Thursday 8th May 2008
We leave Avea Bay,Huahine and have breakfast motoring up the inside of the reef before exiting by Avepehi pass. There’s very little wind and a confused choppy sea, so we have an uncomfortable motor across to Raiataea. We arrive 12.30, just as the wind is starting to fill in. We anchor by Cleonie, Kasugi, Far Out and Strega. Stewy and Avril jump ship and get booked in to an hotel for the night. Ian and Annie go ashore a bit confused about what is happening so have a quiet night to themselves, a meal ashore then home early. Stewy and Avril meet up with the regatta crowd – early drinks, a romantic meal then join the sailors for the music and dancing.
Friday9th May
Ashore 8am – Tallulah Ruby have got us tickets to join in the Regatta’s social events so we arrange to meet later at the motu off Tahaa Island where it’s all happening. We explore the town in the morning and get all that we need (except ice). There’s a great little market, several supermarkets (well stocked) and we find Uturoa a very friendly, bustling little town. A great place to vittle up – better than Papeete! - fuel and all shopping right by the dinghy dock. Annie takes lots of photos of the locals in the market. We bump into Stewy and Avril and go for a farewell coconut and beers. Ian’s delighted as he’s found ginger ale for his rum –( the last ran out with Ronnie Haggarty!)- this little town get’s even better! We return to the boat and watch the start of the race - we watch a little local boat hit the mark with a lot of shouting and carry on , and watch another (ARC) boat (who shall remain nameless!) missing the mark completely by going past on the wrong side. Lots of good shots of the fleet as they pass. We up anchor and motor across to Ceryan Motu, just off Tahaa Island and settle down to watch the finish ( the race is round Tahaa island). Far Out have already finished, being by far the fastest boat in the fleet. We invite Tallulah Ruby over for lunch and enjoy the crack about the racing. Stewy arrives about 6pm,after seeing Avril off at the Airport he’s managed to get a lift on a boat taxi with tonight’s band. We all go ashore where we’re presented with a welcome drink by 2 beautiful Polynesian girls in traditional dress, floral headbands etc. There’s a very lively prize-giving to music where you have to dance with those presenting the prizes before receiving your prize! There’s a buffet meal then a spectacular show of various dancers, fire-eaters and tribal displays, including of course lots of grass skirts ! There’s also a nearly naked man fire-eating and some scary looking tribal chiefs – brilliant night- we’re all dancing and wiggling those hips! We all tumble back into the dinghy to get home, get involved in a water fight , then hit the reef at full throttle ! Lucky no damage but we’re relieved to get home unscathed!
Saturday 10th May
By the time we get up, most of the fleet are already away and racing. We’re in a perfect position to watch them race up the side of Tahaa where they then cross right by us and through the pass between the two motus .Ian gives a running commentary on everyone’ sailing skills ( or lack of !) and Stewy and Annie can tell he’s itching to be in among it….this is worrying…… Ian thoroughly enjoying himself and absolutely hilarious for Stewy and Annie listening to him – he should be on Sky Sports!
After watching the racing we go out to the reef in the dinghy and snorkel in the crystal clear turquoise sea. We test all the snorkelling gear , fix and repair some masks and ditch the rest. Around 4 O’clock we motor over into Hamene Bay, Tahaa Island. It’s another very beautiful spot - a narrow pass opens into a large bay surrounded by mountains, lush green hillsides, palms, and very little shoreline. It’s deep so we have to anchor quite close in about 20 metres near to Taravana Yacht Club – a little corrugated roof building on the shore. The lads head immediately ashore for beers and a racing update. Annie enjoys a blissful hour or two reading up top and watching and listening to the bay – local music drifting out from one of the houses, people wandering up and down the road and a glorious sunset behind the mountains – it’s a perfect South Pacific scene. We all head to the yacht club at night for a buffet of fresh fish and salads served in split lengths of bamboo – somehow Stewy and Annie end up with huge cattle feeders while Ian has a wee pipe ….funny that! Another great night of music, dancing, grass skirts and tatoo’d men!
