My Clipper Log

“There are times to stay put, and what you want will come to you, and  there are times to go out into the world and find such a thing for yourself.”  ―  Lemony Snicket ,  Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Can't Avoid The Race started on August 20 th from Liverpool. After much fanfare, the boats set off on their adventure to the South Atlantic. And now, there’s just a couple more days to go before the first of them arrives at Punta del Este in Uruguay. That’s where I get on for the ride of my life. It’s with a lot of eagerness and some trepidation that I count down to Leg 2. That’s if I get my Uruguay visa! Lemony Snickett was lucky he didn't need a visa. As if the excitement of the Race is not enough, I am torn between frustration and anger at the entirely bureaucratic visa process. Why the US visa was a cake walk in comparison! And I had as much at stake there since I wanted to accompany my son as he began a new phase of undergraduate life at Boston

Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than those you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the wind in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. ~ Mark Twain Though I spent almost my entire life watching the many moods of the sea from my windows at home in Bombay, it never occurred to me that those waters had so much more to offer. The First Indian kindled my passion for sailing.  A few sails out in the Bombay harbour, off the Gateway of India were followed by a basic sail training session on a J24 with Lobo Sails (thanks Ayesha!). A fortuitous move to Goa allowed quality time on INSV Mhadei and the opportunity to learn dinghy sailing as well. Sailing the J was a breeze, with the only challenge being manouvering the boat, on sail, out of the harbour and then figuring the right place to anchor her on our return. The presence of a trainer and a tindal (sailing assistant) made the whol