Andy began by relating his story that started at Outward Bound almost 18 months ago when he committed to fulfilling his dream of owning a yacht and sailing around New Zealand. Nothing it would seem went strictly according to plan, there were numerous challenges he faced during this 81 day voyage most of which he only briefly alluded to.
As an inexperienced sailor it was a gutsy undertaking made possible with the support of Gary Key, Mike Henry, David Hartstone and Alex McKenzie from our club plus a few other friends and family that joined him along the way for various legs of the voyage. While most of us bemoaned the lack of our traditional warm sunny summer days, !ndy was out there battling these same unseasonable conditions. He reported the weather vacillated between gales and very rough seas to no wind at all making sailing almost impossible!
