Picking a Winner

I booked a Southwest flight to San Diego and, as usual, forgot to check in early to get a spot in the early boarding group. One advantage to being in the C group, if you can deal with getting stuck in the middle seat, is that you get to choose your seat mates.

What's the Deal with Dacron?

No doubt this incident from the 2009 Ha-Ha influenced Paul and Gary's decision to switch out the carbon racing mainsail for the Dacron one:
http://rideonsally.blogspot.com/2009/11/ungratifying-ways-to-spend-money.html
Carbon sails hold their shape really well, but Dacron is much harder to stick your hand through. None of us wants to see that happen again.

Crew Shirts

You'll be seeing a lot more of these over the next two weeks--our fearsome-looking crew shirts, just arrived from the printer.

Getting All Dressed Up for Departure

Yesterday we took the racing main off the boat, and bent on the Mexi-Main. Holy cow, it looks like its been sailed on for a total of about two hours!!

Gary and DREI leave Ventura on Wednesday for the delivery to San Diego. With him will be his two sons, Chris and Pat. Weather looks perfect, and there should be breeze all week.

Wont be long before the Rally crew (Gary, Paul and Jared) are donning costumes for the kickoff party on 10/23.

October is Here. Time to Prepare!

Most boats in the Ha-Ha are on their way to an extended - and usually open ended - cruising voyage in Mexico and beyond. For more than a few this rally is the beginning of a planned circumnavigation of the globe. Needless to say, the level of preparation among the fleet is staggering.

Trimaran S/V Drei is a bit more laid back. Here are a few reasons why: First, this is not our first rodeo. Among the three of us are many decades of sailing and racing all kinds of boats. Jared and I have Pacific crossings and a previous Ha-Ha on our resumes.

Second, Drei is not a complex boat. She can command your attention when the breeze is up, but from a systems and maintenance perspective Drei is very wash and wear. There are a couple of things to do, such as replace the net lashings and move the masthead running backs aft. A half-day of work and Drei is up to sailing to Cabo.

A third reason involves the crew again... Let's just say that there's no ama drama on this trimaran. Gary and Jared are great guys to go to sea with. So here's to

3 weeks left before

3 buds head out on

3 hulls for

2 weeks, making

2 stops and arriving in

1 place in

1 piece

Drei in Tahoe Earlier This Year

Cruising with the carbon racing sails, entering Emerald Bay.  This photo was taken in Tahoe just before our winning performance in the Trans-Tahoe race.