Boys on Tour 1- 3000nm of Tradewinds sailing across the Atlantic
by Simon Gundry on 23 Dec 2009
Rapps arrives in St Lucia SW
Whitbread veteran, and New Zealand sailing legend, Simon Gundry reports from St Lucia on the ARC Race across the Atlantic:
The New Zealand yacht Rapparee took part in the 2009 ARC race from Gran Canaria Island to St Lucia, some 3000 miles glorious downwind sailing in warm tropical headwinds.
The boat is owned by Southern Spars, Steve Wilson, who brought with him two former Whitbread Round the World race sailors with him along with some of their sons, all in all a crew of seven.
Rapparee took 13.5 days to complete the 3000 odd mile course sailing most of this under full main and gennaker.
The four sons aged between 18 and 20 thoroughly enjoyed the passage and were able to get some coaching from their fathers in the art of driving downhill under gennaker and eating salami and pasta. (Ed: All while listening to outrageous lies about their fathers' sailing exploits!)
The results were first over the line in their division and winning the cruising class on corrected time.
The photograph of the crew shows from left to right, Jordan Wilson, Steve Wilson, Conrad Gundry, Dominic Gundry, Simon Gundry, Godfrey Cray and Sam Cray just after finishing the race in Rodney Bay in the beautiful island of St Lucia.
Rapparee is an Elliot designed boat, now owned by Steve Wilson. Plans for the boat at present are unsure due to Steve's America's Cup committments.
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