Azores Sea Week 3

"The last race of the week we opted out of as there were very light winds (and we felt sorry for the committee boat that had to follow us all week...)

SEA WEEK or "Semana do Mar" has been a part of Horta's summer fun for over 30 years. It ran this year from August 6 - 13 (but they also included two "extra" days prior to the "official" opening...) It is a VERY big deal for this area and all the islands are included in one way or another.

Sea week ended with a bang! We were so glad we stayed the summer here in Horta to experience it all. Lots of fun - but we were exhausted by the end of the week and glad it was over.

The 6.5 meter "mini" class from France joined in the fun for the last race so the field overall was almost 100 boats! Very little winds made for a "Very" long race (over 4 hours for some) and we were glad we had decided to stay in port and just watch from the wall! Adrian Hardy (Red Sail - who won the first leg of the Les Sables - Horta race started out strong but ended up 6th in this race. Emidio (our dock neighbor) ended up winning his class (again)!

The parade on Sunday night was lots of fun...

Tania could not quite figure out what this first "float" (it lead the parade) was trying to say...PAZ on a tank that was "firing" Hydrangeas (and playing John Lennon music) at the same time! The Giant "Hydrangea" was the next "float" so she knew she was in for some fun that night! But when the third "float" of a group of older people in a "bathroom" setting appeared she wondered what could be next?

But things got a bit more sedate as floats and groups of ethnic dancers and local church groups moved on by.

There were floats about how ancestors made rope and oxen pulled combines along Avenida 25 de Avril!

A "float" moved by which explained the recipe and instructions on how to make their famous "sweet" bread. Instead of candy the ladies were very busy cutting up slices of sweet bread for the kids (she was Very busy!) There was also the "3 Men in a Boat" Float complete with working oars and a lighthouse!

After the parade the Horta Clube Naval hosted a great party for all the racers! A feast of local fish, ribs, rice, potatoes, bread and salad with rice pudding for desert. The party was fun for all! Middle picture is of Bob in between Jean Pierre (my mechanic - who took four 1st place finishes in his class) and Ronald Casper (a marina neighbor). The entire evening (and week) ended with a fantastic fireworks display off my stern at 0130 am! What a great Week! We had so much fun and at the same time glad it was finally over!