01 Sep – San Remo

After a slow motor down the coast, sheltering under the bimini, we see a very large gaff sail in the distance. We eventually arrive off San Remo. There is no wind and the water is an amazing turquoise; we swim to cool off. Then other gaff sails start to arrive and it is obvious there is going to be a race. It turns out we are about to watch the start of a major racing event – the Schooner Cup and 15m Class Trophy. The Schooners Elena and Mariette make a magnificent sight. Elena is obviously having difficulty with a topsail as we see men walking up the main gaff! And there are five or six 15m yachts. The sea is full of classic yachts and soon the memory card on the camera is even more full!

After the start the yachts head off seawards and we head into San Remo. In the marina office we meet the same lady who we had met in the office at San Lorenzo – the two marinas are related. We walked into town, pausing at the yacht club to view close-to the 15m yachts and schooners who were returning. In town we enjoyed beers, live music and street food before returning to the boat to attack the wine stores bought in Genoa.