From Yorkshire to Greece

 A little more has happened this week starting with the race from Lefkas to Preveza and back.  The need for crew for Jungle is obviously dire at this time of year as once again I was invited to take part for additional ballast and as someone to release the right rope at the wrong time or alternatively the wrong rope at the right time but never mind!!  The pictures show people waiting just outside of Lefkas bridge prior to the start of the race which was going to be reduced to just running around the "cans" as the forecast was for little wind.  We had already been out into the bay for a practice and the wind wasn't nearly as light as the forecast suggested.

So the decision was made for the race to more or less follow the original course of going down the west coast around a buoy up the Preveza and around another buoy and then a reverse of the above coming back but the cruiser class (the slower boats) just going straight back to the finish.

We got off to a great start hitting the line within milliseconds of the start gun and in a very close third place around the first can.  The first three all took very different routes up to Preveza and it was difficult to say who had made the correct decisions and the wind was dropping by the minute.  Still in third behind Neil in "Leonne" and a big 50ft Beneteau but still nip and tuck.  Again we all had differing plans coming back but it looked like we had made the best plan we looked in front in the very light airs.   Then the wind came and the Beneteau started to catch very quickly and was fifty yards ahead at the buoy.  Neil was trying to pass but we managed to keep him in our wake all the way to the line, which meant "Jungle" was second over the line but easily first on handicap.  Four and three quarter hours of sailing and about five minutes separating the first three boats can't be bad can it!

On Tuesday we took Debs and Jez for a tour of the area where we used to live.  The pictures show them at Zeros Lake and the springs of archaron.  We also called into the kafenion in our old village to introduce them to some of our Greek friends in Assos, I think they were very impressed by the village welcome for it's prodigal sons (and daughters).  It seemed to come as a little surprise to them the depth off feeling they seem to show towards us and of course despite the long hard recession that they are currently enduring they wouldn't accept payment for our drinks as is always the case with these wonderful people.

We finished off the trip with a nice meal in a small taverna in Preveza which Deb and Jez knew of, it was excellent value and also had some variation on the menu which is quite unusual as many Greek tavernas have the same tried and tested fare which they stick to all of the time.   Thanks for making it a memorable day for us you two!