Or in this case...a wood plaque! Pinocchio placed Third in the Banderas Bay Regatta.

Three days of lots of sun, fun, and sweat paid off for Pinocchio and crew .The final race on Saturday, saw winds that mimicked San Francisco Bay. Ok! We got this!

Saturday's course was twice around the marks, a 9 nautical mile course. After Fridays' fiasco at the finish line, we made sure our spinnaker sets/take downs went smoothly along with well-executed tacks and gybes. Pinocchio's crew of four had things dialed in! No knots, tangles, hiccups today.

The race wouldn't be complete with out Banderas Bay's local dolphins, whales, and sea turtles providing entertainment along the way. A whale breached right in front of a sailboat, giving the crew quite a scare. Wonder if whales understand the term "Starboard!"

Rounding the final downwind mark, beating upwind, then crossing a very narrow finish line, required several tacks and maneuvers. The finish was pure chaos for all competing boats.

Post race, the winds were great for a sail back to our marina, along with a cold beer...ahh life affirming.

The beach party and awards dinner on the beach at Paradise Village was a lot of fun. Great food, music, and dancing. We were surprised to hear Pinocchio's name called out for third place in our Class. Little Pinocchio made the "Podium"!

Thank you Diane and John for taking time out from Tabu Soro's projects and being great crew!