It’s been twenty years this November since the the Berlin Wall ceased to be the barrier between the “East” and the “West.” I was in Berlin, as well as, other parts of  East Germany, Hungary and Yugoslavia that first summer. The East German currency, the Ost Mark was still around but on the verge of being dropped for the West’s Deutche Mark – a looming event that made for a nation wide game of “hot potato” as everyone tried not to get stuck with Ost Marks. What used to be the eastern ‘city limits’ of  West Berlin was now ground zero for the ‘New World Order.’ All the trappings of the Cold War were still there: long segments of the wall, guard houses and watchtowers. But crowds of West Germans, East Germans and tourists took what would have been fatal walks along the Wall, crossing on a whim from the one side to the other though gaping breaches in the 28 year old concrete. In essence, No-man’s Land had turned into public space.

When I wrote to you before, I noted a few of the things that would be different about this year’s race. To that list I can add that we finished the race – and in some style too.

After 88 hours, 33 minutes and 4 seconds of sailing, I’m happy to report that Intuition crossed the finish line as the sun was rising on Mackinac Island to take second place in her division on corrected time! Thank you for all the messages of encouragement everyone sent to us. Not only are we happy with our performance, we are delighted that the tracking system functioned properly for those of you who wanted to follow along.

Like last year, we encountered an array of sailing conditions that challenged our boat handling and tactical racing skills. The race started once again in rain, and as Chicago’s impressive skyline became a jagged line on the horizon, the winds and waves rapidly built up. It was almost 24 hours before moving around below decks ceased to be a struggle, and Jasper could prepare anything but the simplest of meals. (The pad-thai and chicken caesar salad would be served later.)  At other times, seemingly at the flip of a switch, the winds would fail. While this can be quite frustrating, I believe this is an area where Intuition and her crew excelled and managed to keep moving in the lightest of airs, instead of flailing around helplessly. In fact, for both races, some of the most exhilarating moments came when we were able to pass or close in on other boats while silently gliding along at just a few knots. Of course, a dead calm is as frustrating as ever. We suffered a few of these this year including one that hit us at 3 in the morning just as we were in the home stretch near the landmark Mackinac Bridge. I could barely stand it. On the bright side, we started moving again at dawn which was much better light for photos!

Once again I have nothing but admiration and praise for my fellow crew members: Don, Tom, Dan, Jasper and Andy. Andy, by the way, was a first class crew member and a great addition to the team. None of the possible discords that can doom a team emerged in our group of six – no grumbling about being roused for the next predawn watch after a mere 3 hours of sleep; no offense taken from differences of opinion on tactical decisions; and food was better than one might expect. Everyone contributed all they could and did what needed to be done as soon as they saw it.

Most of all, this challenge was a lot fun. Taking part in such a renowned race as this is a real thrill. To get our names written down in the annals of its storied past is an honor we weren’t really expecting. This race is really about the journey. Besides the overall first place prize is just bottle of rum!

Best Wishes,
Mark