Location: Phuket, Thailand
Today was day one of the Kings Cup Regatta, and spirits were high on board as we woke up early and began preparations for our first race. There was a large fleet of yachts at anchor, all busy removing sail covers, studying course routes, and doing final checks of lines and sails. From sleek modern racers to regal classics, everyone was eager to get the races started. After some confusion from the committee regarding mark positions and start times, the horn was sounded for the classic race start. The crew of Argo sprang into action and got a great start ahead of our completion, the gaff-rigged schooner Sunshine. The breeze was light, however, and as Argo favors stronger wind, it wasn’t long before Sunshine started to close the gap under her cloud of canvas. We worked hard trimming sails, using gusts to our advantage, and squeezing out every knot of speed possible. Unfortunately, today was not our day for victory, and Sunshine glided past us, creating quite a sight for the buzzing photography boats. We continued on and had a great day of sailing, finishing the race with smiles all around before heading back to Kata Bay and dropping the hook. It has been such a pleasure to see the crew pull together and work so well as a team aboard the beautiful vessel that has been our home for the past few months. No shiny trophies (well, we did receive a nice 2nd place trophy, as there are only two vessels in the Classics division), but no bad feelings. It is, after all, taking part that counts, and today, everyone did their best and was happy the whole way. So, ends this day.