Leaving St Petersburg

The skipper writes: Sorry to have been out of touch but this is our first opportunity to use the internet in a while.

We are about to leave St Petersburg for Helsinki and the cruise in company. Nervously waiting for the officials to clear us out while Phil gently plays for the ship next door.

The gaff is fixed and the lads have made the most of St petersburg and lots of new friends. They did rather well in a dancing competition I understand!

We are off for a bit of break from heavy partying with our cruising leg to Turku for race leg 2.

On that subject, Phil and Amy and I caused a bit of a stir at a party on another ship by singing ourselves hoarse and the whisper of news that Phil Beer is in the race meant that Race Director Peter Newell gate crashed in order to meet him! He even picked up the guitar for a song or two, happy days.

St Petersburg has been amazing and special thanks must go to our liaison officer Dmitry who has worked so hard for us. He is trying to get a project off the ground to build a Pilot Schooner replica of the type once used locally. We wish them well and Amy and I have said we will send him Classic Boat Magazine monthly, something not easily available in Russia.

So the calm before the next bit and we sit slightly nervously in anticipation.

We are now cleared by customs and are about to start the parade of sail out of this beautiful city. Our next stop is Helsinki were we will re enter the Schengen agreement area and hopefully feel a little less watched!