OzOne wrote:
Yep, Chay was there, big as ever!
He presented the trophy to the winners of the NZ/Syd leg.

Had a scotch with him and chatted about the Challenge.

OK, now I'm officially envious. That sounds very cool.

Sponsors for each boat pretty much cover costs and paying crew cover
theirs and the cost of paid crew.
Of course Challenge get their cut.
5-8000 English pound for each leg and crew of 18 on each yacht, so
they do alright.


I used to make fun of people who would pay to go on an "adventure" like
that, such as those guided tours of Mt Everest... but it really is a
good idea for many people. They might have a great desire for the
experience, but not the skills or the time to acquire the skills (since
they've been too busy making money!). So it supports the boats (and
they're cool boats even if they are steel) and supports the skippers
(who need a job too, after all) who have gained the skills.

It just kind of surprised me that the whole thing could be turned into a
profitable enterprise. "Let's get people to pay enormous sums to be
seasick & miserable & stay up on night watches while bashing their way
around the world the wrong way." Yep, sounds like a great business plan!

Fresh Breezes- Doug King