Location: Antibes, Franche
For a brief recap, we left off last night having just barely survived a passage attempt from Villefranche to Tarragona, which ended in 60-something mph winds and a substantial (to put it lightly) roll of the boat. By the time we made it back to Antibes to avoid total destruction at sea, most of us were on the brink of comatose. Wake up this morning was met with mixed emotions as many were still recovering from the night of a lifetime but also were excited for the day ahead. Zoe and Skylar led the Leadership class with a few rounds of handicapped charades; a foreign concept to most but certainly educational nonetheless. Then we had Marine Biology, where we learned all about the fundamentals of ecology. This high-energy start to the day prepped us all for a much-needed swim, accompanied by jumps off the bow and no shortage of backflips hukked (some more successfully than others). This was a terrific contrast to our usual nighttime dips in the Med while the air is chilly, and we are all fighting for a turn with the freshwater hose to rinse off the salt water. Ocean appreciation continued right into Oceanography class with water samples and data collection, including measurements of dissolved oxygen, temperature, nutrient levels, and even live viewings of plankton and other marine organisms. Among the miscroscopic organisms, some of the coolest we saw was a little microscopic jellyfish and a tiny sea star. Folks were pumped! After class, Mia, Maya, and Anna took the zen route and had a brief meditation session followed by a nap.
Meanwhile, Julia (head chef of the day) led the preparation of a delicious spaghetti dinner with de-sausaged sausage with help from Sophie, Jimmy, Sam, and me. The tunes were cranked, and everyone’s energy levels seemed to be fully restored for the first time since our recent passage fiasco. Everyone on Vela enjoyed dinner together, bonding more and more over everything we’ve recently overcome together and conversations that somehow still always revert back to the world-renowned Honda S2000. By the time we wrapped up dinner and shared our appreciation for the day, the sun was setting, and we took in the views of France at night for the last time, maybe. As we prepare to leave tomorrow morning, all we can do is hope that our offerings to Poseidon grant us smooth seas all the way to Spain.