Firstly - apologies for the quiet blog! There are many reasons I could give but primarily I have been partaking in too much of the sponsors fine product!!

So, Wednesday saw a trip to the Mount Gay rum distillery. Seeing how it is made, and more importantly samplin the finished product. Some freebies followed by a nice afternoon in their bar drinking various rum cocktails and shorts!

Yesterday was the captains briefing. Before this we undertook a 'test' sail to try and give Simon and Bill a bit of experience on the water. The good news is - no one chucked up!! All went well and we moored up and took the dinghy ashore to the 'opening ceremony' here - the captains briefing. The boat pack was handed over to Dave, including the rare 'Red Caps' for the crew. I would love to give a long and detailed account of the nights festivities, but I got pissed on the free rum and fell asleep. I am assured that a great night was had by all.

Today dawned on some heavy heads - none heavier than mine - and we undertook the final pieces of the prep and set off. Bill evaluated the wind and elected to stay ashore as his injuries prevent him from skipping around the boat quickly. Whilst this was a wise decision, this left HM at a crew of 5, half of the number of people she needs to be competitive so we anticipated log days racing! Race one was a bit of a mess for Happy Morning - we crossed the start line at least 30 seconds behind the fleet and never made the time up, finishing last in class. Race Two was a massive improvement and after some fantastic close racing with another one of the boats in our class - Fancy Sailor - which saw us vying for position and some rather near misses including an emergency tack by both vessels, HM pulled away to finish Second in class (we think) on corrected time.

Tonight brings the Mount Gay party on the beach and some respite for 5 knackered sailors! Until tomorrows races anyway. At least we are in the mix after a day of tough, exhausting sailing.

Quote of the Day(s) - Mike D - "don't shout at me, I'm a pensioner"