Racing Success

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Final training against Jazzy II Second Place on Day 1
Day 2 is our favorite race, light upwind and strategically challinging, but we know the course and we did great (and finished first by 20 minutes).

Our secret course

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wingssail images-tresa dean Celebration This was our best ever finish in the Banderas Bay Blast race (2) to Punta Mita. We demolished the fleet.

wingssail images-fredrick roswold Scavenger won their class, IOR boats forever

Now we had day three to do, the spinnaker run to Nuevo Vallarta and the wind howled at the start. We put up the big chute, put the pole to the head stay and had quite a ride. Hitting 12/7 knots which is the fastest we've gone since a delivery home from Victoria after Swiftsure in 1987.

Final Days of Summer

I took a little trip to Oregon  

Rhonda took me on a hike, 

Boy it's like Monkey Mountain

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Jayden shows us his handiwork

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Rhonda Plays her Bass

Back in La Cruz it is time for...

Boat Work Galore

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Hit the deck running

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New Toe rails fore and aft

I did lots more but boat work is boring, let's go sailing

Sail Training for New Crew

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Setting sail for the first time, Tressa and Al

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Ricardo takes a turn at the helm

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Al is ready for anything

wingssail images-renee oake First Beer Can Race

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Tresa Navigates

Back at the Dock, Music

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Rene entertains

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Sherrie Drops by for a chat

We like to go to Oso's to hear Group Therapy, Joaquin and Alex played for us)

My Helpers Arrive

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Renee and Rhonda 

(these two are both refugees from the cold north, 

down here in Mexico for some sun,

 sailing and boat work)

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Smoking Section

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Goofing Off

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Best Friends

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Working on the bow

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Renee Helps Fred Sew

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Renee sleeps on the job

Fred and Rhonda Sew

Time to go to the beach

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Sunset at the beach

And Time for Sailing

Renee made this fantastic clip of all the fun and work 

and now we have been racing and winning!

Great help sailing and working but they have to go home to the cold north

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Rhonda

Renee

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Time to fly back to the cold North

 

Spring Cruise wrap-up

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1560 miles

Up and down the southern part of the Baja, over and over

Rene joined for the passage to La Paz. She is a fabulous sailor and a good friend and I was so lucky to have her, can't I keep her?

Fred and Rene

Rene and I sailed from La Cruz to La Paz. It was some good sailing and some tough sailing, especially after the motor would not start when we raised anchor in Los Muertos. We had a a hard but satisfying sail to La Paz in one day.

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Brainwaves came out to play, we met up with them again in Baja

Fred, in settled conditions

We had some motor problems and I tried to fix it, no luck

Working on the motor

wingssail images-fredrick roswold Rene in her colerful foulie outfit

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Now it is light wind, hook up the spinnaker

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La Paz

Malecon

Sarah joined in April. Total outdoors Auzzie chick, hiker, diver, surfer, rock climber and swimmer and probably more that she never told me about. We had a great time on Wings but ashore I could never keep up with her. Sarah

wingssail images-sarah lace Sailing

wingssail images-fredrick roswold Sarah Steers

When Sarah cooked she treated me to great vegen food

Sarah

Reading

At the Helm

Nice smile

We met up with Jim and Deb Brainard aboard Brainwaves and we anchored at Los Gatos for some shore side avitivities. wingssail images-fredrick roswold

Anchored in Los Gatos

Going ashore

Jim and Deb

Sarah cooked for us And we had a meal and a fun night on Wings

Sarah's friend Jennie managed to get away from her dive master job and join me for a week. Another high energy lady and also lots of fun.

Jennie

Jennie met me at the fancy new Chadraui Selecto super market for provisioning and we found this great sourdough bread for $21pesos. Two loaves lasted us a week. Sourdough

Breakfast

Jennie masters the jibe, her first.

Jennie owns the helm

Jennie is also a great cook. Thai Chick Pea Curry, Yummy

I still needed a crew for the trip back across the Sea of Cortez to La Cruz. So Liz flew in and came aboard. But first we had to see some of Baja. Liz

Liz likes sailing

On one little cove we went ashore and found this cave with an alter.

One night when we were ancored in Balandra the wind blew real hard. Fortunately I was expecting it and had picked a safe spot to anchor. Wind speed

Otherwise we had great weather Balandra Sand Dune

Liz

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Agua Verde

wingssail images-fredrick roswold Ashore in Agua Verde

wingssail images-liz miller Fish in the water

After Agua Verde we set sail for La Cruz. The crossing was pretty good but we has an autopilot failure which caused some crazy navigation but also has some really good sailing for a couple of days. Auto Pilot failure

But all was good and we made it to La Cruz and tied Wings back up at the dock. Now I said good bye to my loyal crew and started the next phase: Boat work and normal life in La Cruz during the summer.

First job: get the bow pulpit fixed. Remember? It got crunched in the last race in March and we sailed with it lashed together all around the Sea of Cortez. But now it comes off for a replacement. wingssail images-fredrick roswold Bent bow pulpit

The stanchion bases were destroyed too but it looks like they needed replacing anyhow (43 years old) The stanchion bases

But a big part of La Cruz scene is the music Alex plays at Oso's

Who else came to join Wings?

Rhonda couldn't sail with us but she came to enjoy the Mexico weather

Rhonda also helped me take off the bow pulpit. Going to the gym

I think she is already in shape

And can we dance!

All play and no work? Nope not for Rhonda

So it was a good Spring

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