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El’s report:

Michael achieved one of his “life goals” – he didn't realize ({eye roll} because he never actually READS my pre-cruise site…) what the deal with was our ‘America’s Cup regatta’ in Sint Maartan. He said (afterward) that back when he worked as a news anchor and voice talent for Ted Turner’s little TV station (before it went national), and Ted was “Captain Outrageous,” Ted used to gather up his staff in the conference room and show them tapes of his America’s Cup team sailing workouts. Michael always thought that looked cooler-than-hell and he’d’ve LOVED to try it, but never thought he’d get a chance to.

Well – if he’d READ my site, he’d’ve known that this wasn’t just a lovely sail down the coast on an America’s Cup ship (as it was in Hawai’i) – it was a RACE between three America’s Cup ships, and the tourists work the sailing! Michael started out as one of the four “primary grinders” – the guys who pump those four-in-line handles to tighten up the sails? He did it for about half of our four laps, and then they traded off so the other tourists could play too (and to give the old guys a break! )

And, after a hard-fought battle among us on Canada First, and the (actual Dennis Connor boat) Stars and Stripes, and the True North, also a Canadian America’s Cup ship), we crossed the finish line SO close to Stars and Stripes that we had to wait for the referee to signal that we came in first! YIPPEE!

(Oh year, bartender duties entailed reaching down into the cooler and handing out beers, sodas, and water bottles. On the downwind hauls, there wasn’t much work to do for the crew except razzing the other crews and enjoying the sun and sailing!)















During the race, this guy in a small boat comes racing up behind us as we’re sailing (downwind) and
the Captain says sternly to us: “everyone look back and smile – NO ONE WAVE!”
The guy whips out a camera with a huge telephoto and snaps our picture!

Click on picture to see what he took.

We later met Duchess on shore –
she pretty much grew up on the chase boat.
















Click for full-sized picture.


















Linda (?), our unofficial captain, giving us a pep talk: she said she didn’t really know what to say:
she merely threatened us that if we didn’t win, we’d be grounded! (It worked: We won!)




















There’s the referee boat.




We won!

No, really. We did!