The Foolscap
Americas Paper Plate
Yachting Challenge
David Perillo has a great website,
and over a number of years has documented his adventures
in two Navigator
yachts of my design. After one of those life changing
happenings that happens he had found himself with
no boat, no job and no commitments in the short term
so after buying his first Navigator he shipped it
to Fiji a thousand miles north of New Zealand and
spent some months sailing the 15 ft open cruiser around
the islands to the north of Viti Levu. He found the
pure white beaches and waving palms, warm waters and
friendly natives that populate the dreams of the armchair
sailors dreaming their winters away in front of the
fireplace. His story
of the voyage and subsequent cruises is stunning and
is worth tracking down through his website at www.openboat.co.nz
.
Having had my rave, on with the real story. Dave
and I get along well, a sort of mutual admiration
society, and I’m drawing him a new boat. After
several email exchanges about the latest drawings
he sent me some photos from a party he’d been
to in order to watch Team New Zealand trying to lift
the Americas cup from the Swiss. Bear in mind that
the races run from about 1 am to 3 am local time so
there is an evening to fill, and the inventive hosts
found a couple of polystyrene troughs, a fan, some
typing paper and some little plastic New Zealand flags.
The held a knockout race regatta which must have been
great fun.
Dave wrote:
Went to a great party for the first race. The
hosts had set up two water filled channels and an
electric fan provided the wind. Guests were given
gaffa tape, a sheet of typing paper, a cocktail
skewer and a small plastic NZ flag.
An elimination series had me out in the first round,
but a
great night was had with a lot of screaming and
yelling proving that you don't need billions to
have exciting close match racing.
Dave Perillo
Here are the pics, looks like a very good party,
made better by the Team New Zealand race win that
night.
