Super Rugby Aotearoa round 9 wrap (2021 edition) + my interest on the Forza 7 Xbox One game & NZ struggles in opening SailGP round

Well, news of the penultimate round of this years Super Rugby Aotearoa campaign has just come in as the Chiefs (Who are 2nd on the table behind the Crusaders (Who are the Chiefs main challengers in this years Super Rugby Aotearoa competition) but their next game is against the Blues at Eden Park in Auckland which is like a semifinal game with the winner advancing to the final against the Crusaders at Orangetheory Stadium in Christchurch) win 5 on the bounce when they beat the Hurricanes with a match winning penalty goal at the death by Chiefs fullback Damian McKenzie (Who had provided the match winner for the 3rd time this season (He scored the winning try against the Blues in Hamilton then nailed a penalty goal during golden point against the Highlanders at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin & now he's done it against the Hurricanes with a penalty goal in the dying seconds) which proved to be the game changer (Well, remind me of Springbok first-five Handre Pollard (Who had a clutch moment) nailing that penalty goal against Wales before the end in the 2019 Rugby World Cup semifinal in which the Boks had won a scrum penalty in the dying seconds to put South Africa through to the final against England (The nation that stunned the AB's in the other semifinal) then yesterday on ANZAC day, the Crusaders recorded a dominant win against the Blues (Including Crusaders (Who have a midfielder short ahead of the Super Rugby Aotearoa final with Jack Goodhue out of the season after suffering a terrible injury against the Hurricanes in Wellington) with fullback Will Jordan getting a double of tries (Including his 2nd try which proved to be the turning point (But when Jordan scored, referee James Doleman had gone upstairs to the TMO to have a look but the try is fine after the ball came off the thigh) & secure a place in the 1st ever final of Super Rugby Aotearoa in Christchurch on the 8th of May.

And here is the list of round 10 matches being played in Super Rugby Aotearoa of 2021:

Hurricanes Vs Highlanders (Their most recent meeting was this year in which the Hurricanes won at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin against the Highlanders in round 5 including a hat-trick of tries by Hurricanes fullback Jordie Barrett who scored all the teams points but the last time the Highlanders beat the Hurricanes was in the last round of round 10 of last year's Super Rugby Aotearoa season at the same ground where it was held without spectators due to the corona virus)

& Blues Vs Chiefs (The last time both of these sides met during the battle of the Bombays was this year in which the Chiefs took top honors against the Blues at FMG Stadium Waikato in Hamilton in round 4 including that match winning try by Damian McKenzie but it's been a year since the Blues had last beaten the Chiefs & it was in round 7 of last years Super Rugby Aotearoa season at Eden Park in Auckland).

And I'll tell you something interesting about the Forza Motorsport 7 game (Which is my only favourite game on the Xbox One along with the 2005 version of Star Wars Battlefront II which is backwards compatible with the Xbox One console) that I've got on the Xbox One & it includes the 2017 Renault Formula 1 car famously driven by former German A1GP star Nico Hulkenberg which is featured in the game along with the 1988 McLaren (Famously driven by the late 3 time F1 world champion, Brazilian Ayrton Senna) & 1990 Ferrari (Famously driven by the late Ayrton Senna's great rival & 4 time F1 world champion along with Sebastian Vettel, Frenchman Alain Prost) Formula 1 cars & other racing cars ranging from IndyCar (2017 & 2019 spec), NASCAR (America's most popular racing series), Supercars Championship (Australia's premier motor racing series), Forza GT (Racing vehicles taken from the GT3/GT500/LM GTE/Super Trofeo class) & Forza P1 (Racing cars taken from the LMP1 class) that I always love (Compared to Gran Turismo Sport (Which is believed to by my favourite PS4 game of the 34 that I own both physically & digitally) which features the 2017 Mercedes Formula 1 car famously driven by Lewis Hamilton (The 7 time F1 world champion from Britain along with the legendary German Michael Schumacher) along with the fictional 1980s classic Formula 1 car based on the 1985 Lotus (Famously driven by Senna as I mentioned before) as well as racing cars from Super Formula (Japan's premier open wheel single seater racing series compared to F1 which is held worldwide but the constructors are based in Europe (There is only one Formula 1 constructor based outside of Europe) & Indycar in North America (Both America & Canada), Super GT (With racing cars ranging from the 2008 & 2016 seasons), the Red Bull X2014 Standard, the Red Bull X2019 Competition, Group 1 (Racing vehicles taken from the Group C/LMP1/Vision GT class), Group 3 (Racing vehicles taken from the GT3/LM GTE/Vision GT class) & Group B).

