Skipper: Laurie Ford (61)
Profile: Managing Director of a family manufacturing company, has been cruising to Queensland, NSW and Tasmania. As his racing career, he joined the races hosted by the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria between 1991 and 96, usually 4 times a year.





Co-Skipper(CS)/Crew: Peter de Lange (42 CS)
Profile: A yacht builder from Victoria. He built the participating yacht "Spirit of Downunder". He has sailing experience of two-handed circumnavigation of Bass Strait in 1993 plus racing career across Bass Strait.

E-mail and Photos:

May 31

Well here we are at the Osaka Hokko Yacht Club at last and the last few days of the race were just as memorable as the previous.  With winds from the west and then the North west making it impossible to get to the west of the rhumbline Peter and I just had to put up with our
position and not get too dejected about not being where we wanted to be  i.e. west of the rhumbline.

Luna Prominence was now consolidated in third position and Lucky Lady V had gone west of the rhumbline and were now in front of us by about 33nm  nothing to get alarmed about but they were in front.
We were waithing for the wind to go to the N or NE as was forecast but it stayed in the W/NW and so we were being forced to stay on the right of the  rhumbline.

By the time it did go to the NE , it was too late and even though we put
the mast head kite up and were screaming along making good north westing , it was going to be hard to pull Lucky Lady back who were already in the outer bay.

But we did pull them back and the last few hours were again very trying.  We made the outer bay and were on the west side when the wind died and  left a dreadful sloppy sea which is so hard to contend with because boats  should not have to put up with seas like this. But we did and got a breeze  from abeam and so started surfing down waves and  finally got throught the entrance to Osaka Bay when 40 knots came through. Peter said will we reef and I replied no way we are so close lets run off a bit and use this wind to get to the finishing line sooner. But HUEY had other ideas and at the half way mark to the finish line , bingo no wind again. Our forecast finish time was 1815hours  and so we struggled along at 1 - 2 knots  and then in  the dark and running into retaining sea walls that have been built to  protect the harbour , we finally crossed the finish line at about 11pm in
40 knots and two reefs in the main, about 8 hours behind Lucky Lady V
although when thye crossed the finish line they were only about 20 miles  ahead so we had pulled back quite a bit of distance.

But what a reception when we arrived.   No sooner alongside and we were whisked up to the clubhouse for a small ceremony including pots of scotch and soda and cigs and beer for Peter, gifts and champagne anf hot food absolutely stunning we felt like royalty and that we had won the race.   

 The last week has been absolutely amazing and has helped enormously in easing the pains of the race. The Yacht club had just built a small two storied clubhouse , called Melbourne House , and there is free beer and food for all the competitors.  Plenty of noodles but at least they are different .  The Japanese could not be more hospitable or more friendly orhelpful. Nothing is too much trouble and we are all having so much fun and the cameraderie between all the competitors is just great.

It was fabulous for Peter and I to see Pru and Judy again , and too catch up on all the goss from home and the girls had nothing but praise for the way in which they had been looked after by the Osaka Hokko Yacht Club and here I have to mention Masumi Yamaoka , the lass who is the Promotion  Officer for the race. She is just fantastic and can almost do miracles.

Brian and Sue Groves were also here to greet us and have been a fantastic support for both of Peter and myself and I hope the atmosphere and the experiences we have shared together are sufficient reward for their efforts in coming to Japan. In fact Brian and I ahd a traditional Japanese bath this morning and this was a new experience.

So 5th over the line , and first in Div C.   Considering our bad luck we
are very happy just to finish and Peter and I are still good friends and so goal 1 was achieved.  We enjoyed the race but found 5 weeks much tougher  than expected , although if our food had been better planned -said with 100% hindsight--and if we had not had the electrical and electronic troubles we might have had an easier trip.  We have learnt so much in this  first trip about what to expect and weather routing etc that another race  would be so much easier-- what at 65 no way!!!!!

And yes we would take more grog next time to help our attitude adjustment at times of stress and there were plenty of those times.  And I would be more aware of looking after my skin as I am still having salt water sores come through.  The prickly heat rash on my back is all but gone but my legs were so weak that walking in the first few days was a real problem with muscles not wanting or liking the walking action but today a week later all is better .

When I started the gym work last August 98, I was 96 kgs, and when we started the race I was 90 kgs and when I arrived in Osaka I was 80kgs so I did lose a fair bit of weight!  But the beer is helping put it back!!!

