Location: West End, Tortola
The last day on Side by Side was one to remember. I was skipper for the day and attended the early skippers meeting with Margaux. We both wore matching outfits. I pulled the number one spot for the start, which means we had the best positioning for the start. After Sean, Emerson, Mariah, Leuck, and I helmed for the race, we pulled a fourth overall and first out of the catamarans and beat two monohulls. Emotions were at an all-time high after crossing the finish line. After that, we began the impossible task of deep cleaning the boat/packing. After three hours of hard work, we all settled down for pizza. Then we had shore time which was spent wandering around and using the last day to full advantage to spend time with the people we became closest to this trip.
Talia and Gianna tried to dip their feet in the water and got sprayed instead. After shore time, we got ready for the final barbecue and had the final squeeze of the trip. The question was what you would miss most. After some very heartfelt responses, we took our final photos with the group. After that, the AQ flag was cut into strips and divided among us. Hugh and Cate got their strips of flag signed by as many people as possible at the barbecue. The food was super good. After the BBQ, we all had time with the fleet to spend time on each other’s boats. Selah saw her friends she hadn’t seen all trip. Charlie introduced us to his cousins, who are also down here with us. This day has been tiring and sad for most of us. I’m pretty certain we’re all gonna miss the experience we had this summer. I can’t say for everyone, but I’m going to miss everyone I met in the BVI’s this summer.