AMARA Update

Martin at the top of Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa

Update on Brazil: Brazilian visa's didn't come until Friday.  In the meantime, Martin has been having a lot of back problems, again, since he arrived in South Africa.  So,  I found him a super cheap ticket to come back to the states.  We decided last second (Friday) that he should come home this week and spend some time with Lily and me and get his back taken care of while he is home.

Martin is set to arrive on Monday and his calendar is already packed with lots of appointments.  It will be so nice to have him home, just in time for some chilly fall days—a big change from his endless summer.

While waiting for his flight, set for Sunday evening, Martin was able to attend the Volvo Ocean Race in Cape Town.  I thought I would just cut and paste his update about the race.

"... One of the toughest and longest races in sailing is the Volvo Ocean Race. Seven identical 65 foot sailboats are competing in an around the world race that takes 9 months to complete. This is a real sailor's race where technology, sailing skills, and endurance all mesh together to push the boats and crews as hard as they can taking it to the extreme edge of what's possible. The boats go 40 knots, that's 46 mph!  The USA team is Alvimedica and team SCA is the all female crew. The race started in Spain 20 days ago and they have already sailed to the Brazilian coast and are now are heading further south and approaching the Southern Ocean all to get the most optimal winds and currents.

Fortunately Cape Town is the second stop in the race and AMARA is amazingly parked right in the very middle of all the festivities.  Today is the kickoff to the race week, although the boats won't arrive here until about the 6th. I'm so glad to be here and see it.  FYI, they will be in Newport, Rhode Island in May.  Here are some photos to enjoy.

Photos coming. Off to run up Table Mountain."

More updates about Martin's visit home...