> Looking back, we could have made or lost that time in countless places during the nineteen day battle against the elements and our competition. Our congratulations go out to all our fellow sailors for their successful completion of this Transatlantic challenge.
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> As for the Dawn Star ETA pool, the winner guessed the time of arrival within a mere three minutes of the actual time. Not bad for a guess made 1150 miles from the finish. A hearty congratulations goes to Henry, who's won a beer from all his shipmates, plus a hundred dollar prize donated by none other than Bill Hubbard, our co-skipper with son Will.
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> So the crew Dawn Star is celebrating, sort of. With no beer, rum, champagne, or celebratory material of any type on board (smart move by the skippers...) we're making do with the last can of corned beef hash, fresh eggs, and bacon, none of which has been refrigerated since losing power at the beginning of the race. Luckily room temperature has been approximately 50 degrees Fahrenheit and all tastes pretty special right now.
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> I might mention now that the finish line is over a full day's sail away from our final destination, Cowes. This is where the competitors need to dock their boats. There's a reception tonight for all the competitors, but as we calculate our EPA (Estimated Party Arrival) it looks like we may not make it in time. With that as an incentive, we continue to sail fast, into the gray and rain, sometimes seeing England; sometimes not; but the crew of Dawn Star is content and happy, as we've come out on top.