2003 – America’s Cup and Outward Bound
This was a bit of a mixed sort of year for me. 2003 started off with my best friend Nikki and I joining the Spirit of New Zealand as volunteer voyages for the Americas Cup corporate sailings in the Auckland Hauraki Gulf. What an awesome, amazing 9 weeks of our lives!!! Seeing the international racing up front and as close as we were was just phenomenal.
When the Americas Cup came to an end Nikki and I had to return back to High School to finish of our last year of compulsory education. Throughout the year I did a few short voyages on the sailing ship which included a buddy on a disabled voyage, a deck hand on a Leadership Development Voyage and numerous day sails.
The end of my school year was coming to an end. I had recently received confirmation that I had got the cadetship to work on the SONZ in 2004. The round up 2003 I did a 21 day Mind, Body and Soul course at Outward Bound in Anakiwa in New Zealand. It was a real tester for me and the other 11 students who were on the course (most of which we are still good friends today)
2003 was a jam packed year for me and 2004 was looking at being a lot of the same… Geewhiz!!!