Spoiler:

Welcome to the Whitby Regatta Yacht Race. For sign up and instructions, go here. The race will start on Friday the 22nd, but you are welcome to post your characters arriving and interacting here until then. Have fun!

The air was buzzing with expectation. The weather was perfect today. It was warm, but there was a cool breeze blowing in from the southwest, enough to push a yacht on with easy speed but without too much swaying. If one knew how to sail.
 
The piers, quays and bridge were already packed with exuberant the exuberant crowd. Vendors were trying to relief the audience of their coin, as was the occasional straying hand. The boats were picking up the last of their crew or making their way to the starting line near Tate Hill pier. Off shore, six brightly coloured buoys indicated the route the competing yachts were to take. The first team to cross the invisible line between the piers after rounding all six counter clockwise would win the race. The lifeboat lay ready in the harbour to fish up any incompetent fools who thought they could sail.

They had all come to Whitby, Tobias, Alice and little Emma, the wetnurse, and Jim and Jenny. A day out to watch Tobias drown compete. Tobias had gone to the docks early to get some last minute lessons, while the rest of the household had gone to look for a good spot to watch the race.

Just before the beginning of the race, Alice had handed Emma over to the care of the wetnurse, saying she needed to use the ladies. Instead, she had rushed to the docks, found the boat that Lory was on, and nimbly jumped on before anyone could stop her. As soon as she felt the harbour wind in her face and the swaying of the boat, a pleasant rush went through her system that sent a healthy blush to her cheeks.

Christine had been quite pleased with the ship she'd borrowed. She knew there was a chance she'd have to pay for the entire thing if they crashed it, but she trusted Ellie with the knowledge and had been learning enough that she could help out a little. When the woman came aboard, she gave a small wave and smiled warmly.

"Hello, welcome aboard!" She was trying to practice a knot even though the harsh rope was rough on her delicate fingers. "I am the captain, Christine Pennyfeather. You are?" She asked, curiously. Cheri had mentioned others coming so she assumed this woman was one of them.

Alice turned her head to the sound. A very pretty young lady, who had to be Miss Pennyfeather - as the woman then confirmed. "Alice Wa-," no. Then in a wave of defiance: "Alice Ward, miss. Thank you for letting me join. Let me get that knot for ye." Alice knew almost every knot under the sun.

Christine gave her a gentle look as she let her have the ropes but leaned in to watch her tie the knot. "It's wonderful to have you on the ship, Miss Ward! I am thrilled to do this, but I have little idea on sailing other than reading a book. Luckily just about all of you have experience, but I'd feel bad just standing back and watching." It is true, she loved being lazy but this was her idea and she worried if she had nothing useful to do, she'd be in their way.

Murphy was lucky his own boat, the 'Sarff Diefling' was more than enough he felt for this race. He was at the dock and looked in the direction where his kids were staying with their sitter, a nice woman with several kids who lived not far from him. He was far more concerned for them than he was about the bakery stall he had someone set up for him. He was preparing the ship and checking things out hoping his crew would be able to handle her.

He was a large, quiet man but there was a small bit of excitement to be participating in the race. It was perhaps one of the first fun things he'd been doing for himself since her death. He wanted to enjoy this, even if they didn't win and he had a lot of faith in the crew he'd gotten to join, even if he didn't really know them. What better way to start? If they even cared to know him after this race, but he wanted to try to be positive. The sky was clear and the wind was refreshing and reminded him of the good old days. Maybe it was a good sign.

Things were starting to get better. Alice had recovered well and after the reverend and he had talked to the girl for a long time, she had finally admitted her wrongs. Tobias had admitted his. And it seemed they could move on. Alice acted more civilized these days, and after her initial rejection, she now took an interest in her own child, though now she seemed jealous of the wetnurse, and was alternately overly possessive of her child and withdrew once again. Still, she was better behaved, and Tobias believed that in time, they could have a normal family life, and that idea gave him some peace of mind. He too started to feel better.

So when Tristan had invited him, he had said yes in an optimistic mood, even before remembering that he didn't know how to sail. Ah, but how hard could it be? He would just follow instructions and be the muscle. He rather liked the idea of joining this competition with a team of men and doing some hard labour together.

He looked around the boat. What had the captain told him to do again?

Murphy looked over as at least one man seemed a bit confused. He used his cane to get on board and approached him. He reached over and showed him how to make sure a few lines were well secured before they started. "There isn't much before we start, relax." He wanted to smile to help the man's worries, but he never smiled. When he tried, it looked unnatural.

"Do you want a reminder?" He'd only shown him a little before, but it was a lot to take in at once. "We will pull the anchor and partially lower sails to move to the spot to go. Then, when it is time, we fully release the sails. I will steer, and call out orders. Do you remember the parts of the boat?" The last thing he wanted was to try to tell his men to prepare for going right and they all go left.

Tristan's father had owned a shipping business, so he knew something about boats. The maximum load for big colliers for example and their prices. Useful information in a yacht race.

The crash course he had received just now offered some compensation for the fact that he didn’t understand how sails worked and how to use them. He now knew enough to know what he had to do. Like tightening this rope right now. He tried to untie it, but it was tied tightly and he frowned down at it. How?

Lory had gotten a nice new sailing dress just for the occasion. She’d been dreading seeing her Uncle Ben in a boat, the one lone disgraced Ward … but Alice came!

“Alice!” she sang in answer to Christine, shifting her weight to steady the boat as she jumped on. “Chéri! This is Alice,” she nodded enthusiastically to the only other redhead aboard. “She is my smartest-” she tapped her temple and pointed at Alice, “-cousin!”

There was a mischievous smile when Alice introduced herself by her maiden name.