| At Sea. Volvo Ocean Race: Brasil1's favourite sail is F-ing Grael |
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| Saturday, 08 April 2006 | |
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Andy Meiklejohn Sailors are like children, as I’m sure most of the girlfriends and wives will agree. We need to be chased about washing, nagged about keeping the room tidy, give us something new like a jersey and we’ll wear it everywhere, it will be formal, it will be casual, when Mum’s not looking you’ll be playing rugby in it or, like real sailors, probably wet-sanding the bottom of the boat or doing some laminating in it. How ever dirty it will still be ready to wear out that night to your grand parents for dinner. Trying to get a kid out of that jersey is about as easy as removing the very soul from the person it inhabits. The only way is to replace the jersey with another item, maybe a t-shirt this time, this will instantly become the favourite. As sailors on Brasil 1 we are much the same. We have grown to like our newly re-cut furling reacher nick-named the FG or F-ing Grael after our illustrious skipper who took this sail to heart on leg 1. We have used it upwind, downwind in the light, running in big breeze and for a good amount of this leg so far. However, just like any favourite sweater, particularly with dinner at Gran’s looming, it’s had it’s share of misuse, a reluctant peel off Rio after the first mark ( don’t ruin that new sweater) several hrs sitting on the bow being hoisted, oh no too windy etc (should I wear it to the footy even though it’s raining?) and today’s beauty, a wineglass that ended with the sail in the water after a halyard problem and finally the sail flying happy ( Yeah I’ll wear it too the footy, damn it’s on back to front, now some bugger split his beer on it, oh well late for Gran’s, too bad.) Tomorrow we’ll have a new favourite I’m sure. |
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| Last Updated ( Saturday, 08 April 2006 ) |
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