So that's it folks , the main presentation is on next Saturday at the
Hilton or is the Hyatt and for us before then its get the boat lifted out
and fix the keel and replace the alternator for the trip back to Melbourne.

Thank you one and all for all the tremendous support and encouragement that came through and was the one really fantastic thing that made this race for us--- we simply could not believe the interest and level of support that came through the email waves and made us feel very humble to have friends and colleagues that would take the trouble to make the contact.  I can tell you it made us feel fantastic and very lucky to have this calibre of friends . Thank you all very sincerely .

Japan is just an amazing place, 125 million with 8 million in Osaka. The
emphasis on quality and packaging just has to be seen to be believed. We are off to Kyoto tomorrow , the ancient capital of Japan, and are really looking forward to this trip.

Peter made what has to be the shortest speech on record at the Welcome Party yesterday after mine which sums it all up----


Kanichiwa (Hello)
Arigato (Thank you)
Sayornara   (Goodbye till we meet again)

Kind Regards

Laurie Ford & Peter deLange
SPIRIT OF DOWNUNDER

AND SO ENDS THE LAST EPISTLE FROM THE SPIRIT OF DOWNUNDER

May 24

Finished on May 24 21:21:45JST (22:21:34EST)
They enjoyed scotch and soda at the Welcome Ceremony.

May 22

Thought you might like to see how we are passing the time aboard Spirit of Downunder as we wait for the wind tp blow us to Japan.

Peter took this as he carefully guided me through the bread making
process and I am pleased to say my first loaf of bread was a success.

Hope you find these interesting and looking forward to arriving in Osaka in not too distant future, probably sometime Monday judging by the state of the winds we are having at the moment.

May 19

WELL HELLO TO YOU ALL FROM THE OFFSHORE WATERS OF THE LAND OF THE RISING
SUN----- ONLY 700NM TO GO TO THE ENTRANCE TO OSAKA BAY AND THEN ITS APPROX
90NM FROM THERE---SAY THE RIP TO THE PROM.

The temperature is going down albeit gradually 29C last night ---we had to rug up when on watch.!!!!

Imagine it's 3am and someone says righto up you get it's your watch.
Okay you mumble i'll be there in a moment.

Answer don't worry i'm in the cot already but you better hurry because I don't like the weather that's coming.

You hurry on deck and it's so dark you can't see your hands in front of you but you do feel the sudden drop in temperature of the wind and the fact that it has just increased from 10knots to 15knots.

Sails are No.1 Genoa and full main. you are close reaching.

Then the rain starts just slowly at first so you go for a
waterproof jacket, when there is a sudden increase in the wind and a change in direction --sails start flogging ---are we being headed or is it just extra wind speed ---- spirit starts to heel more--  go for the autopilot
and bear away ---sails still flogging ----water on the glasses makes
reading instruments impossible--- voice from below yells whats going on ---reply how the hell should I know I just got here---voice replies well do something you are the watch captain now---Hmmm what'll I do--- I try to think when the crescendo in the wind increases ---we heel further---both sails start to flog so I bear away ---oops not far or we will
jibe----Sheeba !!!!!!
we have jibed ---what's the wind doing ---if only I could read the dials of the instruments through these wet glasses----oh bugger it if it wants to jibe then jibe it is--- let go the jib sheet and pull it on leeward
side---now trim the main if only I could see it---I don't care what direction Osaka is I just want peace and quiet----voice from below ---next time tell me first before you jibe --I nearly fell out of the bunk you ******----

By now the rain is pelting down and I realise from the angle of heel that
it could be my bunk that could get wet so down below to get the stormboard.  Sheeba , someone has put a friggin spinnaker on it , the rain is coming in, I'm struggling with the stormboard and someone says from the darkness and warmth of his bunk, what's going on?    Have you trimmed the sails yet? why are we going so slow? Answer comes slowly to mind :  I don't know whats going on--it's so dark and wet out there I can't see to trim the sails and anyway if you want to help try getting up. Answer : you can forget it .

By now the rain has stopped pelting so give the stormboard away and go back on deck to see what I can do to trim sails and get every thing
shipshape.

Spirit has now jibed back again but he wind is right from behind so I
bear away to prevent anything nasty happening like getting clobbered in the brainbox by a runaway boom.

