Hello to all solo sailors!

I am preparing for my 2nd SHTP (2012) aboard a Mini Transat 650 again.

It's probably going to be a long shot...but I might as well throw it out there:
The island of Kauai is a beauty. Finishing in Hanalei bay is magical. I agree. After a couple of weeks at sea, it is nice to finish there because it is a slow way back to the real and annoying civilization.

However, it feels to me that a lot of the racers or sailors are frustrated on the island. As you know, there is no or very little marine facilities, whether it is to get fuel for those who will have to motor/sail back to the mainland, or ways to get our boats out of the water and ready for shipping.

After finishing, I had to sail my boat to honolulu. This was by far the worse part of the race, beating to weather for 24 hours in gale..tearing the boat down and wasting time instead of enjoying it peacefully with my family who flew to the island. The boat suffered and it added costs as well....
Last year, it seems that some were successful in packing their boat in Kauai and have Matson shipping company pick their boat directly on the island. The downside is the cost which is more expensive it seems....In addition, being in Los Angeles, I'd rather get my boat shipped back to San Diego. My understanding is Pasha shipping might not be able to arrange delivery of the trailer and pick up in Kauai.

Long story short, although finishing in Kauai is beautiful, it sorts of ruin the entire experience due to frustration of lack of marine support that we all need when finishing the race. It also adds costs and complexity to the logistics, whether we motor/sail or ship our boats back.

Is there a way that we could finish in the island of Oahu? Kanehoe YC might not work because of Pac Cup, but because the SHTP starts usually a couple of weeks ahead, we might not be too much of an inconvenience...I also have a lot of friends, sailors and members of Waikiki and Hawaii YC who could definitely inquire and arrange hospitality and great finishing for our solo fleet.

Again, it is not as "special" as finishing in Kauai, but the way I see it, I'd rather put my boat away and fly to another island for vacation, rather than struggle through the entire process and burn "vacation days" after a long solo journey. Stress isn't fun.

Well...that's enough wood for the fire...I am curious to read everyone's opinion

Cheers

Jerome Sammarcelli
USA 577 "Biohazard"
2006 Pierre Roland Mini Transat 650
Los Angeles, CA
jerome@sailutionsusa.com
310-500-6216