Sunday 11th May
Oh, oh … Annie wakes up late (feeling not too bright!) to hear Ian walking round the deck clipping on the sheets and guys…before we’ve even got the kettle on the outboard’s lifted ,the dinghy’s strapped on the deck and we’re heading for the start. “We’re going to Bora Bora today anyway “ skipper says, “might as well get the spinnaker up and go with the fleet”. As we usually have 12 to race, and there’s only three of us, this will be fun and games! Each morning the race committee delivers fresh bread to every boat first thing in the morning (Scottish race committees take note!) - even though we’re not entered we’ve had a delivery every day - they obviously assume we’re a racing boat by the fit appearance of the crew! We wait until most boats have crossed the line, then hoist the spinnaker. This takes us some time and there’s a bit of swearing between Mr and Mrs D. Eventually the thing is up, but just as we’re starting to settle down Ian announces the first jibe! – there wasn’t supposed to be any! As predicted, all does NOT go smoothly – Annie’s on the foredeck, trips the pole and gets the new guy in , but the jaw won’t close so Stewy’s up with a screw driver, leaving Ian with the sheet, the guy and the helm – more swearing! Eventually we’re off again, by now we’re pouring water down our necks like there’s no tomorrow and “sweating like a fat lad at a disco” (Stewyism). We settle down again, the skipper’s happy and we’re passing boats and doing quite well – don’t think we’ll risk singing the cheerio song today however, but things looking better, until…….Jibe No 2. This time it’s a real royal ---- up! The pole jaw jars again, Annie’s shouting for slack on the red (guy) and Stewy in his panic a releases the (red) spinnaker halyard, dumping the spinnaker into the sea! Ian’s shouting “what the ---- is going on ?!” Annie runs back to where there’s carnage in the cockpit (looks like London the underground map) but has left the pole on the wrong side so has to run back. Everyone is screaming and shouting and there are local boats very close to us who get a right good show! Unbelievably, we manage to sort it out and get the spinnaker re-hoisted in record time, having completed the jibe! We think we’re on a run now, all the way to Bora Bora, but of course it was never going to be that simple and soon Ian announces Jibe No 3! Third time lucky – we’re actually getting quite good now – and it goes reasonably smoothly, although Annie still needs the screwdriver for the pole jaw. Amazingly, we’re now ahead of most of the fleet and doing well - what a hot racing crew we are! We’re fifth boat home and even get a gun, although we’re not officially part of the race - not bad! Annie has the pole, sheets and guys stowed and away before you can say Jack Robinson!. Hans, Johanna and Kieron (Strega) all swim over and we enjoy beers and race chat. We all have a snooze, then ashore for more of the same. All the skippers also get a blessing from a tribal chief, there’s another buffet, music, lots more flowers and grass skirts and coconut bikinis. Did I mention that we are all (male and female) now wearing flowers behind our ears over here?.......
Monday 12th May
It’s the last race this morning and by the time we get up all the racers have gone. We motor across the Lagoon to the Pearl Harbour Beach resort where the lunchtime prize-giving is to be held. This turn’s out to be a very jolly event – numerous South Pacific beauties modelling pearls, rowdy hunky French crews, free food and drinks. The prizes are presented – very tasteful wooden carvings embedded with black pearls, but the top prize has to be the tackiest we have ever seen; a four foot high bright gold and silver plastic tower! It wouldn’t have looked good in Kelvin Heights anyway. The skippers are then all invited up to do the Haka - all shirts are off and there’s stamping, growling and grunting as if they’re all going to battle – very funny! We relax aboard in the afternoon, then get an unexpected visit from Elizabeth who swims to our boat having been left behind by her boat Cleonie. Kieron then arrives and as the party’s supposed to be across at the yacht club, we pour sundowners and motor across. It’s a newly refurbished yacht club but the drink prices take the Michael! It’s a good night but everyone is pretty punctured and it has the feel of the Friday after West Highland Week –we’ve all have had a great time but thank God it’s all over!