Phone numbers
I won't publish phone numbers here but if you are on the crew ask for the number list. You can contact me by clicking here >>

Porn
May be brought aboard, but make sure take it home with you after the racing as I don’t want Rob 'junior' corrupted too early.

Protests
If there’s a protest to made I’ll do it. No matter how bad the perceived offence on the race course the only person who decides to make a protest is the skipper. However if I can’t get to the protest flag quickly I may ask whoever is on the runners to pull out our red protest flag which lives inside a tube attached to the back stay - pull the string and out she pops. We need to get this flag out and inform the other boat/s within seconds of any incident if our protest is to stand.

Once that red flag is fluttering immediately think about what has happened and make a note of those boats nearby that might help us by being a witness - in the heat of the moment the more people concentrating on getting the facts straight the better when we come to explain our defence later on.

If there is a protest then once ashore hold your tongue, especially if approached by the other crew, and if we lose the case then take it on the chin and don’t bad-mouth anybody.

Pumps
There is a fixed manual pump in the cockpit (rear starboard side). The handle for this pump is clipped to the right hand side of the under-sink locker. This pump picks up from under the engine and exits through the transom.

There is also an electric bilge pump rated at 1,100 gallons per hour that is normally left set to automatic whilst on the mooring. It picks up under the gearbox and exits via a one way valve on the port side hull adjacent to the fuel filler cap. It can be switched on manually using the pump panel on the forward face of the engine box, but shouldn’t be run dry for long. If you notice that the pump is running on auto then make sure I know - we need to quickly find out where the water it’s pumping out is coming from!

There is also a large and a small hand pump, which along with a sponge and bucket are for keeping the rain water at bay - it blows through the halyard sheaves in the mast and runs into the boat down the inside of the spar. Before we set off each time the floor boards need to be lifted and any water sponged/pumped out.

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