Sotto Vento - Sotto Vento - 38 - Day 1-2

Day 1. Sunday 23rd November.After several days of fine tuning our skills in Las Palmas, and an intensive briefing from the Cap'n, Tiffy's happy crew were keen and eager for the off! All was calm and serene prior to our start time of 1.00p.m, and most off our fellow competitors took the oppotunity to cruise gently to and fro well away from the starting area. Friendly waves and words of encouragement were exchanged. As the witching hour came ever nearer, the tension rose, sails adjusted and nerves, it must be said, were fraying ever so slightly. Our captain, Gary,who was at the helm at this critical juncture, skillfully edged ever closer to the optimum position. So  it appeared did all the other two hundred and twenty five competitors! As the starting gun sounded, chaos broke out. It is a. read more...

Sotto Vento - ARC 2008 day 2 and 3.

Day 2 and 3.Nigel Trouserpress of the Sotto Vento reporting.Things are going swimmingly on board the Sotto Ironingboard. The crew are settling in nicely to thier routines,which involves considerable making and mending. Particularly that is after some unmentionable (Norman Plywood) got caught up in the rigging whilst practising on his unicycle on the foredeck, and spent several uncomfortable hours being dragged through the sea by one ankle.When he was eventually recovered he wasnt even that gratefull, and just complained that his mum was to blame because she'd forgotten to pack his bicycle clips and it was "all her beastly fault!" One benifit of this little episode is that Norman, having consumed the better part of eight gallons of seawater during his ordeal, noticed its simarlarity to. read more...

Sotto Vento - day 8

Sotto Vento Day 8.Hello readers in Englandshire.Nigel Trouserpresscalling. Sorry to be missing these last few days, but I suspect Trevorand myself may have been subjected to some cruel practical joke. Let meexplain. Some wag suggested we play hide and seek, with the two of usfirst to hide.(As it happens, Trevor shares my interest in beingpersued). The count hadnt even got to 200 when we found a sort ofcupboard in the front of the boat. Perfect! So perfect in fact that sixdays later the crew hadnt found us, despite the hatch being opened everyfew hours and a load of very smelly sails dumped on our heads! Well,weboth decided that six days, and as we had to answer a serious call ofnature, enough was enough, Oh yes! You can imagine the looks ofdisapointment on the faces of the crew when we. read more...