More interst in the Key West Race

Last evening I met with two of my former students, Pete and Don.  They’re graduates of my six day ASA 101 - 104 program.  I remember them both as good students and sailors, as well as fun guys to sail with.  Oddly, they are ex-brothers-in law who remained like brothers beyond the tenure of their marriages. 

They'd come to St Petersburg to meet with me and to talk about the possibility of getting involved in either the annual regatta from here to Isla Mujeres Mexico at the end of April, or the regatta to Key West in mid-May.  As I posted earlier, I've already got another group of former students who have committed to the Key West Race on the Jeanneau 50 with me as their skipper.  If not for that prior commitment, I'm confident that Pete and Don would commit to the event with me as their skipper.  Instead, they are now contemplating doing the race on a smaller boat along with two friends and fellow sailors.  My former students may well become fellow competitors.     

 I hope they pull it together to do the race.  It would be very gratifying for me to see former students take on the challenge, have that experience and boost in their confidence.  Beyond that, there's a selfish reason I hope they do it.  You see, Don lived in Key West for many years and worked there as a bar tender.  He was Bar Tender of the Year there once, and in Key West, that's saying something!  Don has offered that if we wind up in Key West together, he will be my guide to the local insider’s haunts of Key West, which promises to be insanely fun. He's also promised that since he still knows all the cops in Key West, he'll be able to keep us from getting arrested.