(Grand Cruz Bay, St John, US Virgin Islands)- How is that for a winter-time "home address"? One of the world's prettiest anchorages in the Caribbean! We LOVE these updates from our cruising J sailors that continue to criss-cross the Seven Seas. This one comes from
Alan Fougere, sailing his beloved J/160 AVATAR.

Alan
sent us an update commenting on their passage south this winter,
"In mid-December AVATAR completed her
sixth transit to her winter
Caribbean home, Grand Cruz Bay, St. John, USVI (seen above) from her
home port in Quissett (Falmouth), MA. A crew of three, Captain Alan
(e.g. me), Crew Pablo Brissett and Mark Conroy, covered the 1,500 nm
trip in her best time to date- 7 days 5 hours, averaging 8.7 kts,
that's about 208 nm per day! Amazing passage it was! Rainbow at right
far offshore was some of the amazing phenomenon we experienced on this
fast offshore passage. Oh, by the way, just "white sails"- main and jib only.
AVATAR will participate in the BVI Sailing Festival/Regatta again in
2013, where last year she won the Nanny Key Cup Cruising Class race
around the Island of Virgin Gorda. Here are some photos for you to
share with the J/Community at-large. Enjoy!" Best, Alan Fougere/ AVATAR