Having talked with our offspring and father (who is at Catalina this weekend going strong at 94), had pancakes for breakfast, and t hen enjoyed a relaxed morning, what could be possibly added? Perhaps a bit of open 60 racing off the stern would be nice. These are astonishing boats. Hugely powerful with canting keels, light – less than 10 tons – with rigs limited to 105 feet (31 meters) – and designed to be sailed by a single hander.

Can you imagine working this machinery in the bay, let alone the Southern Ocean? By coincidence we turned up in Sanxenso, Spain the night before they were due to  leave for the next stop in an around Spain race (this one crewed). So, before returning to the drawing board, we took a detour and followed the Open 60s as they reached back and forth and then set kites for their run south.

The photos in the side show in the link below were taken mostly in less than eight knots of wind. Wind Horse was cruising at 11.5 at and barely able to keep up.

Click here for our Father’s day present.