Day 8 – as told by White Watch
With promises of being woken up to cross the finish line at
0300, the crew were surprised when they were woken for breakfast instead,
albeit thankful for the extra sleep. As it turned out, the sea had become
eerily calm, and the sails hung loose… a mere 4 miles from the finishing line!
The ensuing hours were just as meagre, with the Rona II slowly drifting towards
the line, after being overtaken by seaweed and bubbles. Eventually, however,
with the lucky winner of the prize draw, James, helming the boat, the crew,
Mate, and Skipper celebrated joyously with rowdy cheers, cries, and sea
shanties, as we submitted our finishing time of 12:13:56 to race control, with
the total distance raced at a grand total of 632 miles.
The engine now on for the first time since the race began,
everyone on board the Rona II enjoyed the 700% increase in speed, as the boat
skimmed over the water to the port of Tallinn. The time thereafter was well
spent cleaning and tidying, with White Watch once again proving that they are
just as good below deck, as they are on it. After momentarily waiting for the
large cruise ships to leave the harbour, the Rona II finally drew up alongside
in the Old City Marina, much to the gratification of the crew, and, after a
hasty use of the port’s shower facilities, the noses of said crew.
The rest of the evening was given to the crew to do with as
they wished. Leaving Josh, and the faithful dolphin Snowy, to guard the boat,
the rest of the crew leisurely made their way to a local pub, to enjoy
beverages, other than water and squash, that had not been served during the
voyage. At a respectable hour, and after Joe had found somewhere to buy an ice
cream, the intrepid explorers made their way back to the marina, and, finding
the boat undisturbed, soon drifted off into a well deserved sleep.
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