By this time I can see better and I realise the biggest blackest cloud
ever invented is sitting right above me , threatening to do even worse.  So for the next two hours it's stand in the cockpit and adjust the autopilot every now and again to bear away as the wind increases and prepare mentally to quickly release the jib halyard and then run  forard and pull it on deck and lash it down .. IF it's blowing that hard then a reef in the main will be next, which is why we leave the lazy jacks out all the time these days.

The downloader twin head foil and the single line reefing system have
been fabulous and all the knockers can go jump as 5500nm have proved the systems to be well worth while and with the mast track clean it is possible to pull the main up by hand all the way so proving the ease of the FLB cars. Plug for Yachtspars NZ. Thanks for the email Robin great to hear from you.

Anyway my shift is then over and so I call down below Peter you awake it's your shift.   No answer as usual so I go down below and mindful of the treatment I get I say in a loud voice :  Come on you ferrett get out of that hole and get on deck it's your watch.   Mumble mumble who youu calling a FERRETT.!!!!   Well that got him awake.

And so the days roll into one and all the above had a little poetic
licence but I guess you will get the general impression of life at sea.

We are at 23 38N/139 22E and have the big code zero up again at night coz we were so peeed off tofind that Luna had pulled out 88nm on us in the last 24 hours and if you divide 88 by 24 that means they averaged about 3knots per hour faster than us ---- how can they get that much more wind than us---life's cruel some times.

The food situation is deterioating and it's noodles and more noodles. We have 50 litres water left so we are okay for at least another week there.  The cigs are all gone , the grogs due to run out tomorrow happy hour so the winds better come or there are gona be some unhappy chappies around.

I think that's all for the time being ,  another radio interview
tomorrow with  a foreign laqnguage Fm station in JApan and some more Australian stations later in the week.  Ho hum .

Well it's 2am and there is some gentle snoring coming from the ferrett's
cage behind me and I guess I should do some sail trimming and put an entry in the log .   At our wash today the bigest surprise the water is getting colder, 28 oh joy.

List of things most looking forward to doing as soon as we get to the big O.

1/  Go for a walk on solid firm unmoving ground--to be able to walk
upright not stooped groping for a hand old will be pure bliss and havn't
done this for 5 weeks --can't wait to be to stride out and stretch the
legs.

2/ A cold shower not hot but cool continuous fresh water to calm my
prickly heat rash all over my back.

3/To have a scotch with cold soda water --not ordinary water at 30 degrees which tastes warm --- and to be followed by another and yet another and then few cold cleansing beers

4/ After the shower to put on clean fresh clothes with not a hint of salt
in them

5/ A tender juicy steak probably scotch fillet with all the vegies and a
table that is still and a shiraz red wine beside you that won't slide away.

6/And then to sleep for 8+ hours at one stretch.

7/ But best of all to see our loved ones again and to share in the
excitment of the achievement of the DREAM, to catch up on all the news and to explore a bit of Japan.

This won't be the last , but it has been somewhat of a release to be able
to share the events over the last 5 weeks with you all and I know Peter and certianly myself have appreciated all the support that has come forth and humbled us to know that we had friends that cared so much as to take the time to make contact and assist us and motivate and to be just there ---- it has been just great and we thank you all most sincerely .   There now no tears just a few hugs when we get back.

May 13

We are finally in the NE Tradewinds and sailing on a two sail reach  to
pass south of Guam which we expect to reach late tonight or early next
morning, Friday 14th May 1999.  We are averaging good speeds of 8 to 12 knots in this 16 to 20 knot wind. We are also hoping that the leaders,
Sayernara and Yoko , will be finding different winds that are not so
strong, and so we hope to make up some distance on them over the next few days.

From last nights radio schedule we find that Spirit of Downunder (12m
Length - Racing Div C) is keeping up with the northing that is being
achieved by both Luna Prominence (13.56m length) and Lucky Lady V (12.77m length)-- both Racing Div B yachts.

Last night during a particular windy patch we took a wave over the bows which ran over the deck and finished coimg throught thhatchway and onto Peter's bunk.  The worst thing about this incident was that Peter was in his bunk at the time and was not impressed at being wet while asleep.

We were also accompanied by a school of dolphins/porpoises foe a while last night and it was possible to hear from inside the cabin the high pitched whistle of these wonderful mammals as they bounced their sonar off the bulb of the keel and cavorted in the pressure waves generated by the speed of Spirit throught the sea.

