I am returning to this race for the fourth time (1994, 2000, and 2006). In 2000 everything worked very well with the boat and the sailing conditions. I though that it was a perfect trip and I would never need to go again.

However, after six years I needed "another baby" as my patients used to tell me. I only went about 200 miles and returned for lots of reasons. Now I would would like to complete that trip across the Pacific.

My wife, Mary, taught me to sail in Galveston Bay and I have been hooked ever since. I have sailed dinghies, Catalina 22, Santa Cruz 27, as well as NaNa. I love the ocean passages, and arriving in Hanalei Bay being greeted by my family and friends. The idea of racing for two weeks is wild and exciting. Mary will make me several meals of lasagna and of tacos so I will be eating like a king. The personal satisfaction is sailing to Hawaii as fast as reasonably possible in my boat, handling all the little problems that occur, and doing the navigation and weather predicting that can get me there even faster.

I usually sleep in 20 minute naps and one 90 minute segment during the night if possible. I use two Baby Ben alarms and a radar detector as well as AIS and usually run my strobe at night.

I use Autohelm 6000 autopilot and MOnitor windvane as secondary and for the trip home.