Good morning! It is a beaut here -- clear, warm and dry. A high pressure system has moved in bringing this nice weather and, unfortunately, lighter air. Chris B says it should be raceable despite a very light patch in the early afternoon. Only one match today, the 11th and final flight to complete the round robin -- the 12 teams will have raced each of the other 11 once. Even if the RC can't get one in today, we have two make-up days should we need them (Wed and Thu) before the fleet racing regatta Act 7 gets underway Friday. Act 6 prizegiving this afternoon and teams' whing-ding this evening.


Do they call it "Indian summer" in Scandinavia?

All of us can use a break. We have been going at it hard now for 12 straight days (longer for the shore team). We were all lifted by yesterday's win over ETNZ, we are looking forward to some time off tomorrow and/or Thu. While I sense the fatigue in all of us, we are pros and no doubt will get up for today's big match against Luna Rossa.

Gavin's resignation yesterday was disappointing, but the team took it in stride -- going out and calmly winning two races, including the biggee with ETNZ. Gav and I have been good friends for some time -- we shared an office together in the 2000 AmericaOne campaign. He is a good man, and terrific sailor. However, none of us is irreplaceable. As Bill Koch said when he and Gary Jobson parted ways during the '92 campaign (which Koch went on to win despite the predictions of almost all the "experts"): "the ego is the boat, not any one of us."

Yesterday Bertrand "Bert" Pace (FRA) quietly stepped into the tactician's role. To my eye and by all accounts from the sailing team he did a very nice job. Our team is broad and deep in most positions on the boat and off. You have to be to win the Cup.


Big boys Jamie Gale (NZL) and Brian "Puck" MacInnes (CAN), and the
diminutive Bertrand Pace, Monday's MVP, sharing a relaxed moment
after yesterday's big win.