THE HEART OF A SAILOR

Jan 22

It nearly killed me. We had just arrived on a ridiculously fast and fabulous trip down the Rio Parana and across the Rio de La Plata, into the spectacular little city of Punta del Este (where the beautiful people come to see and be seen and play) on the posh and comfortable motor cat DOMINO.

But sitting at anchor, abreast this compact So American city on a spit of land that juts into the blue, refreshing Atlantic, it nearly slaughtered me to watch the sailboat racers gliding in after the Rolex Big Boat regatta here.

DOMINO is spacious, comfortable, well thought out, extremely fast and a real looker; and Marie and JP Dufour, who built the yacht in Paraguay, are brilliant, fun, and have a tremendously giving mission ahead of them. But here I was, yearning to be on a little race boat: sweating, grinding, pulling, sailing …

For whatever reason: chemical, physical, emotional, what-have- you: I am a sailor. I love to sail and I love to race. I can't even get into all the things I love about it (but at some point I will try) however I have a HEART for sailing.

Today I tried to get on a race boat – but even I, a 'famous periodista' (hahaha) couldn't finagle a lift considering it's the last day of this highly competitive regatta. So I watched the start -- brilliant: with all classes starting the coastal race at once, across the quay from colorful fishing boats, with swarms of tourists and supporters stacked on the breakwater (a tumble of three-foot-cubes of rock) watching the beautiful chaos of the boats cross the line, and tilt towards Isla Gorrita, in a cool freshening breeze.

We leave for Florianopolis, Brasil, in the a.m. (24 Jan) Much love to all ~ Betsy