15/08/2013
They're back on dry land! Now time for a shower and a Guinness. Here's an extract from Padraic and Tom's encounter with a dolphin in the Celtic sea. Does anyone else think they might have had a touch of sleep deprivation when they wrote this?!
"Whilst on our way to that rocky outcrop off the SW coast of the former Imperial conquest in what one can only be described as a double handed frenzy, the apparent delirium or my inability to understand the accent of my co skipper has led me to attempt communication elsewhere. Given the lack of the usual supporting crew on the rail that ordinarily would regale me with stories of their beer tent shenanigans, I have discover an intelligent mammal that responds to my local New Zealand tribal form of communication, based somewhat on my facial tick but predominately on the clicking sound made when the tongue moves across the roof of the mouth.
I have successfully, obviously between trimming sails, driving like a demon, sail changes, boat dodging not dissimilar to driving the wrong way down the M1 at full throttle in thick fog, preparing Ragu that I think he means "To die for" but came out more like "tea dea fur", and making this craft slip through the water like an AC72 on steroids, made a new friend, he has since told me his name was Francois.
Having battled out West of the Scillies, and on North post shift, Francois and I skipped along and chatted for hours about family, friends and even the occasional lighthearted quip about our respective girlfriends Zoe and Delphine, my new friend Francois, suddenly heard a sound he recognised, he told me it was his other good friend Francois of which he is a guardian and spent many weeks taking good care of last winter, he asked me if it would be possible to take a photo of them together as the opportunity rarely develops, I think Francois and Francois would like the snap for their respective scrap books."
