The concours awards have been sorted out, the single handers have had there race, Mount Gay hats were dished out to the deserving and the side bets agreed on.
Deck fluff has been sent ashore, other non essential tat piled high on the dockside and it is time to go racing.
But before all that stuff kicked off there was a very moving tribute to Mr Classics who died recently.
Kenny Coombs had several 'Speakers for the Dead' who spoke in his memory. Best of all Jane Coombs is going to be out there racing on Cora.
The first days racing was in 12 to 15 knots of wind and a gentle swell. The odd spinnaker was flown and and it was a gentle introduction to tradewind racing.
The second day was a different story with a steady 20 to 24 knots blowing and a big swell with some wind chop on top.
Even the Flying Buzzard, this years most unlikely committee boat was pitching and rolling. The Carriacou deck sloop retiring under main only had broken it's tiller in the strong conditions.
No spinnakers were seen and many a boat was flying much reduced canvas.
Rainbow was content with a double reefed main and staysail although they were seen hustling a sail off the dock and onto the sailmakers truck at the end of the day so perhaps they had blown out another headsail.
They were not the only one bundling sails and looking for the midnight sail repair fairy.
However this fine old schooner had most of her sail wardrobe bent on and was even flying a topsail on the down wind leg.
But pushing these big old schooners in these conditions can lead to roundups and it was only a bit of swift avoiding action by another boat that averted disaster when Coral of Cowes seemed to loose control just as she bore off to round the mark .
We walked the docks and here are a couple of pics that sum up the day for some of the racers.
Everybody got wet.
Some things broke!
No Classics would be complete without Old Bob.
Who made it in far from last.
Life is good.
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