Just as I wished last week the rain held off for the Christmas party at Greenwich Flying Squadron. With all the sad news from the past few days it was hard to get into the festive spirit. At times like this I recite the lines from one of Milton’s poems about the bird that visited his window. “Then to come in spite of sorrow and at my window bid good morrow” The sailing was not up to the result we expect due mostly to the state of the antifouling.
This has been the longest Passion has gone without new antifouling so I will book her in in the New Year and see if we cannot get back to the front of the fleet. The new stiffer batten in the top of the main does free the leech of the sail but it is getting caught on the back stay especially in the lighter conditions. At least twice we had to drop the main halyard to get the sucker to go through the back stay so I guess the running back stays on Next Passion will be no more trouble.Our tracks on the course looks spectacular with the help of the run out tide. Everyone else’s tracks must have looked outrageously good judging by the time we finished behind.
Crew and friends at the BBQ
The bright spot for the evening was definitely the raft up and BBQ with live entertainment and some traditional carols to get us into the Christmas mood. We packed in over 250 people and the social committee and twilight crew did a marvelous job. The raffle raised $1800 of which $900 was donated to the Salvation Army and that amount has already reached them.
Today I pottered around on Next Passion fitting the chain plate supports and preparing the cockpit underside for reinforcing fibreglass. Elaine washed the Santa Hats from last night and they looked cute hanging on the line so here is the photo for the week.
Santa hats washed and drying for next year with Next Passion under tarps in the distance