The start of the race was with a light southeasterly on a slightly cloudy cool day. After jockeying into position we raced off to win the lead heading south.

At this point we are trimming and setting up the boat to keep our lead from the faster and bigger boats behind us. It's a truly inspiring sight. Everybody is focusing very hard at getting all the boat speed they can. Well, almost everybody.

Next mark Miami.

Because of the late start (1 p.m.) it seemed that the day was ending rather quickly. There were eleven of us on board and we had already designated the watches. We chose a simple spaghetti dinner because of the number of people on the boat and it worked out well. It was a close reach all the way to Miami. We were able to put up the spinnaker. We worked it hard all the way to and past Miami and were able to then ease off and switch to a lighter kite.

Next Day

When it was all said and done, the boat put away and our finish time recorded, we retired to Harpoon Harry's for an after race analisys.

We all agreed that it had been a very long time since we had fun sailing on a Fort Lauderdale to Key West race.

From the very beginning we had planned to return this year and we did it in style. We had taken delivery of Dragon Fly a Beneteau 47.3 last July. Seeing the boat and realizing it's potential I had committed to doing the 2002 race.

July 1st
I had a charter that ran thru the 1st of July and I was not able to leave until that evening. The delivery over from Marco Island was uneventful except for the occasional thunderstorm, and the dozen or so freighters. After the first 24 hours it started to get old and by the time we arrived at Hole in the Wall it was just another 65 miles or so, for delivery of just over 350 miles.

July 3
Having gotten in on the morning of the third, it meant I had to clear customs, put on the racing sails, and arrange everything for the racing the next day.

The skippers meeting was an informal affair, and a relief after the rush of the last two weeks. I gave them our PHRF rating and took the racing package. The packages are fun because you never know what you're going to get in them; this year was no exception, ray ban sunglasses, T-shirts and lots of other goodies. The main theme was it is a fun regatta and we do not want any complications, so NO PROTEST!

July 4 - Green Turtle Race
The first race was very light out of the southeast. We watched PHRF 1 start dodging mother tubs that were in the way. They slowly went up to the left.

I chose to start in the middle and got a good clean start. We went up the to left hand side of the course and had to tack early for we could not point as high as Whisper. Fortunately for us that turned out to be the favored side of the course. We arrived at the windward mark in third and so it would remain 'till the finish. Screaming Mimi and J-46 at first, Whisper and a C&C 38 talking second.

When we returned to anchor, there was a brief respite and then it was off to the after race party. It was a grueling schedule but some body has to do it. Once ashore we could see the party at Settlement Point. Stands selling conch salad and fritters as well as chicken dishes were readily available. Low and behold, all the drinks were free. As we mingled, we connected with people we had not seen since last year. And the thought occurs, this is what its all about.

We collected our third place trophy and congratulations all around.

July 5/6 - Nippers Parties - Great Guana Cay
The next day was a lay day. We were up early, raised the anchor and headed towards the Great Guana Key. A great place for diving, Guana was to be our home for the next few days.

It was calm as we motored away from Green Turtle. There was a sense of contentment aboard. We anchored and spent a few hours in the post card picture perfect northeast side of Guano. We then motored between Guana and a small key on the end and headed towards the anchorage. They had moorings, which were very nice, as quite a few boats had dragged in years past.

Time for an afternoon siesta and off to the Nippers Party. Anyone who has been to Nippers can tell you it is an unbelievable place. Set high (for the Bahamas) on the side of a bluff it has one of the best views in the Bahamas. The parties are great and they've added a pool. Next day and it’s off to the races. A little bit of air could be felt every once and awhile. We went swimming and stared at a starfish fifteen feet down on the bottom. There was a postponement while we waited for the wind to make its appearance. When it finally filled in, it was a mere shadow of the real thing. Thus was race two. We started. They sent us off on a four mile course and we managed to finish fourth with an ex IOR one ton called American Pie in third, Screaming Mimi in second and Whisper in first.

Now it was time to go back to the anchorage and get ready for the Mount Gay party and the hats. We got cleaned up and headed to and arrived 45 minutes early only to find the line has over a hundred people in it. We waited to no avail. The hats were gone before the line was half way to us. Oh well, have to settle for the rum. Darn.

July 7th Lay Day
Next day was a lay day, and again, we did some diving and meandered our way to Marsh Harbor our home for the rest of the regatta. We arrived late afternoon and made our way to the Jib Room, a marina on the north side of Marsh Harbour.

It had been bought out by an American couple, and it was very clean and this year they had added a pool.

July 8th - Man of War Race
Next day was the start of race three and it was blowing, 20 plus apparent. We started in the middle of the line and proceeded to lift off everybody including Screaming Mimi. We had ten degrees of pointing on her, this was a shock. We got to the weather mark 30 seconds in front of Mimi and 3 minutes ahead of Whisper. Off we were reaching, and Mimi gained and passed us on the two reaches. We started upwind and eating away at their lead.

When we rounded the weather mark for the run to the finish we were a minute behind her. We covered as much as possible, stealing her wind and sticking to her like glue. We finished a minute thirty behind Mimi, to close to call. The rest of the pack was ten or more minutes behind.

The party that day was at The Crossings Beach, a deserted stretch of beach with water on both sides, where locals take over and put up their stands for conch salad, fritters, assorted chicken dinners, oh and a bar.

It was a good time and we waited for the trophy presentation swapping stories and telling tales. They awarded trophies and we beat Screaming Mimi by 30 seconds for first, it was a grand day.


July 9th - Hope Town Race
No lay day, it was off to the races again. We had three of the crew return to the states. It was still blowing and we came to the race eager for battle.

This was the Hope Town race, a long race full of power reaching and a little beating. We were off, 20 knots across the deck and hanging on for dear life. We started to lift off the competition and we were looking good. It was a short beat (3/4 mile) and as we came up to the windward mark, I did not have enough hands, and the boat rounded up to hit the mark, *#$*.

The penalty called for a 360-degree turn, so we sailed clear of everybody and did the turn. Then came a three-mile power reach. We made up the distance lost and a bit more, to be the first boat around. Then a beat and along power reach in the open area of the sound. This was very exciting for we were doing 9 knots and just cooking. We round the last mark, and as were the first boat around looking for the finish line, we find it about halfway up and bear of a little. We cross and we can just see the fleet rounding the bottom mark. Our only concern was the Little Harbour 60 called Lady Hawk as she had a rating of 140 and she was all water line. We watched and she finished eleven minutes behind us, not enough, she won by thirty seconds or the time it took to do my penalty turn.

July 10th-11th
Now we had a lay day and we spent it wisely shopping in town and relaxing. The last race was a disappointment. As we went out, it was 3 to 5 knots air, but we still had to try. We raced up the beat trading tacks with American Pie and actually beating them to the windward mark. We rounded with out hitting it this time, and it was a miserable reach. We could see Whisper some four minutes ahead and not moving. So I did what I could to go faster. I went and got some coffee ice cream and sat up forward and ate it. We finished third on a shortened course.

The grand finally was that night at the jib room. We went, they gave out trophies, I collected our second and the third then listened to the war stories. I generally had a good time. The Jib Room put on a steak dinner that was just great , and around the room you could hear plans for next year.

At the end of the night Linda (the owner) brought out some more Mount Gay hats and distributed them to the winning skipper, it was a perfect finish to wonderful week.