Stories from Down Under

I was aware that a couple of ex-pats from Burnham were intending to sail in the Australian Nationals in Perth just after Christmas and this is a copy of the correspondence I received back from Hugh Howard, (GBR 600) and as you can see he did not actually make it there, well not to sail. So these are his words on the sad event.

"Sadly Perth didn't happen for us as a sailing event. The very abbreviated version goes thus.
On leave Melborne at 0400 on Boxing Day, car expires hour and half later on the Pentland Hills. Go back to Rowille. Get car fixed the next day - start again, expire again, and not much further on, limp to Adelaide (slowly all night topping up the radiator every 50kms). Get car checked by Nissan main dealer who passes it with flying colours so they want to keep it for a week to lift the head etc. to find why we are pressurising the system. Limp back to Melbourne (16 hours). Leave boat in drive and fly to Perth. Try to borrow a Dragon but it doesn't measure so went on a wineries and beach tour of Perth instead. My wife's sister in law lives in Perth so we had a good family holiday. The polo shirts had already been ordered so they are currently the most expensive shirts I've ever bought!"