Yippee kay yay! Wild day. 20 knots + and gusts up to 30. One boat broke its mast. 14, 3, 5 today and third for the event.

Moms should be proud. We left the class party (on a castle) early last night to get some shut-eye (competative advantage). Day three. Game on. The breeze seems to have moderated overnight, but it's still forecast to blow. Racing should be done by 9 AM EST on Sunday.

The only boat racing that is happening in Cagliari today is happening off of the water.

Day 1 Photos

Sailing is still postponed. We'll know within the next 30 minutes what the verdict is for the day. A mistral blew in from the Continent and winds have been consistently in the high twenties for most of the day. The class limit for racing is 25 knots, and gear starts breaking around 30, so it's probably a good decision to have kept the fleet in while this wind blows through. The team has been relaxing for most of the day on the beach or in vineyards, so life is good here in the middle of the Med. Photos from today's excursions will be uploaded sometime tonight or tomorrow, but in the mean time, enjoy these pics from yesterday.

Not racing == beach and wineries. Fun sport.

Postponed for now. 20-25 knot sustained winds with 30+ knot gusts.

Both American teams in race 1. Bliksem finished 2nd and Argo finished 3rd in that race. Team93, an Italian team, won the race.

Fourth place now. Two points out of second. Tight grouping in the standings. It's still anyone's regatta.

We're coming off the water now. 3, 8 today. Tomorrow might get blown out.

Cagliari Photos

Hey folks, I'm just throwing up a few pictures while the skippers meeting is under way. The first race is in two hours! Wish us luck!



The Team Arriving at the Airport


The View from our Villa - We look out over the bay on which Yacht Club Cagliari is located. That's our race course out there.


Dock Party


The Fleet


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Ben Bardwell - Mast and Foredeck


Patrick Mauro - Pit and Sewer


Tuning Up the Boat - Practice Day 1


Inglesia on the Harbor


Coming in from Practice Day 1


Cruising back to the dock after practice races

PRACTICE COMPLETE, NOW FOR RACING

Greetings from Team Argo in Cagliari!

As I write this the team is watching the sun set from a yacht on Cagliari Harbor. With two days of practice under our belts, we're eager to start races tomorrow. The fleet of 23 boats is mostly Italian, with a few boats from GBR, GER, and USA (Bliksem, Star, and Argo) thrown in for good measure. In today's practice racing, the competition was close, with a packed start line and impressive boat handling all around.

So far the weather has been hot: a humid 85-90 degreese fahrenheit that bakes ou unti you're out on the water sailing. Winds have been from the south (the sea) a about 10-15 knots, with an occasional gust to the high teens. That's supposed to be the forecast for the rest of our stay here, so it's sure to be a breezy regatta.

That's it for now. An amazing pasta dinner awaits. (The food has been amazing!)

Ciao,

Patrick (for the Argonauts)

We just got off the water after another great day of practice. Expect photos and another update tonight!

The team just landed in Italy, and it's a balmy Med. morning. We just drove by the fleet on the way to the villa. We're quickly dropping off our bags and then it's time for some practice!

Lift Off

Five months ago, it began with a direct goal stated in a simple way: Win the Worlds. Today, we begin our journey to make good on that vision. For the last two years, Argo has competed against teams from the US and around the world at venues all across the eastern seaboard from Newport, RI, to Key West, FL. We've seen teams that hail from Germany, Great Britain, Canada, Monaco, and Italy -- teams that have raced swiftly and smartly despite the disruptive unfamiliarity of competition in a foreign land. Today, we become one of those teams. Today, we journey to Sardinia secure in our dedication to the boat and to each other and with the calm resolve of a band of sailors that has been tested together in the past. Today, we journey to Sardinia to win.

Wheels up in 18 hours. Watch out everyone. We're going to bring the heat.