A foiling, racing Catamaran was placed in front of Goldilocks in the boatyard for some modifications and maintenance.

http://dnaperformancesailing.com/ is the website. It looks gorgeous. Today they launched it. The big task was installing the new main foils, which, as I understand were redesigned. They were a good 4-5m long so the crane picked up the boat (4 tons) while the crew manhandled them into place. A mis-move on the crane operators part and I heard a couple yells and an unnerving “crack”, but it seemed to be OK. It doesn’t look like they’ve done it very many times, but it was not too bad a show. This is the third boat/prototype. Apparently it is bound for a Megayacht in the Caribbean to be a rich-man’s toy, carried on deck. Soon all the megayachts will have to have one!
I was told they got either 27 or 37 knots of boat speed with 14 knots of wind out here on the Markermeer!! Either is pretty impressive.
Very cool looking boat, heavy on the carbon fiber and synthetic rigging. Not a boat I’d like to take across the Atlantic, except the trip would be so short I might not mind the spartan, racing accommodations! Apparently one of these has done a transatlantic already, and it was fast. What a gorgeous and expensive toy!

in Almere, NL

I’ve mainly heard of Eurovision from old Monty Python, so was not very familiar with the concept. It’s a talent (amateur singers) show that’s been around longer than any other I’m aware of. Started in 1956!! Europe only.
We prepared appropriately with a fine meal and two great bottles of wine after a long day of working on Goldilocks in the boatyard. 🙂
Most of it’s a blur, but here are a few pics and thoughts. This year it was held in Ukraine. Russia did not compete. The singer was banned from visiting Ukraine for three years by the country’s security services for touring Crimea in 2015 after it was annexed by Russia. Sad to see it get political.

I got to swim with Dolphins for the first time! I’ve seen them many times playing in my bow wake, but never got a chance to get in the water with them.

I was sitting on deck having a Pizza Pi when a pod of Dolphins swam through the anchorage. Once I realized they weren’t going to leave right away I jumped in with mask and fins. A couple big pizza slices in my belly did not make it easier. There were 8 individuals, 2 young ones and 2 appeared to be yearlings. As a family unit it was more about the babies playing so they didn’t pay much attention to the humans trailing them. Mostly it was me and a woman swimming after them, but later a couple more joined the paparazzi.
I clicked in my snorkel and got a little attention. One turned toward me and got closer, but not for long. It was all I could do to keep up with little breath left for diving down, but I managed it a couple times and they paid more attention when I did. Very fun, but I wish they’d been a little slower.