Well, another long delay between communications, but it’s been a busy month and a half.
To bring you up-to-date with Bodacious Dream, she has been generously donated to Oakcliff Sailing Center, a non-profit organization from Long Island, NY. Oakcliff was launched in 2005 with a mission to raise the bar for young American sailors through extensive race training programs. Bodacious Dream will sail under the new name of Oakcliff Racing and it will give Oakcliff the ability to safely take on longer offshore races with their students.
So, I’ve just returned from the UK where we finished handing Bodacious Dream over to Oakcliff Racing’s able crew: Hobie Ponting, Andrew O’Donnell, Dan Flanigan, Chris Kennedy and Jeffrey MacFarlane
So, I spent about ten days showing them the systems on Bo after which we took the boat to Guernsey for a bit of an on-the-water orientation. After we’d covered all their many questions, I headed back to the U.S. to some other commitments as the guys continued to prep the boat for leaving. I heard from them that they left Guernsey last Friday, heading south to the Canary Islands where they hope to make the start of the RORC (Royal Ocean Racing Club Race.) You can follow these young, enthusiastic men as they embark on their own dream on Facebook at Oakcliff Racing.
On another note, many of you got the news that I had an article published in the November issue of Sailing Magazine. I struggled to find a hard copy of the magazine as I traveled about… and for those of you that searched high and low as well, you can now find the article online here on Sailing Magazine’s site. I can’t remember how far back it was that I found my first Sailing Magazine and read it cover to cover! Hopefully, you’ll enjoy the article and the many other great articles and photos on sailing in this classic magazine that does so much to provide great news and fantastic photos of the beauty of sailing.
I’ll be heading home here soon and am very much looking forward to once again being at home for Thanksgiving – and gathering with dear friends and family to express our gratitude for the many wonders we’ve had the chance to experience. I’ve certainly had a few years of them and having celebrated Thanksgiving last year in the Southern Atlantic Ocean with freeze-dried lasagna, I’m really looking forward to sharing a bountiful table of roast turkey with all the trimmings! I sincerely hope you too will have the chance to gather with your family and friends and consider the grace of our lives.
Many thanks to all of you…
– Dave Rearick