What's happening today?

I've spent the last five days getting the boat ready to sail.  It spent the winter under cover in a shed and re-stepping the mast, connecting and tensioning the shrouds, hooking up all the instruments and attending to the other hundred and one things before casting off have taken its toll.  There's no denying it, I'm getting old.  As my old friend Mike reminds me each year without fail in a phone call on my birthday.  You see he's three months and seven days younger than me and he never lets me forget it. It's the best three months of his life.  But I guess it's payback.  When we were at primary school together that three months and seven days won me many an argument!  But I digress.

I'm heading east tomorrow on my way to Helsinki.  Rodhamn's my first stop.  In Helsinki I pick up three crew.  Two lovely ladies who were with me for three weeks last year and a friend of theirs who believed what they told her about this remarkable skipper and his fantastic boat (my words not theirs, they'd never bend the truth that far.  In fact the word 'remarkable' is inspired by Prince Charles.  He uses it a lot you'll find.  It leaves the obvious question hanging in the air).  I'm looking forward to seeing them again.  Swapping notes, assessing how each is doing a year further on in the battle of life.

I'm off to bed now.  But watch this space.