Dear Will, Margaret and Susan,

I am loving following the voyage. It looks tremendous. You are definitely the right side of the pond at present with Ivan chomping his way round the caribbean!

Julie and I stopped off in Lisbon en route to the Azores last summer (but by plane of course) but didn't get time to head down to the harbour. Lovely town we thought though.

Wedding preparations intensifying as the big day arrives. In three weeks time I'll be an honest man. Terrifying thought. The end of the sailing season approachign here as well. I am over to Oban this w/e for a final sail before hauling the boat for the winter. A few people have enjoyed my Hic venit GLORIA MUNDI and sic transit GLORIA MUNDI, except that I was alongside the pontoon in Arisaig in July, and heard some laughter from ashore. I came up to discover two retired classics master, who enjoyed the pun. Unfortunately, I got my grammar wrong they told me- it should be 'huc venit GLORIA MUNDI' (to this place comes GM) rather than hic 'to this person'. So much for the clever name! Anyway, what is a classics master doing in Arisaig of all places?

Having said 'never again' on being driven back to the Azores by a threatened F9 last year, I have just received the entry form for the 2007 AZAB through the post, and the more I think about it the more attractive it seems! Much more fun in your own boat.

The building site opposite your flat is gradually growing. I am enjoying watching it, and will be moving in to Julie's flat when i return from honeymoon.

Best wishes to you all and do keep blogging

Richard

r.weller@ed.ac.uk