h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://www.bruceschwab.com/

Hi there, Gingersnapper, I have never seen anyone else make an entry with sailing in it! Our local man, Conrad Humphreys is two places behind Bruce. He broke his rudder a while back and is having to sail like a maniac to get back on terms. I am in Cornwall, UK, never more than 20 miles from the sea, but I would not want to be out there with those guys at the moment.

Carlyle.

So true, where they are going is rough...Every Wednesday we have an update in our local newspaper...Just before Dec.8, Bruce was directly south of the Cape of Good Hope and reported he was hit by the "nastiest storm I can remember" As of the 22ed there were 16 or 17 boats in the race....You may find it of interest that in about 1988 when the Golden Hind came to Portland ,Or.,when they left port my son left with it for 6 months......................................................................

'Tis like a bygone age where the son runs off to sea. I did the same at 16 but stayed there for 17 years.

I occasionally deliver yachts and cruisers now but that is my lot. A faraway wistful gaze is all I am allowed. I last saw the Golden Hind in its Spanish incarnation at Bayona as a tourist attraction. It is one of many non floaty replicas,
I believe the one that your son went on was built by Appledore shipyard about thirty miles up the road from my place.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There is Nothing, absolutely nothing ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ half so much worth doing ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ as simply messing about in boats ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Kennith Grahman ...

His Breast must have been protected all round with oak and three ply bronze, who first launched his frail boat on the sea.

Horace, "Odes"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Dear God: be good to me,
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~the sea is so wide,and my boat is so small ~~~~~~~~Breton Fisherman's Prayer

Expecting our man Conrad home this weekend. Weather is pretty horrible in the UK at the moment. I have just got home from San Diego and it was worse there! I went into Arizona which showed a marked improvement.

C

Wednesday nite: Feb.23....,Well, the race is 'bout over...8 yachts have finnished, Our Bruce Schwab is in position to be the ninth....,with four yachts behind him....He described Monday's sailing: "It was a rollicking time last nite,as there was a good northerly wind & we blasted across the Cape's[Finisterre,off the northwest tip of Spain]shipping lanes without much fuss. Dodging the fishing boats this[Tuesday] morning was relatively more hectic"........
******* DrFerris: I see you are already home..I knew that, but forgot when I saw your theatre post that said"two days ago"..I sometimes go in silly circles........... ... ... ..

Hi there Gingersnapper,

Yes, I am back to being English again for a little while. I did not realise when I shifted some posts on to my H2G2 site that they would appear all over the net. Not that I mind that much...Somebody has to read my ramblings. I would love to be in Portland in the Spring but alas it is not to be this year. I have a fair bit of teaching to do for the next few weeks. Cornwall in the springtime with the daffodils in flower, what's not to like!

Carlyle

Well. I do not know about Portland in the spring....It can be pretty damp & chilly...Tho this year has been unreal..It is all going south....My favorite time is late September & October,,,,.If we have a dry one...I like the cool crisp air...and the rustle of the leaves...August, no, I do not like hot weather....We use to never have day after day of hot weather in the summer, but now we do... ... How far up our coast have you been...Ever sailed in the San Juans...My brother-in-law had a beautiful black sailboat...The Rainbird....up there....But now he is retired in Yuma,Arizona...When he lived near Richmond,Virginia I got to go sailing on Chesapeake Bay....And he put me at the helm[I had never done this] and pointed out a spot of land & said now keep it going in that direction....Well, I was going in an S direction more than a straight direction....and it wasn't long before his friend was standing right behind me....I do not remember if he said anything or not, but I soon got the "feel of it"... ... ... ...... ... ... ... ..

I did go up that way a few times in my younger days when I was a professional seafarer. We would go to San Pedro then up to Oakland before heading up to Kalama and Tacoma. We would then call in at Vancouver before heading across the Pacific. Sounds a lot more exciting than it was. It tended to be hard work and quite wet and cold up the west coast in winter. I am land based now but still go sailing when ever the chance comes up. My American cousin's son and wife live in Portland somewhere but I can't remember where The rest of the family are in Escondido, CA

Bruce Schwab has finished his race....just under 110 days for 9TH place...4 boats are still racing....By the picture in the paper he looks like he has aged 10 years...By last week he was all out of chocolate..!...................

Life without chocolate! Why would you even want to go on?
Conrad finished on Sunday in spite of a few trials and tribulations. At least he still had chocolate.

I was at Les Sable D'olonne in 88 for the finish of the vendee. They had a firework dislay above the Beneteau factory but it was cloudy and wet and all the fireworks went up through the clouds and disappeared. The original damp squib. We did not care who won, we just lined the pier and cheered every time a biggish yacht came in!

Yes, I would cheer,too....& I hope there are for the next 4 boats.......But I think it is just too much to ask one person to do that race alone...OK. we now know it is possible..so now there should be 2 people,so one can get a little sleep/rest.....?? My son is not interested in "races"...and just shakes his head over this one.......And now I am going to have a .. .. ... & a nap!!...

The great thing about the French is that they love their sailing and their cycling. I am sure there will be people on the pier at all hours of the day or night for every boat that comes in.
Well, I have got to stop cheering and head for bed. I am teaching in the morning so I had better be awake.

Bruse Schwab,from Oakland,Ca who solo piloted a Portland-built(my hometown) sailboat named OceanPlanet in the Vendee Globe race,announced Thursday he planes to lead a campaign for a United States entry in the 2008 Vendee Globe as well....Schwab said he plans to be at the helm of a new 60ft open yacht named OceanPlanet11,for which construction will begin in summer 2006.Schwab is the only American in the 60 class... I will do some checking out & see if the new boat will be built in Portland,Or as well.......He did well in last years race..... .. .