Talkin' Shit About A Pretty Sunset

Here are my pictures from the events in Norfolk surrounding the Velux 5 Oceans race.

This is the winning boat, Cheminées Poujoulat:



Sir Robin Knox-Johnston's boat, Saga Insurance:



This is the transom (back) of Knox-Johnston's boat. By the rules, each sailor has an escape hatch, an "oh shit line", and an accessible life raft. These are built into the boat in case the sailor is sleeping in his cabin and awakes to find his floor has become his ceiling and the ceiling the floor. He can abandon ship out the back, knife-in-teeth, and cut his way to safety. My notes in red:



I don't have much experience talking to famous people so I stuttered out my questions and Sir Robin was nice enough to pose for a picture with me:



Knox-Johnston was the only skipper to return to his boat and get drunk with his shore crew. They brought out an entire case of Old Pulteney scotch (one of his sponsors), lit up the Marlboros and got blotto mid-day:



Here's the Spanish (Basque) boat, PAKEA. It's the only yacht to have rudders mounted off the back of the transom:



This is a quick video of Knox-Johnston's yacht. Notice the guy working halfway up the mast: