Festival Day 1 Report

Festival started yesterday and boy was it a hoot! We had to inspect and adapt quickly when the organizer asked us to relocate Alizée to make room for a bigger boat. That suddenly dropped the visibility of our Colorado calling on the transom (back of the boat). Realizing the lost opportunity to tell our story, the marketing part of my brain went in immediate action to create a minimum viable fact sheet.

People would squint at the poster probably thinking the boat was for sale and looking for a price tag. Instead we saw jaw droppings. Built in Colorado? you're kidding me, right? did you sail her here? Did you build it from a kit? Nope scratch. Surely you built in a garage while in Colorado. Nope in our uncovered driveway.

Then Alizée's designer, Dudley Dix, added to the marketing masterplan by requesting that Alizée be entered in the "I Built it Myself" contest. Participants have to move their boat to the lawn for best viewing, so we figured we did not qualify but we are now in that contest - kinda rightfully if u ask me. New poster board added to the deck and new set of judges will examine her today.

By mid-afternoon, we were getting very hot looking for shade in the cockpit as we answered the many questions people had.  "What is her deck made off?" was the #1 question. Her marine cork (not teak) was puzzling to them. "Where are you taking her?" Maine? "do you have a sonar to look for rocks?" New Englanders from all over were dropping us their cell number to volunteer local knowledge when we pass by their area. We got to speak French to 3 folks, but not a single soul asked what Alizée stands for. I would have lost that bet!

Spencer was getting hot (what is it about the sun here? it feels so hot! and you get so tan so quickly) so he decided to cool off by rigging Puff for sailing, another casualty project of Bill's 

"Stop building and start sailing" movement as the festival deadline approached.

We ended the day in true Connor celebration fashion, with the 3 brothers and some of their offsprings at the Engine Room brewery. Today more family members are coming from Boston to see us and the judges will come aboard to rate Ms. Alizée! It is humbly to see the admiration in the eyes of sailors walking around the show.