SHTP Stories: Friday 27 June and Saturday 28 am pre race. Final loading up of boat and interior organizing

The boat has been delivered to CYC - there is still a lot of organizing to do and some more to be delivered to the boat. 

Unfortunately I am also spending time dealing with that personal/professional issue and it is distracting me from concentrating on what matters for the race - and taking a lot of time away.

photo purchased from Rockskipper

Nathan and Roger delivered the trailer to Matson - final shopping for groceries. Elise's cunningham is missing, maybe back at the St Francis? In any case we need new parts to make a new one.

photo by Jackie

Blocks will come from West Marine and Mouton Noir is providing a hook.

Skipper's meeting on Friday morning has me texting about that Internet issue and that personal/professional issue while listening to final comm instructions, finish line instructions, weather briefing, etc...

I look around the table - all friendly faces which I will get to know more over the next few weeks.

My mind is still distracted. I am racing to sail fast, I am racing to win, I always race to win because it is the only way I can sail my best. I entered the race to do well - but this Friday morning I am starting to wonder if it is true given everything that is going on.

I am taking Hershel and Pumpkin with me. Mikaela, a dear friend of mine had brought these cats while I was in hospital for cancer treatment. I love them.

I have a detailed equipment checklist for every kind of event Elise does. Going through the list and I had given a lot of thoughts as to where to organize things so they are easy to access, easy to find. Forward, the light sails (spinnakers), spinnaker nets, the batteries and some food, as well as the gimble stove.

I have a battery powered lantern there so I can see what I am doing in case my headlamp stops working. I also have a little hook with a flashlight.

Spare autopilots on the starboard side, organizing my 'sleeping quarters' in the starboard quarterberth. Stowing waters in small plastic bottles as it is easier to find 'holes' to put the water in and because if something happens to one bottle, a very small fraction of your reserves are gone.

Pfff..it is hot and this is work.

Photos courtesy of Ultimate Yachtshots and Jackie

I am going through the motions. On the friday night, we are still packing food in ziploc bags well into the night. My mind is busy with the personal issue and I cannot find sleep that night. Great.

I ordered a couple of Commander's routing but it is a last minute plotting of waypoints into the GPS. I download my last 'free' weather info and do a final Expedition routing on Saturday. I wish I had time to do more to analyze it. I wish I had time to relax and think again about my game plan. I wish I had time to not race the two days before the race. Instead I am juggling many different issues not having to do with the race, in conference calls, emails, reviewing non race documents and dealing with that personal crisis.

My mind is not at peace. Excitment is building but together with a huge shadow of  'should I really go given what is happening elsewhere in my life at that time'? I finally decide to go. It is probably a good thing to be able to carve out some space out of my day to day reality.

No time for a real breakfast on Saturday morning. No time for lunch. Wolfgang, Phil, JP and Rachel - wonderful friends and fellow Express 27 sailors are stopping by. Nathan is with me the entire time, helping set up the boat, being the usual 'rock' that he is in these situations. Jason proved himself the man of last minute jobs again, putting together my spare pole (as I am planning on using two poles for the twin jibs)

Normally I would only be talking, breathing, sleeping the race by now. And I am not. Confused mind state. Squally brain. I trust that when I cross the start line, I will just be my usual self in race mode and get going.

The push to the start is still strong and Elise is ready to go, even if I am not.

No time for a long embrace or good byes w/ Nathan. At the last minute, one of the hand held VHF radios that had worked until the day before and charged up all night stops working. Scrambling to find another one which Red Sky (Brian) can provide.

On Saturday around 11am, she will sail by herself away from the dock and toward the start line despite offers for a tow.

I don't look back.