Dear all,

It is easier to get blood out of a stone than to get any type of service in this country. The weather is bloody hot and humid. The wind is blowing like shit. All sailing today has been abandoned as it is still blowing well over forty bags consistantly. There is no sand left on the beach. Yesterday three boats were abandoned including a south Aussie boat. There was so much wind and sea they could not even get on the centrebord to right the boat and eventually let it go.

Yesterday morning there was a 10-15 knot southwesterly as we launched the boat (for the first time ever), by the time we had reached the race area it had died out to nothing at all, so we chopped wood for 2hrs waiting for breeze on the start area. The breeze built back out of the south west. with around 5 minute to go before the start we had pulled the pin on the race as it wasn't going to be worth breaking any gear.

They set the course that far out to sea that we had to tack around the bow of a tanker waiting to come into port. By the time we reached here it was a constant 35 bags. Lucky we have got 110kgs on the wire. The boat was absolutly launching to windward. It feels so stiff. The centreboard was launching totally out of the water coming home on starboard tack going to windward.

By the time we reached home it felt like i had stood in front of a fire hose for around half an hour. It took as about an 1 1/2 hours to work home. We tacked through the middle of the FD fleet but we did not see any one out there as they were all sailing upside down. We were the first boat home and a bit unsure if we had made the right descision.

We were quickly reasured that we had made the correct one when the next two boats were Ian Barker (olympic silver medalist 49ers) and Krister Bergstrom (4 times world 505 champion). We got all the sails down and the boat safly packed away and watched one shit fight after another eventulay unravel.In the end they called out the navy coast guard and every other boat the could get hold of to rescue and find boats.

One of the pommy boats was sailing in with the jib torn from leech to luff and the mainsail torn 3/4 of the way from the leach (the leach line was still attached to the clew patch) and the guys were planning to windward over powered and still trying to dump the gear. Boats were coming in under jib alone trapezing to windward. There are too many broken mast and fucked sails to count. In the end we reckon that it was a constant 30-35 gusting to over 40 knots. The race committe said the were recording up to 50 knots after the race. The scary thing is that this is seems to be the safest place in the town.

The International 505 president from South Australia came to visit us at our hotel at around 6.30 am on Sunday morning and on his way home was mugged at knife point only 20 metres from his hotel door. This place makes King Cross look like a quiet suburb on the northern beaches of Sydney. There is no need to go to a game park as there seems to be plenty of wild life on the streets. The things that go on here never stop to amaze us. It is to hard to describe on here so will have to tell you all when we get back.

With the current weather pattern it looks as if it will be around 30 knots for the next three days. The people here are very helpfull and frienfly and we are having an awesome time. Hopefully this will give me an opportunity to get over the flu. It is also keeping me off the piss which is the most painfull thing. The food here is shit full I cant wait to get home and have a real meal. Everything is arse about face e.g beer is cheaper than water?

I have already had several offers for the boat, it seams to be a big hit. Hopefully we can sail it fast. Scott Olsen broke his rudder yesterday so get dad to start a new one for him. He has reqested mist grey colour.

Brett van Munster