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As reported on various websites, Ocean Navigator Publisher Alex Agnew and his crack crew completed the Bermuda Race this year finishing second . . . to last. No excuses, the crew of the Swan 40 Chase had a ball, all of them calling it either their first or their most fun Bermuda race, though the crew was very relieved to arrive in time–barely–for the Thursday night Swan dinner after a full 6 days all over the race course.
Attached here is a Walter Garschagen photo of the skipper and his high school pal Andrew Parkinson reflected in the Tiffany Silver Bowl presented by the crew to the skipper in honor of his first race as captain. The bowl was partially flattened during the grind of nearly six days of upwind sailing heightening its authenticity as a race memento.
Navigationally speaking, the race was interesting with two main routes, the “far east” route and the traditional rhumb line route both proving successful for some and disaster for others. Chase faked right and went left–a strategy cobbled together from too many readings of the book Gamesmanship and not enough study of the history of ocean racing.
Next time around, we promise to stick to the rhumb line, really we do! (Unless, of course, there is another interesting meander and plenty of food on board).
Speaking of food, the all-male crew ate like kings, though there was a distinct shortage of lobster bisque, a fact continually harped upon by B Watch Captain, Neurosurgeon Ken Ott.
This posting should serve as a warning (as if one were needed) not to ask the crew of Chase for navigational advice.
