Portland Race

There is so much activity here, There are already 93 entries and whilst we still have seven days to go, there are Americans, Estonians, Australians, Swedish.. all out training.

I sailed too yesterday and it was breezy, 20 plus knots and although I didn't sail very well, this time last year at the worlds in Italy, I was swimming like hell trying to keep a broken boat off a cliff until they could get a rescue boat out.

So yesterday was a better start by any comparison in a breeze where a good tack is not flying but staying upright, and downwind speed is a function of how much bottle you've got, nothing else.

I like Portland, I like where we are staying in an idyllic little cottage that makes me calm and overlooks Portland race, a crash of tides that can sink freighters, and the place is so far south that my mobile phone temporarily lost reception before 02 Roaming welcomed me to France!

And even the graffiti is linked to the area. I noted that, as we drove up the hill someone had neatly arranged, in Portland stone, and with great care in two metre high letters, the C word

Jobs to do today, replace tramps, check worrying noises from mast heal and glue my special silver wish token to the boat.

Oh, and go a bit faster..