Tilly Mint's travels

You might have heard about the famous Bucket regatta that took place in Newport last weekend. Big yachts sailing around the bay and competing for one the most prestigious trophies of the season, all that is great but I feel like we have all seen it before. Let me tell you about the REAL Bucket Challenge that simultaneously took place in Newport last weekend. Shame on the press for not giving the event the publicity it clearly deserved. Make sure you have a scoop of ice-cream in front of you and enter with us the fabulous ice-cream shop of Spinnakers in Jamestown, right across the river from Newport. No, your eyes are not deceiving you, this is real! After two weeks of discovering New England, from Boston to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, Tilly Mint, her owner, his family and crew finally arrived in Newport after a very calm night sail. Two weeks of eating all the desserts prepared by a French chef made them feel ready to take on the challenge that the Captain had been dre...

Last week we woke up to find Newport harbor drowned in fog - and the Harbormaster circling around Tilly Mint, waiting for the Eagle to come into port. The Eagle is the Coast Guard Tall Ship, an impressive looking three mast square rigger that barely fits in the channel and has to be helped by two tug boats to maneuver in the harbor. Phantom masts behind Goat Island Emerging from the fog The Eagle looked completely surreal as she emerged from the fog and slowly glided past us in the early morning light. Of course I got my camera out to capture the moment - but little did we know that at the very moment I was snapping a shot of her, someone on board was doing exactly the same thing! Much to our surprise, we received this morning a picture taken by Ron Holland - who designed the Discovery 67 - as he happened to be on the Eagle that day and was pleasantly surprised when the first boat they saw as they came out of the fog was Tilly Mint! Tilly Mint seen from the Eagle The ...