And We Are Off

From The Deck of Prospector

Our start went off smoothly at 2:14pm.  We got the start we wanted at the starboard buoy, to give us a better sailing angle to Brenton Reef and to allow for the flood tide.  We headed up hard at the starboard buoy to get to windward of the rest of the fleet and were off.  We have amazing sailing conditions, 22-25 knots of wind at 230-240 degrees true.

We set our FR0 (Jib Top) just past Brenton Reef and our Genoa Staysail shortly after that.  Prospector likes this double headed set up and we should be in this for the next 9 hours or so.  We are hauling the mail averaging 11.5-12 knots at a course of 130, just east of Martha's Vineyard.  All aboard are happy and enjoying the ride. We have set the boat to Greenwich Mean Time and our settling in to our watch system.

Thanks to Commodore (and SITP Partner) Jeff Pribor for the rousing email to the SIYC membership.  We miss you Jeffie, even though you are with us in spirit, and will do our best to make you proud.

Thanks too to Gretchen McMahon for photographing our departure.  We can't wait to see her amazing shots!

Finally, thanks to all of our families.  You gave us an amazingly festive send off from Newport Shipyard and we got a big jolt of energy from your cheers from the deck of Great Scott, our spectator boat.