Binkertoo - Limerick

Its 11 o'clock and the ARC Europe begins
18 yachts have left the marina to join
Us on Binkertoo
With our stalwart crew
Of Taff, Peter and Ben, we're off on a run.

Great Thatch Island we pass after an hour
And turn to starboard for a further hour
Past Jost van Dyke
Then another hike
To head due north for Bermuda.

Emerging from the shelter of the land
We meet the full force of the wind
25 knots on the beam
With 8 foot high seas
Bouncing, pitching, rolling, we become subdued.

We're flying along at an amazing pace
We swop to the jib on the inner stay
Muttley to windward
Ngahue to leeward
It's hard to believe it's not a race.

Whizzing north we're clocking up the miles
While wishing we were full of smiles
Meals cancelled
Eating abandoned
Patching Taff's finger takes a whiles.

Meanwhile clearing the soup from the locker
Whither it had fallen off the cooker
At last we eat
What a treat
And fix up the noise from the kicker.

Of those calling in on the radio check
We have gone the furthest west we think
We'll be alright
If the wind goes light
As we come reaching in to the finish.

Sure enough, the wind goes aft and falls
So we hoist the spinnaker, which calls
For unwinding the wrap
That age old trap
It's pulling like a horse as night falls.

At 2 in the morning Taff can't get it to fill
Because it's not there, Ben brings the ill
Tidings that it's split
Hard to see unlit
So we goosewing the genoa, the gap to fill.

We cross the line at 5 in the morning
Motor through Town Cut before the day is dawning
Past unlit buoys
Until oh joy!
As My Lady is told to follow us in!