And finally the New Zealand Sail GP team led by Peter Burling & Blair Tuke is struggling to come into terms with their new multi-hull in Bermuda after our success for Emirates Team New Zealand of the America's Cup in Auckland last month as the Tom Slingsby led Australia won 3 races in a row on Saturday afternoon against the likes of the Jimmy Spithill (Formerly of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli) led Team USA, the Ben Ainslie (Who was a 4 time Olympic gold medalist) led Team UK & the Japanese team led by Aussie Nathan Outteridge (Who once provided world feed commentary along with broadcaster Stephen McIvor, ex-America's Cup sailor Ken Read & former Olympic gold medalist Shirley Robertson for this years America's Cup), Italian Francesco Bruni (Who was the co helmsman aboard the Luna Rossa yacht along with Spithill in this years America's Cup) & New Zealand born Japanese sailor Leo Takahashi based on their experience.

So that is my 412th blog of the year 2021 (MMXXI) & my 32nd of this year.

P.S. And don't forget that ANZAC day was yesterday commemorating the ANZAC's invasion of the Turkish town of Gallipoli way back in 1915 on the 25th of April (And we once worked together with Australia 106 years ago but we're bitter rivals on the sporting field because Australia always beat us in every sport except rugby union in which we always win) during the 1st world war which lasted from 1914 until 1918.

Super Rugby Aotearoa round 8 wrap (2021 edition) + The Chauvin verdict, my AC/DC song picks, in memory of HRH Prince Philip & the breakaway America's Cup

Well, we are nearing the end of the Super Rugby Aotearoa competition with only 2 rounds to go but here are the results of round 8 as the Highlanders have taken a well deserved victory against the Blues (Who had reserve prop forward Alex Hodgman sent off for a cheap shot on Highlanders player James Lentjes which proved to be the game changer/turning point but Hodgman has now handed a 3 week ban after a red card in Friday's loss against the Highlanders) at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin last Friday then the Chiefs move up to 2nd on the table after becoming the 2nd team after the Highlanders in Super Rugby Aotearoa this year to outsmart the champion Crusaders side at FMG Stadium Waikato in Hamilton.

And here is the list of round 9 matches being played in Super Rugby Aotearoa of 2021:

Chiefs Vs Hurricanes (Their most recent meeting was this year in which the Chiefs won at Sky Stadium in Wellington against the Hurricanes in round 4 but the last time the Hurricanes beat the Chiefs was in round 8 of last year's Super Rugby Aotearoa season at Sky Stadium in Wellington)

& Crusaders Vs Blues (The last time both of these sides met was this year in which the Crusaders took top honors against the Blues at Eden Park in Auckland in round 4 but it's been 7 years since the Blues had last beaten the Crusaders & it was in round 3 of the 2014 Super Rugby season at the same ground).

And former Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin has been found guilty on all 3 charges related to both the murder & manslaughter of George Floyd which happened in America in June last year (There was a racial injustice with protests being scaled regarding to the Black Lives Matter movement) during the verdict hearing amid heavy security & law enforcement presence throughout the country & many people in the African American community are celebrating because of Chauvin not being acquitted of all the charges but the sentencing for all 3 charges commences in 8 weeks with Derek Chauvin likely to be sentenced from a range carrying of a minimum 10 to maximum 40 years behind bars for the shocking crime that Chauvin committed (The late George Floyd's last words were 'I can't breathe' just moments before he got murdered but US president Joe Biden & US vice president Kamala Harris addressed to the nation about the verdict that had taken place with American policing reforms likely to be introduced in wake of the murder & manslaughter of Floyd regarding to racial profiling as well as police in America looking to introduce a ban on the choke hold technique).

