The beginning

So there we were at the end of  the Argus cycle race 2011 in Cape Town V&A water front. I had just finished my first Argus in a very tiring 6 hour 24 minute. I still remember the balls of my feet felt as if a knife had sliced across them and they ached like hell. All those that had come down to take part from the Cedar lakes Drinking and Cycling Club in Johannesburg had finished and we were in Ferrymans a popular watering hole celebrating our success. Those that I can remember were Rob Nicholson, Sean Permuy, Steve Corrigan, Colin Branson, Laurie Mey, Stuart Vere-Russell and Mark Nel. We were joined by two other friends of mine, Shaun Verster and Jean-Marie Van der Elst. I found myself at some point sitting at the table with Shaun, Sean and Jean in particular and some how we got on to the subject of sailing and the Cape to Rio. Before long, buoyed on by our recent cycling success and possibly some well earned pints, we were contemplating taking on a new challenge. We did realise that there were some logistical and practical realities to sailing from Cape Town to Rio so the date was set well into the future as January 2014 and I am sure was considered by some to suitably out of mind sight that it would be forgotten. The night rambled on….. and we headed our separate ways!