Mariquita Book - mk2

Letter sent to the 2013 Mariquita crew
Mariquitas!
In reading over the letter sent out at the beginning of the year, it was worth pausing a moment to take stock. We
had talked about how much had changed over last winter; new owners, new captain, and through the many
faces of the crew. We laid out our regatta programme, and our hope for success on the water. And most of all,
we wanted each of you to know how much it means to us that, when you could be basking on a beach on
Mallorca, you decided instead to spend your holiday with us getting soaked and sore!
Did we come through on our aims? The signs point to yes. There was learning, a LOT of learning, and
we still have volumes to go. But consider this for a moment: as of the first day of racing in Antibes,
Mariska had 43 training days on the water in 2013.
We had four.
Despite the odds against us, we pulled out a third place in Antibes. So the summer rolled on,
and we found our rhythm. Sail changes got quicker, manoeuvres got slicker, and callouses got
thicker. We even did the unimaginable: we took Mariquita on a cruise! We crammed four
regattas into six weeks to finish out the season, and to ice the cake, Jessica Lark Newman
was welcomed into this world as the Cannes Regatta kicked off.
And as each of these events ticked on by, you all were there to make it happen. You
were witness to the small dramas that unfolded between boats, and some of the
friendships that formed out of them. You were patient with us as we messed up,
and we definitely messed up at times. And where you could have exercised your
index finger pushing winch buttons aboard other yachts, instead, you took the
masochistic route and came sailing with us, and helped keep alive the ethos
that is Mariquita. For all of this, we want to thank you.
Reading over the letter, it did say that you’d be ‘stepping on board the
same Old Girl’ if you came out with us this year. We realise now that
that statement isn’t entirely true. In hindsight, of course she would
be different! With all that had turned over, how couldn’t she be? At
the time we may have feared that ‘different’ would be taken as
synonymous with either ‘better’ or ‘worse.’ But it’s neither, it’s
just … different! And whatever different may be, we want it
to be something that you want to come back to.
So the winter season has landed upon us here in Cogolin,
the rail and boom have received their last glowing coats
of varnish for the year. There’s plenty of work to do in
the coming months, and when spring rolls around
in 2014, we’ll pick up right where we left off. So
keep in touch here and over the usual channels,
and when the year starts again, we hope you’ll
be there with us.
Sincerely yours,
Matty Oates, December 2013.