Happy Birthday Mariner

The way we were, barreling along while the wind blown spume speeds downwind like smoke. It's one year after launching, Circa 1980. Mariners hull was then painted Royal Blue. Here we are racing with the number one working jib and one reef in the mains'l on Whangarei harbour with Limestone Island in the background. There was a fresh South Westerly wind blowing, gusting to 30 knots.
Great, great sailing that day; one of many, many more that were to come. After this sail I blinked twice and found it was 2014. That makes Mariner 35 years old this year! Time for a birthday party shipmates, that's for sure.