Skye Blue - Skye Blue Land Ohoy!

This blog was written in advance of our crossing the finishing line - for practical reasons the last day of sailing is a busy one. But rest assured if you are reading this: we are safe; we are well and we have made it to Rodney Bay. And after several rum punches we will most likely be '3-sheets-to-the-wind', much like Skye Blue has been over the last few weeks. Following which, we will be re-introduced back into society just as soon as we're scrubbed and the crew is made hygienic again.

Well, what and adventure it's been, after leaving Las Palmas some 20 days ago. There are too many highlights to share in this post as previous entries will attest. However, suffice to say from the: excitement of the choppy waters of the early days; to the blustery winds of a southerly bearing sail; to the hypnotic night skies and twinkling stars; to the majestic sunrises and sunsets; to the waxing and waning moon; to the restless yet windless days when the trade winds deserted us; to the image of Neil prancing about top deck in his budgie smugglers - all have left a searing and indelible mark on our memories.

In an expedition such as this there are many thank you's to be made...

Thanks to you our friends and family for your positive support and kind messages received before and throughout our journey.

Thanks to Laura, Victoria, Dorthe and Mags for making the long flight's to St. Lucia - or the "cheats way" as we are now calling it! We look forward to celebrating with you.

Thanks to Stephen, Malene, Janet, Brian, Carolyn and David for navigating Skye Blue from its home over the last 2 years in Troon to the Canary's in preparation for the start of this race.

A huge thanks go to the 'Yellow Shirts' and ARC organisers. We appreciate your dedication, easy manner, and smiling faces - creating a welcome and secure environment and facilitating a forum to meet and enjoy time with fellow competitors. Our crossing would be otherwise less special without all your hard work.

The biggest thanks of all, and speaking on behalf of my fellow crew members of course must go to Malene and Stephen for allowing us to share in the start of their big around-the-world adventure. Your generosity, wise counsel, hard work, expertise, and humour has given us a much loved experience we will always cherish. And from this writer's perspective it has been a privilege to work with you on both on renovating 'Skye Blue' over this last year - many thanks for allowing me the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of our labour. We hope you have a safe and happy onward journey and look forward to future blogs on adventures yet to come. Take care of Maja also in her gap year - try not to send her up the mast too often. From your Atlantic Skye Blue Crew...It's been a blast, many thanks.

A final note on what has made this crossing do special - is it the sights we have seen?, the excitement of the sailing?, the endurance of living 3 weeks in close quarters to each other?, or the challenge of continually helming a sail boat 24 hours a day? Yes, to all! But equally it has been about the new friendships forged or old ones rekindled, and the many laughs and sing-along's we've had a long the way.

As to who won the competition amongst the crew of correctly predicting our date and time of arrival - well, it looks like it is between Ulrich, Raymond and Neil, but for now lets just say and to quote Bob Dylan - "The answer my friend is blowing in the wind, the answer is blowing in the wind".

And now as we hear the faint soundings of the steel drums, heralding our arrival and as the finishing line homes into view, bringing with it the safe port of Rodney Bay. We gasp a sigh of relief and with a big smile we look forward to enjoying the spoils of victory, in reaching our destination some 2.800 nautical miles from where we began. Until the next adventure...

Your Skye Blue Crew - Stephen, Malene, Janet, Neil, Ulrich, Raymond, Ross and Maja.
Merry Christmas all!