Mama Mia! 2023: The Year of the Med

AHOY! Welcome to I'dRatherBeSailing, where we serve just the hits. Imagine Kenny Loggins and Capt. Ron went sailing together...

In today's letter we have:

• Golden Globe Race: Award for the Rescue 🏆

• Mama Mia!: This Week's Sand Dollar Savings 🇬🇷

• 2023: A Prediction or Two €

• Sailing History: Around the World in January 🌎

Rob Steven Seamanship Trophy

Kirsten Neuschafer was awarded the annual Rob Steven Seamanship trophy for her rescue of fellow racer, Tapio Lehtinen, after his ship suddenly sank in the night during the Golden Globe Race. The rescue took place, quite literally, on the high seas in 2-3 metre sell, hundreds of miles off the coast of Africa. We covered the initial news and rescue, which you can re-read here.

Kirsten is currently second in the race, but first place in our hearts. Here's to her hopefully winning the Golden Globe Race in 2023

Mama Mia!

New year, new deals! And you know we love us a good sailing deal. This one almost snuck past us too, buried deep in our promotions inbox. A certain charter company, that rhymes with Schmun Schmail, is running a sale. A couple things to note:

• Schmun Schmail does not sponsor us

• We're going to take FULL and shameless advantage of this deal

• No links

• Do your own research

So where is the best deal, you ask? The most deck for your dollar, the most wind for your wallet?

Did we check every destination, with departures in the next few months?

You betchya.

And the winner is...

Greece! (Sorry, Caribbean).

If you charter for 14 days during the May shoulder season (which as any respectable Mediterranean Curmudgeon will tell you is the best season) your two free days will save around $1,000 on a late model, 3 cabin Jeanneau. A 5 person bareboat crew would be able to cruise for $100 per person, per day, after all taxes, fees, and Hull Insurance. Of course food and wine is extra, but hey, sunsets are always free. Now, thats the kind of math we like. But, it's expensive to fly to Greece, right?

Nope! Europe is fully open for travel, and round trip flights, in May, from JFK to Athens, can be found for under $500. There are 3 Schmun Schmail bases in Greece, with varying degrees of proximity and difficulty to get to from Athens. Here's where things start to get really spicy though...

Dollar Parity.

Surely, that sentence just made you weak in the knees. Try to contain yourself. (And don't call me Shirley).

Now, saying it how Captain Ron would understand it: The value of the Euro has dropped (war, recession), so it is now worth the same as the US Dollar. It used to be more expensive to go to Europe, since the Euro was worth more. Now, its cheaper. More boat for your buck. The same charter, paid for in Euros, now becomes effectively 30% cheaper.

This ain't school, and we're not giving away all of our secrets, but we'll just say theres lots of very interesting travel opportunities this year. Also, this message will self destruct in 5 seconds...

Around the World

And now, to kick off January, some historical tidbits that happened in the sailing world.

1. January 18, 1922 - The first successful sailing of a hydrofoil boat took place on the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy.

2. January 26, 1936 - The first sailing of the "Star" class sailboat, a popular one-design racing class, took place on Lake Minnetonka in Minnesota, USA.

3. January 4, 1950 - The first ocean racing yacht to be designed and built in Australia, the "Gretel," was launched in Sydney.

4. January 10, 1969 - The British sailor Robin Knox-Johnston became the first person to sail solo, non-stop around the world. He completed the journey in 312 days aboard his yacht, the "Suhaili."

5. January 22, 1988 - The first edition of the BOC Challenge, a solo, round-the-world yacht race, began in Charleston, South Carolina, USA. The race was won by the French sailor Laurent Bourgnon.

6. January 10, 2001 - The Volvo Ocean Race, a round-the-world sailing race, began in Southampton, England. The race was won by the Danish yacht "Illbruck Challenge."

That's all for today, stay safe out there, and a very salty New Year to all you dear readers!