Dec 26 2005 – 1500hrs EDT

1500hrs 26 Dec 2005 EDT 33’54”S 151’20”E Ref 669

Nice start, dreadful sloppy spectator wash at South Head – lost about half an hour almost stalled but we’re out and away. Lots of mates waving and hollering – thanks everyone. Now we have to go south all over again. Pete and I finished the theoretical gig on the start line – finished the 2004 Hobart Jan 1st 2005, FastnetFastnet Race: 608 mile biennial race from Cowes, UK, Isle of Wight, to the Fastnet Rock off Southern Ireland, finishing in Plymouth. Berrimilla took part in 2005 and 2009. in August and we’re racing in the 2005 Hobart. Wooohoooa primitive, exultant, gibbon-like call given out by an old geezerDictionaries define a geezer as an old person, generally an eccentric old man. Its origin likely in the word masquerader (colloquially, guiser) from Middle English gysar. Go figure, as the Americans say.; many variations as listed, in order of emphasis: Woohoo Woooohooo WOOOHOOO WOOOHOOO! WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOa primitive, exultant, gibbon-like call given out by an old geezerDictionaries define a geezer as an old person, generally an eccentric old man. Its origin likely in the word masquerader (colloquially, guiser) from Middle English gysar. Go figure, as the Americans say.; many variations as listed, in order of emphasis: Woohoo Woooohooo WOOOHOOO WOOOHOOO! WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO!! – small drama before we left the dock – the alternator wouldn’t excite – panic – eventually traced to a loose socket on the fast charge regulator, but we were all ready and resigned to start and retire when the battery died (so no radio skeds especially at Green Cape) We’d still have sailed to Hobart, reporting by satphone, but outside the rules. Would have been a long way to go to retire…

Now just cracked off heading for Tasman Island down the rhumb lineSee wikipedia (Wikipedia). See also Great CircleSee here (Wikipedia). – no appreciable current, 35-40 kt front due Wednesday sometime. The further south we can get before we hit it, the better as there will be more west in it the further south we are Sorry no photos from the start – cant get the phone configured properly..

More later.