A SECOND TRY AT THE SOUTH Randall Reeves (Born and raised in Northern California, Randall grew up reading and dreaming of the sea. He learned to sail on the rivers of central California and often ‘borrowed’ the family boat for solo ventures to San Francisco Bay. While in college he interviewed world-famous solo sailor Bernard Moitessier for his campus radio station. He began his own solo adventures in 2010 with a two-year Pacific loop in a 30ft ketch. He then acquired Mōli (whom he refers to throughout as Mo), a 45ft (13·7m) aluminium sloop previously owned by OCC member Tony Gooch, and in October 2017 left on his first attempt at the ‘Figure 8 Voyage’ – a solo circumnavigation of both the American and Antarctic continents in one season. Forced to call it quits after Mo sustained damage, he set off again a year later ... and the rest is history. Randall sent in daily posts from sea, including high-resolution photographs, and has since produced The Figure 8 Voyage book, a picture book of images from some of the remotest places on the planet, which can be purchased from his website at www.figure8voyage.com. A more detailed book is planned for the near future. Randall received the 2019 Barton Cup for his and Mōli’s achievement, as reported in Flying Fish 2020/1.) “Reeves, you are a beacon on the shoals of life,” yelled a man from up the dock. All morning I had worked on deck. The weekend had emptied the yard of its workers, quieting the bustle of lifts and cranes. Today there would be no interruptions from passers-by and I could happily focus on the present task, preparing Mo for her second Randall and Mo on their return to California in October 2019
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