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DAY 9 - Myrtle Beach to Wrightsville

75 miles today. Only one major obstacle – CAPE FEAR. We ask about how Cape fear is to be rounded. Some say go close to the beach – dodge the sandbanks and ‘yawl’ be fine ! mm !

The breeze has filled in from the south by the time the gun goes. We hoist our spinnaker slowly and later discover that the pulley at the top has jammed on the windward side. The spinnaker head wraps around the mast when hoisted fully. We decide to leave it like that rather than spend time to fix it. Everyone is already double trapezing around us. We head off for Cape fear a mere 50 miles away. The Blue boat (Todd Hart) passes us and the others are out to sea. Tybee is just visible.

About 20 miles down the road - we are not going well, so decide to gybe off and try to fix the spinnaker problem as our speed is not good. We resolve the spinnaker but loose track with the guys around us. We miss a wind shift and fall further back – into a solid 4rth. We play follow my leader in a procession around Cape Fear – which is hardly as exciting as its name – a couple of breakers here and there – it really passes without even a second glimpse. Maybe we got lucky today! Maybe not !

Once around the Cape we hug the coast – the sea is flat and the gusts are coming from the land. It is perfect sailing conditions. We work hard to catch the third boat and eventually get the better of him. We cover them hard all the way down the coast playing the lifts down the shoreline. We establish a solid lead over them which I am happy about.

We spot the finish and make some approach gybes – the last one however is a calamity! The boat stalls after the gybe - loads up and we are over in seconds. We rush to recover the spinnaker and right the boat. I haul Beto aboard like a sac of potatoes – the boat already speeding ahead. We eventually finish 4th a few minutes the boat that was behind us - the one we had worked so hard to pass. Shit happens – it takes some time for the adrenalin to go away and the aching body to realize it has sailed another 80 odd miles in 6 and half hours.

The hotel is great and the area beautiful – the Inter Coastal waterway lies just across the road and we have a room with a view – and a wireless connection (which makes this get to you quicker.

We look forward to tomorrow and I am sure it will be a better day!

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