Some trivia:  After 3 weeks and 3 days ---------
We have used one toilet roll per week .
We have four liters of long life milk left
We started with 200 liters of filtered water in 10 litre bottles and
have used 120 litrs so far.
We took 5 dozen eggs and they lasted without problems and made
wonderful omelettes for lunch.
We still have approx 10 apples left and have only had one go bad
We have a salt water wash every day and finish off with a cup of fresh
water to rinse.
The temperature in the cabin is always around 33C and only drops two
degrees at night .  The humidity is always above 70% and gets as high as 80%.
When we go on our sailing watches we always wear our bum bags with a portable waterproof VHF radio and strobe light inside.  The VHF radio in the cabin is always left on so that in the event the on watch falls over
the side he can take his portable VHF out and call his off-watch partner
and alert him to the fact that he has fallen overboard and also direct him
to his position.

And at our present rate of speed our expected finish time is 21st May
1999, between four and six pm .

May 10

Yesterday we crossed the equator  in very light winds , but as we went into our night shifts the wind suddenly came through as a squall with 25 knots. Since then we have had good breezes and as at now 2pm we are getting gusts up to 20 knots and with our blue kite up we are doing good speeds.

In reviewing our performance we believe we are suffering significantly from a deteriation in the keel profile and having a look this morning it appears we have lost a great deal of the epoxy filler that was giving us some shape. It now appears a lot of the filler in front of the steel structure has gone and thus greatly effecting our speeds which is why Yoko was able to hold us off and this plus the day at Lihir Island along with light winds have now effectively made our task of catch up that much more difficult.

Still it's not over yet and we have not given up our efforts to drive Spirit as fast as we can.

Attached are some photos from our crossing of the equator celebration, showing King Neptunus with Subject Peter deLange who was inducted in to the realms of King Neptunus's oceans. The ceremony was followed by a bottle of Hollick's Sparkling Merlot and a few cans.

May 7

Well we are presently tied up against the town ? jetty of Lihir Iskland
at 03 12S/152 49E.  The Harbour Master could not have beeb more helpful and arranged customs clearance immediately we tied up and then it was on to the problem with all the resources of the mining company all for buckshee.

Only problem was all the auto elecs were on holiday but no worry they had spare alternators coming out of their ears.  All to suit Kubota engines which we have --its actually called a Nanni but they buy the engines from Kubota in Kapan and then Nanni in Holland they marinise them and sell them around the globe.

We arrived at 0130 hrs expecting to be off within two to three hours and
here we are nearly 24 hours later still waiting for the frigging alternator.    The story is too long to retell here about how things can go
from bad to worse, and how we nearly had an internal meltdown when the wrong wires were joined -- short circuit they call it ---and I can say the fire extinguisher works because I had ocasion to test it just in case it was required.

We are now anxiously  waiting for the technicians to fit the replacement
alternator with an internal regulator to replace the one that was fried
when we had the little Chernobyl --- Peter had the switchboard off in 25
secoonds when trying to locate the shortcircuit.

If they havn't got it fixed by 12 noon then we are off again and will
rely just on solar power and will run without instruments etc and just turn on the GPS when we want to update our position. We will fit our old alternator so that the engine will run in that the fan belt that drives the water pump will work.

We are still in the race and it is interesting to see how Yoko has worked
up to within just 180nm of Sayernara so ther is still a lot of variable
wind around and we are hopeful of pulling the leaders back given favourable winds.

Will revert as soon as we are off again and have an idea of our potential
for improving our position.

till then faithful supporters please know we have not given up and will
be going like the clappers from here at Lihir

Photos sent from Lihir:

Laurie on the radio

Better than sails?

May 6

Dear all,

Well since the last epistle from the scribe aboard Spirit of Downunder ,
anumber of things havn't happened.  we have not passed Yoko yet and in fact she has stretched her lead over us to 70 nm approx.   We have come to the conclusion that the damage to the keel is creating more drag than we initially thought particularly when having to go hard on the breeze and you guessed it the 450 nm from when we reached the beginning of the Solomon Sea to just an hour or so ago has taken us 5 days and we were beating the whole way, that is hard on the breeze--what breeze !!!----we were again becalmed for many hours on three of those days but yoko who we talk with every day --very chummy we are--only found themselves becalmed once----there ain't no justice.

