The Regata de Amigos is scheduled for June 6th, 2008. The crew members are signed on for the trip and preparations are being made for the trip. A new AIS receiver and new life lines have been installed. A new mainsail halyard has been ordered for the battened main.
Ruthless was moved from Corpus Christi to Harbor Walk on April 18/19, 2008, in preparation for the Regata. The boat has been inspected with new zincs changed. Report was the bottom is in good shape and ready for the trip.
Bo and Donald attended the Safety Seminar on Saturday, May 10th. 22 boats have entered the regatta. Ruthless is entered in the Cruising Spinnaker Class along with three other boats at this time. The liferaft is being inspected and will be ready for pickup on Saturday, May 17th. We will be working to upgrade several systems and add new equipment on the boat every weekend until the start of the race scheduled for 2 PM on June 6th. The crew is looking forward to a fun time in Vera Cruz. Reservations are made to stay at Veracruz Centro Historico hotel in downtown Veracruz. Check back later for more info.

Update:

Race begins 6/6/2008 with lots of weather, 30k winds and 10foot swells, race committee move the start from outside the flagship, to inside the jetties. Getting ready for the start, we raised the batten main double reefed and realized that I didn't have the reef point tied to the boom far enough back so fixing that in the wind at the start was the first of many challenges to come.

Living on the heel for 4 days was quite the challenge.

We were a little late at the starting line but its a long race so no big deal, and then we couldn't point quite as far down the jetties to clear the jetties on one tack so we had to make one short tack to clear the west bound jetty.

Hightlights that need stories.

Great Meals even on the Heel.

Genset/Batteries on night 2,

Accidental jibe on night 3, replacing the Starboard Nav light during getting soaked.

Docking at Veracruz with the band a playing, took over 3 hrs to get tied up and settled.

Spending 12 hrs just 12 miles from the finish while the boat sails backwards towards the finish line, at least it gave us time to rig the 150 feet of Chain need to doc Med-moor style at the dock.

Coming into Veracruz finish line wing on wing.

Day trip to interior of Mexico.

Tide goes out and boats all get closer together during the Governer's Party, Asylum gets too close to wall and rudder appears to be hitting the bottom. Ruthless swings closer to Catalina Morgan 44 (pipe mui bleigh) Gang plank swings down the side of Ruthless leaving no way to get on the boat, but a parallel bar exercise on the dingy davits.

Bo jumps on to the gang plank and goes for a ride.

Lots of Veracruz rum consumed by crew and folks.

Leaving as a container ship comes in with 2 tug boats and prop washes all the boats closer to the concrete pier. Took over 45mins after the tugs have left for the water eddies to calm down so that we could leave.

Loosing the spinnaker in 19k of wind over a pretty good swell.

Winning the Cruising Spinnaker class.