A big thanks from Nick & Dee

["Dee White" <dee crinan net>]

Hi everyone,



Well I'm back at last!  The great adventure is over and I'm trying to
settle back into the old routine.  Well not quite - with no job, no car
and no money it's not quite the same situation as when I left.  It's
actually nearly a month since the Race finished but I stayed in
Portsmouth for an extra 4 days, helping to sort out the boat and then
take it over to Cowes where the UKSA (one of our sponsors) put on a
barbeque for us.  I returned home on July 20th just before Dee went up
to Buxton for the festival, so I then had 5 days on my own trying to get
used to being at home.  After only four days at home together I headed
down south again for Cowes week to work on Malin, Hilary Lister's yacht
sponsored by Pindar, helping adapt it for her attempt to be the first
quadriplegic to solo the Channel under sail. Now that takes real
courage, far more than sailing round the world!!  Then it was back home
again and at last Dee felt that I had really returned.  Before, it
seemed as if I was off on another leg of the race, without the
excitement.



So what happens now?  Well I'm having my left wrist operated on this
Monday, just a simple op. but it will restrict the use of my left hand
for a few weeks.  With this in mind I've been getting on with a bit of
long overdue DIY and trying to find room to stow all my Challenge gear
and clothing.  This weekend we're going to N Wales to visit Sarah and
family.  I haven't seen the grandchildren since I left Portsmouth last
October.

We're also celebrating our Wedding Anniversary this weekend.  After
missing Christmas and both our birthdays I daren't forget this one.
After that I shall have to start thinking about what I'm going to do in
the future.  No easy task!



Now for the main reason for this letter, to say a huge "thank you" to
all of you who have supported Dee and me during the last 10 months.
Your interest in the race, the knowledge that many of you were following
it on the website and especially your emails to both of us, have really
kept us going.  We hope that we'll be able to get together with those of
you who live near enough, so watch this space for news and hopefully
we'll be able to arrange a date to share a few drinks and tell a few
stories.



Many thanks



Nick & Dee



PS Sorry if you get this twice my group email is misbehaving again.