Antigua Sailing Week, also known as Antigua Race Week, racing ended yesterday and the 25th Classic Regatta ended a little over a week ago. This year Pam and I served as volunteers at both events, Pam more than I during the Classic. Pam worked in registration at the Classic for a couple of days and we both worked handing out skipper's gift bags just prior to the skipper's meeting for the racing. Compared to last year, from this spectator's stand point, the Classic Regatta was lack luster due to the J Class yachts being absent. I was so elated when we first got here to see that four J Class yachts were here. These elegant monsters of a bygone era of America's Cup racing are truely a treat to see sailing. But alas my elation disappeared completely as one by one they left Falmouth Harbour, presumably for a J Class regatta in England. With the J Class yachts gone that meant the stars of this year's regatta fell to the ample number of schooners that remained. The racing, as it was last year, took place in relatively light winds of 10-15 knots. We watched the starts on a couple of the four days of racing. Due to the lack luster racing during the Classic Pam and I turned our attention to our volunteer work for Sailing Week.

Kathy Lammers Chairman of the regatta's organizing committee asked us if we would help stuff skipper's bags for Sailing Week. Kathy picked us up at the Antigua Yacht Club and took us to her home where we were presented with all the materials. There were 120 bags in which we had to put various items that ranged from regatta information to sponser's promotional information. After organizing all the items in assembly line fashion Pam, Sandy (another volunteer) and I stuffed the 120 bags in under two hours. After we ate the provided lunch Sandy drove us to the Gig Racing event that is part of the Classic Regatta. The Gig Racing takes place behind the Admiral's Inn in English Habour. During the event there is racing in various small boats. They row, skull and sail their way around a small course in English Harbour. It has been a great time the two times that we have seen it the last two years. This year was a little more special since our friends Kate and Allen off of Mendocino Queen were participating. A great time was had by all and the English Tea refreshments were great. Now we waited for the start of Sailing Week.

In the run up to Sailing Week we got another call from Kathy to stuff additional items into those pesky skipper's bags. So we called some other volunteer friends and went to the Antigua Yacht Club where we set up another assembly line to accomplish the task. We also utilized our time at the Antigua Yacht Club to bring both of our PCs up to date using the yacht club's wifi. The day before the racing head race official Alfred held a meeting with all Committee Boat A volunteers to go over our duties. First Alfred asked the group about their previous committee boat experience. There was very little, many had raced but other than Pam and I there weren't many more. Pam and I revealed what our rolls were on the committee boat in last year's Sailing Week. Then Alfred said, " the most important person on the committee boat is the timer, the timer is more important than me because everything has to happen precisely on time". "Who has a precise digital watch and would like to volunteer to be the timer"? Silence! Prior to this meeting Pam and I had talked about backing out of committee boat duties to get going on our passage back to FL. We discussed backing out if Alfred was looking for volunteers not to be on the committee boat due the boat being a small catamaran. During the silence I looked at Pam and kind of shrugged my shoulders when I volunteered for the timer duty. As oh my God what have you done, went thru my mind. The Alfred needed someone to work me to make announcements on the radio and to hold the microphone up for me while I was calling out countdowns. Explaining he has found couples that work well together are the best choices for this duty, he turned to Pam and asked her if she would volunteer to work with me. Which she did. So now we were locked in to our duties with the first race less than 24 hours away. After the meeting we all went down to the docks to see our committee boats which were 38 foot Sunsail sailing catamarans. On which we were to put a crew of 14. The reason for the large number was that we wanted to have enough people to run starts and finishes at the same time. Even on a 38 foot catamaran this numner proved to be a bit crowded. Once we had seen the boat, Alfred went over the script that Pam and I would be following during the countdown sequences. That night back aboard Foggy, Pam and I went thru a few dry runs just to sure we were ready.

The day was anything but by the script. We got the first class off just fine, but the remaining three classes had to be postponed as the mark at the other end of the starting line from the committee boat was dragging its anchor. Thereby producing a moving starting line, not a good thing for all competitors. So while the pin boat reset the anchor Pam and I quickly adjusted the times on our script after Alfred established the new starting time. With our redone script we started running thru the sequence for the second class of boats only to be foiled bynthe mark dragging again - damn! So the postponement flag was put up again causing Pam and I to once again adjust our script. What a mess the script was by now, I'm amazed we were able to follow it as well as we did. Finally, we were able to get the remaining three classes off. The winds that day and the next were 15-20 knots so the racing was quite exciting. Day three's racing was held in almost perfect conditions of 10-15 knots with day four being a light wind affair in 9-13 knots with a dying breeze as the day progressed. Almost like the wind was being supplied by a fan that was only wound up enough for four days of racing. In any case during those four days of racing Pam and I had more script adjustments to make. No, there were no more dragging marks butmtheremwere several general recalls for boats being over the start line early. Our duties weren't over after the starts however, for the finishes Pam went to recording finishers on a sheet of paper and I announced the time that the boats crossed the finish line. By the last day we had things down pretty well, we were in a rhythm, as was the rest of the crew. We were all asked if we were going to be back next year. Some said yes, some said maybe and of course Pam and I said we didn't think so (with a bit if sadness). Now that it was over we could get ready for the prize giving party. As committe boat personnel we were invited to the VIP area next to the stage where the prizes would be handed out. After,our complimentary drink we watched a very interesting event. Interesting because we knew we were an integral part of this world renowned annual sailing event. It was great to see the fruits of our labors unfold before us as each prize was awarded - very cool! Also cool was the fact that the top three yachts with the best overall scores were all from the good old USA! As for the future of our committee boat team of volunteers we are all preparing to go our separate ways. Such is the mantra of the cruising lifestyle. Some are going, as we had originally planned, south for hurrincane season. Some are going north to as far as Maine. And then you have Pam and I who are headed to FL, where we hope to start a new lifestyle for ourselves. But first we have to get the requisite wind. As I write this we are mired under a trough with no wind and lots of rain. And so we will wait.