Mariquita Book - mk2

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DIARY ENTRY
Then it was out past Hurst Castle and The Needles were within reach. Starting when we did meant that we could get past Hurst Castle and around The Needles without a thousand other boats around us, and once we were
on course for St Catherine’s, up went Dan, down came the pole, and up went the kite. And so began one of the most mind-bending spinnaker runs we’ve ever had on board. With a quick dog leg and a gybe to get around
the southern tip of the Isle, we carried that kite all the way towards Bembridge. We were keeping up with all those slippery modern things that are supposed to outpace us, but somehow couldn’t get any distance away from
the Old Girl. It was ear to ear grins all around, even as the pole would sky in a gust. On the foredeck we did a good job hiding our concerns for the rig, as it was hard not to enjoy the rush and speed of the boat. M.O.
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