Blackwater Travellers Trophy 2008

Things are looking up, for the sun is working its way back to the northern hemisphere and the shadows are getting shorter. We walked along the sea wall on the top of the tide this Sunday on a cold grey day with the views of Osea island, the saltings with the wading birds circling around, the cats paws speedily spreading out over the water in the knowledge that there was not a race to be had on the river, a sad state of affairs.
It is at this time that ones thoughts travel out past Bradwell and the outer navigation marks to the sights of the black crane jibs and blocks of apartments; the sandy beaches and the smells of Franch. With the GPS set it’s time for the passing of the barrier and Tower Bridge around the Embankment and Mickey-Mouse at Cheyne Walk and into Frog-land.
The France Show is where Shacko from the château in deepest Essex comes to feel warmth and gaze into the eyes of the fromage damsel, who can sell arms full of fromage to Shacko with just eye contact. Shacko knows few Franch words but does say “le vin, oui rouge vous remercient” as if he’d lived at the bottom of Boulogne Hill all his life. Memories of Paris and St Marlow, Shacko’s rather old, now well travelled beret puts a strange tone into Shacko’s one remaining brain cell, and with big brown eyes looking upon the displaced barrow boy, it is as much as monsieur Wigg can do to stop a woopy involving the ability not to say ”aucun merci”
Olympia is an enchanting iron building with the sun pouring through the glass roof and the sights sounds, smells and unknown, is intoxicating, far from sailboat racing, mud banks and wind shifts and yet the wafts of Franch the ease of looks, puts an edge on ones senses not dissimilar to getting around Mr. Fulcher.
An idea of following Mr. Stein down the French canals has been a tad slighted on account that the hotel barge is unlikely to be big enough for Americans and Shacko to stay the distance. In a broken English conversation with a French boat hire company in which the words “Noddy boats” was used last year it may well be that the hire of a boat is not an option either.
So not wearing pyjamas or a baseball cap and trainers but sitting quietly at the restaurant table as soon as arrived. The vin and fromage and gateau and dodgy Franch lingo - it is an answer to not sailing.

The dates for the 2008 Travellers Trophy are coming in, now read on dit dit dit