All I Want for Christmas is an Island Anchorage

As we head into the holiday weekend it's true that - in the sailing world - not everyone will be hanging their stockings with care above a crackling yule fire. At one extreme you have my Caribbean cruising parents who have made Antigua recently after a long slog upwind from St. Maarten. They're currently anchored in Falmouth Harbor with plans to move to the yacht basin at the Mill Reef Club later today. Not feeling sorry for them. Then at the other end we have the professional offshore racing sailors readying themselves for next week's Sydney to Hobart race. According to this article the weather report for the start is grim, with strong southerlies for the first few days of the race predicted. So if you're in my neck of the wood (Northeastern U.S.) and find yourself longing for a still distant 2007 sailing season try not to envy my folks (and their ilk)...and be glad you're not dogging the cold, nasty midnight watch aboard ABN-AMRO.