🎂 Xena long-time crew member Michael Dangar (“MC Danger”) birthday today. He’s now down in Oz.
We did this race, Hong Kong to the Philippines around ten times on Xena. The first, in 2008, we won. We didn’t win again, though we usually had a podium place.
It’s fun in the Philippines! Downtown Olongapo is crazy fun, ditto San Fernando.
The race is around 600 nm (~1,111 km...), taking us 3 to 5 days, wind depending. There’s often a big wind “hole” approaching the Philippine coast, and there have been times we’ve been stopped dead in the water, sails flapping, fishing for squid and taking a swim in the deep blue deep ocean off the stern.
We’ve cruised the islands after the race, including in our older boat, Thea. Many lovely bays, and the friendliest of people.
We sold Xena in 2018.
