Kelcey Chandler-Yates and Jim Yates present...

UnderSeaPhotoVideo.com

March 12, 2001: Chris racing the wind...
(Chris): My trip on a sailboat in the Heineken Regatta was a great experience for me because I got to go on an 88 foot monohull and I had never sailed on a monohull before.  The race was around the island of St. Martin.  We had to race other boats in our class that were faster and slicker then us.  This boat was 90 tons and had two masts and two big old Jennies. The captain's name was Frank.  The owner was there on the boat also with his wife and two kids.  One was my age and the other was five or so.  It was a great time so lets get on with it.

At first, we were sailing back in forth waiting for the start. Then finally we here the beep saying the race has started so, were off.  Next we were setting preventors to stop the boom from flopping all over the place.  Then Frank says raise the fisherman.  Now I sail and all, but I didn't have a clue what that was, I was just thinking maybe they raise a man but it was really they raised another sail and it makes the front main act like a gaff rigged main but just for down wind.  So here we are going and they have the spinnaker pole on the front jenny to hold it out so it does not flap so much.  So we make it down to the point and drop the fisherman put the spinnaker pole away and start sailing and about 30 degrees of dead into the wind.  By this time all the fast boats are past us and one pretty slow boat like use a little bit in front of use.  So were tacking back in forth and were slowly gaining on the boat that is as slow as we are.  They told me that the day before they saw him gaining on them with his sails flapping so he had to have been using his engines but, oh well.  So were tacking back in forth more and we keep on gaining and then we make it to the next turning point and so we put up the fisherman and sail at almost dead down wind.  At this time the other boat was fooling with its spinnaker and so it gave us time to get ahead, so we did and at the same time blocked his wind at one time.  Therefore, we sail to the finish line and come in eighth but we beat the guy we wanted to beat and we had fun.  After the race, we went for a fun sail toward Saba.  Then on the way back I stuck my foot over the side and it hit the water.  I told Frank that I did this and he said they have had water up to his knee on the down side of the boat because it was heeled over so much.

March 14, 2001
Yipes, it has been awhile for these updates-sorry-too much fun. The Heineken regatta was a kick-we had Floyd and Steve on board-Floyd we met through the web site as his Aunt is the jeweler that had her business down from mine for 17 years and she made my engagement ring -I had fallen and broken some ribs the day before so I was definitely NO fun in fact I'm still NO fun but hey the price you pay! So the boys had a blast-Chris found him self a beautiful boat to sail on in the last race around the island. It is 88 foot and incredible! He said he was determined to get on a boat for the race but gezzzze! Very nice people own as well as run the boat. They were not the fastest but they sure had class. What a great experience, all the while Nick and Jim were trying to get run over at the start line in the dinghy getting those great shots. Then come finish time I drove the big boat (our cat) out to the finish line (getting into the dinghy was not an option with the ribs) There we took the most spectacular finish images-me positioning the boat and Jim off the bow shooting. It was great fun. Floyd and the Lost Horizon gang came in second overall in their class so it was even more exciting that we thought it would be. That night Bob Marley's son played in a free concert on the beach that we listened to till 3 am from the boat! Next day we ate ribs with the guys said farewell and regrouped. no company that we know of until Antigua race week(s). A bit of provisioning and off to Anguilla. Anguilla is the little populated island 3 miles north of St Martin. It is the same size but with only 7000 people overall. They have fees for everything so since I couldn't dive and we really didn't want to due to 6 foot swells, we went to the two anchorages were there were no fees. Lucky for us we picked the wildest weekend of the year in this sleepy island. It was Moon Fest on the sand dunes in Rendezvous bay. Freddy McGregor was playing as well several others "well known to others" reggae bands! Chris shanghaied Jim into going and they were out till 4am while Nick and watched Star Trek flicks all night. Mind melt with a whale????!!! Amazing what you watch and read on a boat!!! (Sorry all you trekkies I still don't get it!!) The next day was the free concert and art show. Nick and I sold earrings all day and they had some great bands playing. Quite a lot of fun. After hitchhiking all over, the island, snorkeling, and swimming we were ready to get back on our road to nowhere. Back to St. Martin to say goodbye to friends and soon - I hope - we will leave for Saba again. That is when the weather subsides a bit-windy as heck and raining squalls of 30 knots. It's washing the boat for us and after a month of sunshine, we are actually enjoying the rain. Saba would not be good anchorage in this swell however - it is not fun when it's rough!