Sayernara has increased her lead to 270nm BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS WE ARE OUT \OF THE SOLOMON SEA---PRAISE THE LORD and we hope that it's for the doldrums if we are very lucky becuase even though we still have to go through the area known as the DOLDRUMS we are hoping that the La Nina wathe  system will give us reasonably strong easterlies--- but reflecting on our  luck over the last two weeks i should not even think the way I am.

NEWS FLASH LUCKY LADY V HAS DISPLACED US FOR 3RD POSITION BY GOING THROUGH THE GAP BETWEEN PNG AND NEW BRITAIN !!

They are ahead of us by 24 miles but conventional thinking has it that
this tactic is very risky and even though you might get a head in the
position reports the potential for disaster in the form of currents and
winds  are not worth the risk.  there are still the doldrums to go and
being near the land is just a no no. Stressed very strongly to us by Simon Kellett who has done the first three Osakas.

I don'y know what the future holds for me personally as Peter has just
run out of beer and is on his last paCKET OF FAGS!!!!!  kEEP YOUR EARS PEELED FOR MORE NEWS AND IF YOU DON'T GET ANY THEN CALL THE COPS.

Another milestone has been reached as we are now over half way to Osaka but it does not look like we will do it in the 30 days I was hoping.   This has taken us 16 days already and there is approximately 2600 miles to go---  we would have to average 8 knots for the balance of the distance to go for it to take us 13.5 days making 29.5 days but this is just to big an ask with us not even in the doldrums yet---  but stay tuned

Hazards encountered so far:::::::
1/ 60 knot southerly buster on the NSW coast
2/ semi submerged shipping container at 17 01S/155 08E
3/ large steel channel marker and log attached at 06 30S/154 01E
4/ electrical storms to read your paper by at night
5/ torrnetial rains sufficient to refloat the ark with winds going from
5knots to 25 knots in the twinkling of and eye
6/ being in the aftermath of one such storm and deciding that it was
a good opportunity for a shower and both of us being soaped up in the  nuddy and guess what ----the bloody phone went--- why does the phone  always go when you are in the shower--- anyway I looked at Peter and  said it will be for you and he said no it will be for you so I relented  in case it might have been Lynn--- you know-- my new friend Lynn  Holteyne don't you---  anyway guess what again it was for Pete - --bummer  7/ And I don't know why Lynn didn't ring on last Monday-- when I do   you will be the first to know.

8/ Large sea birds --and I mean large ---like albatross size--trying to
roost on the expensive wind gear at the top of the mast and not heeding  our pleas to p----  off----and very persistent so and so's they are
9/ THIS IS MOST IMPORTANT ---- PETER HAS ASKED ME TO ESPECIALLY MENTION THAT HE IS ABOUT TO RUN OUT OF BEER AND CIGARETTES AT THE SAME TIME.  tHE NEXT FEW DAYS WILL BE MOST INTERESTING FOR THID POOR  SCRIBE
10/ I didn't know it would be a hazard but standing up for up to 18 hours a day has given me the fat ankles syndrome---the cure is for me to put  my feet up and rest and you know what that suggestion got --- a big fat raspberry
13/ Flatulence on a small boat can be very offputting--- especially in a
rough seaway when all the hatches are shut --- the call goes up ----
where are those bloody gas masks!!!!

SOME NEWS FROM THE FRONT

Mal and Bondy, the hero boys.! This was on the front page of the local
paper this week and last week ......headline....this is some of what I was
trying to fax

`There is no point dying a hero......we were in a vulnerable situation...Mal Hart.   Nights and days without sleep,being capsized and thrown overboard with  no end in sight to the mountainous waves finally persuaded Mornington sailors Mal Hart and Stephen Bond to head for shore. etc....70 foot waves 68 knot winds.....There was no rest for days and after the boat  free fell down the front of a 70 foot wave cartwheeling into the trough,  the decided to call it a day etc.....
Was it really that  bad?

TILL THE NEXT SCOTCH I MEAN SCHED I MEAN EPISSTLE

April 27
Date: Tuesday, 27 April 1999 10:57

dear all,
the news is not good---no bloody wind---early this morning about 2 am on my watch i started to have problems with the mast head kite.

being brave and also becuase continued yelling at peter , who was down below off watch , and no matter how loud i yelled there was not a hint of  life i then decided to jibe the bugger on my own so with fear and with fear and trepidation i took the kite sheet in one hand and made sure the lazy sheet was ready at hand . then with consumate skill i let go the sheet and  watched as the kite windvaned out in front of the boat ,I then turned the boat under the kite and then pulled in the lazy sheet as quick as i could.   fantastic--- worked like a charm that time but the next time was a little different and required the getting of peter out of the cot -- not an easy task in itself --so i could drop the kite and sort out the mess of sheets  that had ensued !!!!! i still think i can do it on my own if i had to, i probably just
need  more practice.

