Sunday 7th July

Jean Says: Our mission today was to watch the men's tennis finals, and there were two places in Sovereign Harbour marina that had big TV's. One was a dodgy looking bar on the marina front, and the other was the yacht club that welcomed visiting yachtsmen. So Bob being a man, off a yacht and also visiting, went to the yacht club, and I had to go to the bar. Actually, that's not true. We both started off in the bar and ended up at the yacht club. I think they let me in without question because of the beard and the eyepatch I'm now sporting. We also had a trip to Asda. So all in all a very exciting day. What a shame Murray didn't win. It would have been so good for British morale to win Wimbledon the same year as hosting the Olympics and having the Queen's Diamond jubilee.

Bob says: what a shame about Murray, but even more depressing was the way the Sunday Times decided to cover the pre-match story on its front page. Rather than talking about the tough challenge he would have, what an example to young people his application and effort to get to the top of the game was, the boost to British morale if he won, or any number of other sporting and character themes, they decide to major on how his fortune would rise by another £100m. What a bunch of toss pots! Maybe going around Britain has turned me into an even grumpier old man and maybe we get the media we deserve, but I just thought, what a pity, just feeding the celebrity voyeuristic culture and encouraging people to think that money is all it's about. They didn't even temper the story by making the point that all these guys aren't driven to achieve what they do because of the money, it's the ideal of sport, competing and winning - or have I got it wrong? Rant over!

We're now only two passages away from the end of our adventure, the first tomorrow takes us to Itchenor and meeting up with Richard and Sue on Violet. Then it's Lymington on Tuesday and the end. Bill and Margaret, Jean's mum and dad, will be there to meet us and no doubt we will raise a glass or two to the hero of the trip, Bella-Rosa-the-wonder-boat (to the tune of Champion the Wonder Horse of course).

Here's a picture of 'Jambo' who we met in the Orkneys and then again in Ramsgate. This is them sailing with us to Eastbourne yesterday





As well as Jambo we've met three other roundbritainers on this trip. We met Miss Amelia in Arklow, and they finished in Eastbourne a few weeks ago. Alize is pottering around the Thames estuary and has to get back to Cardiff for their home port. We spent a lot of time with Dawn Treader and shared a few gin and tonics and glasses of wine with them. They are one port behind us right now, in Ramsgate, and we hope to see them in Lymington before they make their final passage home to Dartmouth.