Bravo 2, Charlie 2, Foxtrot 2 & Sierra 2, Day 14: Anegada Beach Club

Written by Andrew Forsyth

Edited by Meredith Evridge

Today the fleet had a 7:00 AM wake up to a peaceful morning at the Leverick Bay Marina. Boats were fueled, watered up, and set to cruise for the next few days at sea. The fleet headed north towards the island of Anegada, on one of their longest sails so far. The water, already beautiful, became turquoise in color and even more clear as we approached this island. We could see the trees before we could see any other distinguishing feature, as it is a flat island.

Around midday, we navigated the shallow coastal waters and picked up mooring balls at Anegada. Upon arrival, we had a quick lunch of quesadillas and headed to shore. We were all picked up by trucks and enjoyed a scenic ride to the Anegada Beach Club.

The relaxing afternoon began with a shark and rays lesson on the beach where our marine biologists taught us about the behaviors, environment, and preservation measures we can take to protect these wonderful creatures.

There was plenty of time for relaxing in shaded hammocks nestled between sand dunes at the Anegada Beach Club. The cafe there had wonderful hostesses that took good care of everyone, bringing out orders of refreshing smoothies, pizza, and other tasty items. Later in the afternoon, a lionfish history and anatomy lesson was taught to Sierra campers and others that wanted to join. Wrapping up our visit to the beach, we took a group photo of Mega Fleet in all their sandy glory!

Following the beach excursion, we took a calm dinghy ride back to boats under a gorgeous sunset. After dinner, the skipper, mate, and navigator for tomorrow’s Challenge Day sail headed over to staff boat for a briefing on how the day would go tomorrow. Gathered around the cockpit, they received the schedule for the next day and learned about the navigation for their sail. They were told that they’d be taking over the boat and that they’d have a maximum of three questions they could ask the staff during the sail! Otherwise, they’d be working with each other as a team. They were excited as they returned back to their home boats to relay the messages to their boat mates. After the boat meeting, a quiet night on board was had, ensuring plenty of rest for the challenging day ahead.