Reader's Digest

July• 2018 | 53

Robert had bought

theRazrasahalf-sunk

lost cause and spent a

year rebuilding it. Now

the ive crew members

smiled at each other.

Fortheirsttimethey

agreedtheyhadthe

boat‘tuned’justright.

They timed their start

with precision and led

thefieldforthefirst

half-hour.

The small catama-

rans were among the

fastest boats though

and theKylahurtled

Hana and Ron for-

wards. On the open

waterHanafelther-

self relax. She and Ron

passed an 11-metre

sailboat called theWind Nutscap-

tained by Ron’s friend Scott Godbold.

“Hey!”Roncalledoutwaving.

Godbold and his wife Hope had

come to watch their son Matthew

race and to help out if anyone had

trouble. He waved back.

MOBILE BAY IS ABOUT48 kilo-

metres long and half as wide. A deep

shippingchannelrunsupitscentre

butmuchofthebayissoshallow

anadultcouldstandonitsmuddy

bottom. On the northwestern shore

standsthecityofMobiledottedwith

shining high-rises. he mouth of the

bay is guarded by Dauphin Island

andFortMorganpeninsula.Between

themagapofjustunderfivekilo-

metres of open water leads into the

vastGulfofMexico.

During the first half of the race

Hana and Ron chased his brother

Shane Gaston who sailed on an iden-

tical catamaran. Conditions were

ideal with high winds but smooth wa-

ter. About 2pm as they arrived at the

finish line Hana looked back. Ron’s

brother was a minute behind them.

“Hey we won!” she said.

Ty pic a l l y onc e c r e w s f i n i s h t he

racetheypullintoharbouratDau-

phinIslandforatrophyceremony

and a night’s rest. But the Gaston

USA

ALABAMA

FLORIDA

Fairhope

Mobile

Fort Morgan

Dauphin Island

0 20kms

he regatta was in Mobile Bay

on the Alabama coast

READER’S DIGEST

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