Yesterday we did the the fabulous distance of 57 nm in 24 hours. As
someone you all know says : this is not sailing this is bullshit!!!!!!"

Peter has just suggested a great way to scare up some wind ???
He is going to get out the masking paper and he is sure this will bring
some wind --- it has always worked in the past !!!

News item : the sun umbrella is setting better than any other sail on
the boat !!! We just need a bigger one.

April 23
Dear all
its friday arvo at 345pm and blowing 40+ which is not unusual for us
because everywhere we go it blows 40 knots.  so far from a pleasant sail
perspective this race has been a dissappointment especially when you
consider peter has packed a sun umbrella .

for the sailors ---  we have our no3 and no4 headsails up together using
the twin tracks of the downloader which has really come into its own--no cuts or abrasions yet, we are smart and wear gloves, and we have the main lashed down. Its been lashed down since Tuesday arvo when the fronts first started coming through.  We cannot put the mian up in this heavy following wind because there are no protective patches fitted!!!!!! to protect it from the spreaders when reefed. fortunately I have some i ahve kept for some years and when the wind dies down sufficient for us to be able to fit them then we will really be able to chase Jon sayer. YesterdaY we had 60+ and we thought the weather from the syney hobart was gone forever --how wrong you can be.

we are bowling along at about 13-14 with surfs up to 19 and 20   --  robbo the outopilot nearly broke peters record yesterday but finished up only equalling it.  20.6 under autopilot andf he does it so easy with the cameron hull shape.

we were both down below and were chortling away about how good robbo was when BANG WE HIT SOMETHING REAL HARD.  peter quickly gave me a torch as i was the duty watch  and i quickly scuttled forward to look at the bows. nothing damaged there.  While i was doing this peter was searching the bows inside looking for water and was able to gladly report no leakage ..   he then lokked carefully at the keel case and again no damage.  we concluded we had hit a sunfish or whatever and were concerned that we might have damamged the fairing around the keel and that this would begin to peel back and impede our speed considerably.

am able to report that there appears no damage as our speeds are not down and as i sit her we are still doing 18/19 and 20 knots as we try desperately to get out of this EAC eastern australian current . as i writr
this we are 28 21S 154 47 E and approx 110nm behind sayernara but we are not dismayed because we know we have still got 2000nm to go to the equator and a lot can happen.

longitude is heading for brisbane to effect repairs to some lever - we
guess it is something to do with his steering- no way in this weather would i want to be on a baot like his.

just before the big bang and i am not talking dirty, we did a big
nosedive just after finishing dinner. we honestly thought we were going to sail under but good old spirit came up albeit going a lot slower. we both looked at each other and said , phew that could have been a case of "get those float-pacs full real quick.

And while we recite all this it has all been in the careful hands of
robbo the autopilot --unbelievable hhe is.

yamaha southwind the nz dixie chicken is on its way to coffs harbour to effect sail repairs.  yoko is about 40 nm behind and must be revelling in this weather. 
think wee may have over stocked for our happy hours as i have not got half way with my first bottle of scotch and peter didn't have a drink
>yesterday.. he was a bit off colour poor chap, couldn't come at a can in 60 knots.

our first fish alighted on deck yesterday but was able to flip himself
off easily  ----  have done our first lot of washing mainly jocks and would you believe i lost a sock for 12 hours yesterday.  the blighters must have legs and crack the s---ts about something sand go and hide. but i found him on the other side of the boat - not too far you can go and hide on this boat.

someone sent us the worst song titles  ever writtn we think this one is
the worst;-

get your tongue outta my mouth coz i'm kissing you goodbye

so any good jokes to lighten our day would be appreciated --short tho.

till we write again
northward bound laurie and peter on board spirit of downunder
pps peter has asked me to advise that he is amazed that on a forty footer with
only two people , there is still a queue for the head at 0600hours !!!

April 20:
Dear all,

| About the Race | Press Releases | 1999 Race Updates | Race Organizer |
| Cooperating Bodies | Official Sponsors & Suppliers | Related Events |