May SITREP
Almost ready to sail
This past month has proven challenging with the delay receiving permission to enter France and preparing the boat for racing. As you saw in my last blog post I finally made it to La Trinité-sur-Mer on 24 May. This is a big milestone because so much of the upcoming schedule depends on when I could actually arrive.
Most of May was spent attempting to receive permission to enter France, which remains one of the most locked down counties in Europe, and coordinating as much as I could from across the Atlantic. After packing, and repacking countless times, I finally flew to France!
On my first full day in France, I pulled back the cover of the boat and went to work. There were still a lot of details that required further coordination to get the boat in the water. This included finalizing the logistics and renting a van to store gear, tools, and spare equipment. I rented the van from the larger city of Lorient, about a 40 minute drive north from La Trinité. Lorient is home to an incredible complex called La Base. This WWII submarine base converted to a racing village is breathtaking to view. I just happened to stop by (on the way to the rigging shop) and see the Ocean Race boats (VO65s and IMOCAs) the day before The Ocean Race Europe started.
I drove to Lorient three days in a row to install parts on my new mast. The new mast will be perfect for Terminal Leave. I was required to buy a new one from the authorized manufacture Z Spars and it was assembled by Tonnerre Greement in Lorient. They let me work in their shop to install components such as the mast head light, wind instruments, windex, and VHF radio antenna. Some of the previous parts I planned on installing would not fit properly on the new mast, so I had to find a few new items in Lorient. Tonnerre Greement will deliver the mast to my boat in La Trinité soon for the installation. Despite my delay, they have been very accommodating to supporting my installation between their other projects. This is a busy season for the sailing industry here and they had planned on completing my project weeks ago.
Before: Not much room for instruments and wiring
After: The top of the mast is ready!
Today, 3 June, also marks what should have been the start to my qualifying first race. The Marie Agnes Peron Trophy is a 220 nm race out of north west France in Douarnenez. With the delay in arriving to France, it was simply not possible for me to have the boat ready in time to compete. Not only do I have to get my boat in racing condition, I would have needed to complete a required 24 hour practice solo sail. As of right now, the forecast is calling for light wind for the race and they shortened the course prior to the start to 165 nm. While I am disappointed and frustrated that I could not make the starting line, I wish my fellow competitors the best of luck in this race. I know I have a ton of support from back in the United States and it helps me get through the long work days of preparing my boat. She is almost ready to sail and I cannot wait to get out on the ocean.
I will continue to post pictures and videos on Facebook and Instagram almost daily about my progress. Make sure to like and follow my pages to stay up to date. If you are not on social media, the same content is on the media section of my website, check it out here.
Your continued support to this campaign is critical to my success, thank you!
