Oy Vey! Vot can ve say?....

First a soothing piccie to relax by....

Sunset from Cabana Resort, Race HQ at San Fernando

This was our third time in an Offshore race with Xena and we still chase the Line Honours and Corrected Time double for our Division in an Offshore race, something we have managed in some inshore races (eg here).  First race in '09 we were second over the line and first on corrected time.  Second race in '10 we were first over the line and second on corrected.  This race, we were Line Honours and third corrected.  We were also third overall across the line after the TP52s, which are out-and-out racing yachts. (*).
RESULTS

Greetings from Grant and Iris

Just in from Grant and Iris, thought I'd post as has lovely thoughts and photo....

Dear Peter and Jing,
Good luck for the race, will be thinking of you.
Have an enjoyable and safe one.
Hopefully your sunrise on the first morning out will be like this one attached herewith.
All the best , Grant and Iris.

Five Days to go

It was the evening of the day.... sunset over IFC 2, Jing's office.
9th April after the Pursuit Race.  Note the guy fishing in centre
 (click to enlarge)

[Update 18 April: some photos of the MOB practice from Cess, with thanks!]
Last I posted was two weeks ago, goodness me, where has the time gone?
Well, part of it getting out and about with son John, who is back on Term break, from the UK.  Walks in mountains with dogs... enjoying Hong Kong's great food.

But, back to Xena, the sum of last few weeks: [for all photos click to enlarge; click again for further enlargement].

SFR Preparations update

Xena nearing San Fernando, 2009, which we won.
Click to enlarge.

Quick update of where we stand, with 19 days to go to the 20th April start.

Crew: all fixed over a week ago, and submitted to Alex in Sailing Office, who says: "All looking good - a very strong crew!" and indeed it is, with 66 Cat One races between us, including numerous Hobarts, Middle Sea, Fastnets, Vietnam, China Sea and Lord Howe. Crew list is here.

Scrutineering and documents: the "buddy check" done last Tuesday (29 March) with Tom Wiesinger.  Tom was with us on Xena last time around in '09, this time going with his own lovely Vega.  The Head Scrutineer is Nigel Reeves, and he will be in touch with me to do the formal scrutineering check next week.

All other documents have been submitted and are in order -- thanks to all for getting relevant docs to me so quickly.  Next step on that is the Immigration clearance on the 19th April.  Michael ("MC Dangar") and I are also doing updates of our First Aid course, so we'll be five with First Aid Certificates and no less than SEVEN with the Safety and Sea Survival Certificate.

"The lethal cost of saving a Philippine paradise"

From South China Morning Post, 8 March 2011.  Click to enlarge

Disturbing stories from the paradise of Palawan, a favourite cruising ground for many Hong Kong sailors.

Getting ready for the San Fernando Race

Xena powering out of Victoria Harbour, SFR 09. 
Photo by Guy Nowell from this site. Click to enlarge.

Just starting to get the crew list together for the San Fernando Race, 20-23 April.
Updates here as we move along.
So far we have 11 more or less fixed and that's fine for us. We might stretch to 12 or come back to 10: depending on if Rick or Stevo can get their Safety and Survival at Sea Course Certificates before we leave.  The Notice of Race now requires 50% of the crew to have the SSSC and at latest count we only had FIVE of us with the Cert....
And WOW: I just went to Google Images and googled "San Fernando Race" and guess which boat comes up all over the place!  That's right, the Warrior Princess herself!... Give it a try....  The photo above was taken by Guy Nowell, at the start of the '09 SFR, and graced the cover of the next month's RHKYC Ahoy! magazine.  It was also at several places on the Google results for "San Fernando Race".  Nice to see it again...  The silver hair on the rail is yours truly.  Closest to camera is Paul "Hetho" Hetherington.  Ross Dawson next to him. [you can click it to enlarge then click again to enlarge even more: it's a high-res copy].