So it's day 2 and we are determined to do better with the Race to Marigot Bay. The course to Marigot Bay is a short one, we expect a second race in Marigot once we get in but its not 100% certain, I guess it depends if the wind dies down. but the boat will stay overnight as it is a race from Marigot Bay to Simpsons Bay to finish tomorrow, so I have packed a change of clothes for later! Time to get out my new HR-2013 vest top... Mainly because I am rapidly running out of clean clothes, and am praying for a day off where I can get laundry done.
Anyway, enough boring admin stuff. So the start is about 10.30am as usual upwind start and then some downwind, and so on... Just to keep us in our toes. We do well again off the mark, and don't really have any major issues, right up to the point the inboard end of the spinnaker pole drops down and hits Sean in the head!!! Nightmare, thankfully no damage done to the pole or to Sean! So we fix things, but again this loses us time we could do without. We hit some light air through the race, during which time a mini photo shoot breaks out on deck.. Plenty of banter and fun soon broken up when Marcus shouts "come on guys we are still racing!" serious faces on we get to work.
We make good time though and are in Marigot Bay for 12.30, finish race one and the committee confirms the second race. Just waiting for the course. The second race is a quick one, and we are doing ok right up to the end... But again team effort was maximum. When we get places and scores we came 9th and 11th out of 16 and timeline there are literally minutes between us in the pack. I think we are all a little disappointed with position, but not surprised.
The party in Marigot starts early that evening, as it's straight off the boat. Attempts to shower are scuppered due to the need for tokens and the fact the office closes at 5! Darn... So it's a wash in the sink and change of clothes to feel human again after boiling on the boat all day. Then off to the bar, I go to order (bearing in mind we are now on the French side of St Maarten and no longer the Dutch so culturally it's a different accent, atmosphere... Well just different. So I ask for a spiced rum and ginger ale, what could be so hard! She looks at me as if I am speaking German, I repeat, again, again and the blank expression shows me I'm not getting anywhere, I am then presented with an interpreter who I explain my order to and then says to the lady "rrr umm and gin ga" (that's as about as good as I can describe textually!) at which point everyone laughs and I am open mouthed with amazement.
It's like the pen incident all over again, asking for a marker pen and being asked if I mean something you write with.... I am the one speaking English here...!
Anyway, a few too many rum and gingers later I am frog marched home for my own good by my team mates!
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