What A Race!

The Vendee Globe Race has been pretty spectacular this time round!

Two men around in less than 80 days, there were amazing scenes in Sable Des L'Onne on Sunday as Francois Gabart in his rookie race came home in record time and the youngest ever to do it.

It was also the closet finish ever with just three hours between him and second place Armel.

Seventy seven days of solitude, just them, their boats and the gruelling elements.....

Whilst sport is getting the headlines for all the wrong reasons at the mo, there has also been some real sportsmanship.

Jean Pierre lost his keel on the run up the Brazilian coast in steps Brit Alex Thompson who shadowed him for a few days until the weather improved and he was nearer the Portuguese coast.

Alex is in his last 24hrs now, and will come home with a podium finish and a fasted time ever for a Brit.

Like I said an amazing race, twenty started, it looks like 12 will
finish, hats off to them all!

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Pre Holiday Madness

This is what has kept me sane this week.......








It's been beyond crazy in la la land this week, impossible deadlines all met with more to be done by tuesday. Sleep deprived I managed a lie in until 8 this am which is very unusual for me on any day.

4 sleeps to go til we catch up with a fab friend for the night and then 5 til we go, then the only deadline I'll need to meet will be applying suntan lotion at regular intervals.....bliss.

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Phew

Another lucky escape for us at the top of the mountain, whilst we woke up to the white stuff yesterday it wasn't too bad. Warmer temps yesterday and a good lashing of rain and its almost gone. Not so lucky for others around us.

Let's hope it stays this way until Wednesday when we travel up to London.

So need to get organised, check list done......operation ironing, packing et al needs to begin! Good news is the lashings of suntan lotion has arrived!


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Escaping The White Stuff

Phew.....whilst all around us and around the country has had a huge dumping of the white stuff, here at the top if the mountain we have had a lucky escape!

Bar some heavy sleet when I got up yesterday for work which didn't settle and another drop in the temperature all is well. Can't be said of the B roads and other high grounds and hollows in Devon, many of which are snowed in.

The expected ice this am hasn't materialised yet, so another blessing to be grateful for. Let's hope it stays this way over the next week if so, as we have a flight to catch to warmer climates.

V v excited.com now, I have a million deadlines to meet at work prior to departure, I feel I have lived at the place over the last few weeks but hey ho the suntan lotion arrived this week and I only have 12 SLEEPS to go until 16 days of sunshine and complete R n R! Yayyyyyyyy.


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A Real Race To The Finish Line......Vendee Update

Alex Thompson on Hugo Boss

I can't believe that it was 63 days ago that we were stood in the pouring rain on the canal wall and beach in Sable Des L'Onne watching the start of the race. Time flies and a lot of nautical miles have gone under the keel since then.

It's been a very exciting race this time and not without controversy. Collisions, dismastings, broken keels and hydrogenerators as well as the controversial disqualification of Bernard Stamm for outside assistance in saving his boat.

Sixty three days later, these salty dogs (very sleep deprived salty dogs) have rounded Cape Horn and are battling it up the Atlantic towards the finish line.

There is a tactical race going on at the mo involving a Brit. Alex Thompson is trying the shortest route, so there is a ping pong match going on at the mo between third and fourth which is making for a great read on the daily updates and ranking.

GO GO GO Alex for a podium finish which would be amazing feat given he is on one of the older generation boats.

It will all be over in the next few weeks for another 4 years. Its been a cracking race, and the icing on the cake would have been to see the first boat over the finish line but we shall be in warmer climates.

Yes didn't you know.....Malaysia and only 16 SLEEPS to go!


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You Can't Beat A Sunday Roast!

You can't beat a delicious salad in summer and on a cold winters day you just can't beat a good old roast dinner. Well not according to das captain who is not a fan so when I cook mine today I'll be adapting it so his isn't a roast!

According to all things knowledgable aka Wikipedia there are (at least) two opinions on the origins of the Sunday Roast. Version one is that, during the industrial revolution, Yorkshire families left a cut of meat in the oven before going to church on a Sunday morning, which was then ready to eat by the time they arrived home at lunchtime.

Version two is that the roast dates back to medieval times, when the village serfs served the squire for six days a week. Then on the Sunday, after the morning church service, serfs would assemble in a field and practice their battle techniques and were rewarded with a feast of oxen roasted on a spit.

No oxen or battle assemble for us today, unless you count das captain and his dad doing battle over sealing windows outside in the cold, just a humble organic chicken to get rid of the chill factor.

Still counting the days down til our winter sun 24 sleeps to go!👙


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Chaos!

It's so quiet, it's so peaceful........well it won't be for long! There are two sleeping beauties upstairs who shortly will be up, excited and on a mission for all things shopping today!

Our living room floor is covered with clothes, laser guns, toys, table tennis gear and oh no a broken copter!

We had a blast last night fab curry (their request), then home for laser guns, table tennis across the coffee table and the new in thing helicopter flying.

That had one crash landing too far and is currently nurturing a broken tail and awaiting spare parts renewal. A late night had by all with the usual Waltons shenanigans at bedtime which went on for some time.

Das captain is off to work for a rest and I am waiting for round two.........mission on and shop til we drop, should be another great day.

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30 Sleeps To Go

Well it was a very peaceful New Years Eve night for us in the Roffe household with only one of us up watching the London fireworks on Tv at midnight.

There was no Dawlish mayhem for us this year as our friends our on their sabbatical travelling around South East Asia for a few months. So after a hectic day at work and a quick whizz round to see Sil, E and the onside we headed home for some nibbles, beer, fizz and a night in front of the box!

In between the latest all things GoPro had arrived to go with das captains growing collection.....the remote control! This wee gizzmondo is pretty neat, although at present I am only allowed to view and not mess with! Das captain set it up and we were treated to the delight of seeing it in action.

What I am looking forward to although I am told that this will never happen is das captain strutting his stuff with my camera attached to his head and the other to his chest......at the same time. We'll see!



So that's another year that has whizzed by. A glorious March for swailing, a fab week in August, some great weekends but on memory the wettest and worst season for years.

The rain finally abated last night and the long range forecast is looking quite promising for some sails out over the next month. Can't wait, I have missed the freedom and relaxation that being out on the water gives us.

More importantly though we shall we getting away from this wretched rain and it's only 30 sleeps to go, yes 30 SLEEPS TO GO! Yes I am very very very excited, we are off to Malaysia after a two year hiatus to catch up with family and friends.

A cracking way to start 2013 and I just can't wait!


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