In the morning we rowed to the dock and walked to the nearest gas station/general store where they served breakfast. We sat next to a father and son who were also sailors. The son was a music teacher in China. Very interesting to learn about how people maneuver the strict lack of free speech there, and to get an insight into the competition for skill and talent in a country of such size. He said “you could be one in a million talent, but there are still millions better than you.” 

The sailboat race started a little after 11am, from some buoys outside the harbor, with our dinghy tied to the green buoy. Our boat is slow and heavy, so my ambition was to come in not too far away from the second to last boat. The smaller sailboats started first. Winds were light for most of the race, interspersed with puffs of wind when we were healing far to the side. We tacked back and forth past the markers and a little over two hours later we came in a respectable fourth, Did I mention there were 4 boats? We retrieved our dinghy and set off for Roque, our destination that we never made it to in our previous journey (which resulted in the Sailing Dreams CD). Roque has a mile-long crescent beach, so I went for a run along the beach. We came across a couple, Peter and Betsy from Lanesville MA, a place I know well where my mother grew up.  Betsy and I went for a swim in the 54 degree water, she much longer than I. Brrr. 

We pulled anchor and sailed to Cows Yard, the third of three coves. After dinner we rowed over to the sailboat of Kathy Bennet & Thom Perkins, a fine folk duo and we had a very nice jam.