesive family-like atmosphere surfaces that provides a lifetime of memories and tales. Black Watch's colourful characters and scenes in yesterday's commentary capture life aboard wonderfully, and a true testimony to the "highs" of life at sea -- albeit not the Pacific High that they're seeking.

Black Watch - Race Day 6-29
Sunday services were held aboard Black Watch - perfect attendance by the crew! Tribute was also paid to Posidon and as an afterthought, to that papist Neptune (one can't be too careful when it comes to appeasing the gods).

The winds pretty much abandoned us around 2100 Sat. and remained absent until about 1500 today when Capt Dan 'Wind Seeker' once again took it upon himself to converse with the fore mentioned gods as well as some rather dark and mysterious supernatural entities conjured up out of a bottle of thick black rum provided by a voodoo princess who watches us from the spirit world. And once again the gods heard his plaintiff pleas and gave respite - the winds were back, albeit in a somewhat subdued nature. You'd think after all the conjuring and begging and crying and the fact that the gods answered at all that they could have been a little more generous, but hey, we're not complaining. There is much talk about the high which, as I understand it, has nothing in common with the high's of the 1970's. Now those were highs!

General Dorothy 'Give Em Hell' Cunningham continues to press her attack on North Korea (see earlier report). She is now convinced that the odor producing bacteria that have taken up residence between her toes were planted there by North Korean operatives. She has requested a full inquiry of the U.N. Security Council. In the mean time, we have to endure the stench of Clorox as she attempts to eradicate the smelly germ warfare attack. Let's see, Clorox or stinky feet, Clorox or stinky feet, it's a close call. In a related development, 'Salty Dog' Jerry revealed he is an honorary member of the elite French Foreign Legion (he even has one of those funy hats w/the sunshade down the back) and he has thrown his support behind Dorothy's offensive against the continuing North Korean threat.

Chef 'Pyrot' Jim and chef Capt Dan 'Rum Runner' continue to excel in the gallery, serving up a scrumptious cabbage salad (can you taste the garlic?) and chicken piccate. As the charging system continues to cause some concern, we are feasting on the frozen entries first, leaving the cans of hot chili until the very end, which given the state of ventilation in Black Watch, is not a wrong decision.

Jerry "Salty Dog" von Gohren continues to entertain us with jokes nobody ever gets, which is kind of like Jeopardy without any questions. 'Foreplay' Doug has not shed any blood in a 24 hr period which is a new personal best on his part and greatly appreciated by his counterpart, Shakespeare Stuart on the foredeck, although there is some speculation based upon his rather pale pallor that he simply has no more blood to let. Capt Dan found gold on the foredeck, a tiny earring which he dutifully returned to Shakespeare after the splendid job of changing jib sails where said gold was temporarily lost. Capt Dan has finally hit upon an idea to teach helming to Dorothy Dulcinea that appears to be working - he put a towel over the binnacle compass and thus far she hasn\'t run us onto the rocks. (-:

As we come to a close of this first full week at sea and thus far spirits are still high though weary, the eclectic and multitalented crew of Black Watch look forward to yet another day (and night) on the high seas dodging uncompliant freighters and North Korean mines. Tonight we dine on fresh dorado and baked potatoes. Reef early and reef often.

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