And I've been talking to both Aunty Tania & Dad on the phone but I asked Dad during the phone conversation that my name, Whetu was named after one of my relatives of Whetu Gray but I forgot to ask Dad that I have 2 favourite AC/DC (My 3rd favourite Aussie rock band behind INXS but I prefer Silverchair as my favourite Australian rock band) songs which is both Thunderstruck (During the Brian Johnson era) & TNT (During the late Bon Scott era).

And His Royal Highness Prince Philip (Husband of Her Majesty the Queen) has passed away at 99 due to declining, ailing health so all thoughts, condolences & prayers go out to the royal family & there was a scaled down version of the funeral was held a few days ago (But because of the outbreak, only 30 people including members of the royal family are allowed in but they have to maintain socially distanced).

And finally, there is the breakaway America's Cup (Which concluded 5 weeks ago with Emirates Team New Zealand (1st non-American syndicate to win the America's Cup then defending it twice) crossing the line to win the series 7 - 3 against Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli to achieve sporting immortality by defending the Auld Mug once again just like in 2000 in the city of sails in Auckland) series called SailGP which features F50 multi hulls but season 2 will feature the New Zealand SailGP team featuring twice America's Cup champions Peter Burling & Blair Tuke to compete against the likes of the Jimmy Spithill (A father of both sons with his wife who was the co-helmsman of Luna Rossa in this years America's Cup with Francesco Bruni) led Team USA as well as Team UK led by INEOS Team UK's Ben Ainslie & the defending champions Australia led by ex-Oracle sailor Tom Slingsby but the 1st race is in Bermuda on ANZAC Day morning New Zealand time.

So that is my 411th blog of the year 2021 (MMXXI) & my 31st of this year.

Super Rugby Aotearoa round 7 wrap (2021 edition)

Well, sorry guys about me playing a heap of my new Forza Motorsport 7 (I got it from The Warehouse anyway) game on the Xbox One S (The reason why I got the new Xbox One S console was because of the Forza Motorsport 7 game that I now got despite that I'm a hardcore PS4 gamer) that I just got from EB Games here in Whanganui to go with my PS4 on Sunday as we have just heard reports from the Super Rugby Aotearoa competition as both games between the Highlanders & the Chiefs as well as the Hurricanes & The Crusaders went the distance but only one will come out on top as the Chiefs win the game at golden point with a match winning penalty at golden point extra time from Chiefs fullback Damian McKenzie which broke Highlanders hearts after his Chiefs teammate Anton Lienert-Brown managed to win a penalty when he legitimately turned the ball over (He was on his feet & did manage to support his body weight to make the pilfer) then the Crusaders have bounced back as they stay on top of the Super Rugby Aotearoa standings against the Hurricanes with a match winning drop goal at golden point by Crusaders player David Havili which broke Hurricanes hearts.

And here is the list of round 8 matches being played in Super Rugby Aotearoa of 2021:

Highlanders Vs Blues (Their most recent meeting was this year in which the Blues won at Eden Park in Auckland against the Highlanders in round 3 but the last time the Highlanders beat the Blues was in round 10 of the 2019 Super Rugby season at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin)

& Chiefs Vs Crusaders (The last time both of these sides met was this year in which the Crusaders took top honors against the Chiefs at Orangetheory Stadium in Christchurch in round 3 but it's been a year since the Chiefs had last beaten the Crusaders & it was in round 2 of Super Rugby at FMG Stadium Waikato in Hamilton).

So that is my 410th blog of the year 2021 (MMXXI) & my 30th of this year.

The Easter Sunday blog special

Well...Kia ora, good morning & happy Easter to you all today in this Easter weekend special (I went to Caroline's for brunch & Japanese Takeaway Momiji for dinner with Pops (Who has got a brand new car called the Ford Fiesta which is a older 2005 model to go with the Ssanyong truck that he's got since last year & is a 2 car person again just like last year where he used to own both the Citroen & Nissan & is the son of the late Hemi/James/Jim & the late Nana Minnie, the brother of the late Andy, Wal & Kathryn (Mother of Gemma, Huia & Ben (Partner of Robina), the father of my Dad (Husband of Raewyn, father of me, the late Wiremu & my half brother Jansen) & Aunty Tania (Partner of Rejean) & Carole (Sister of Zaki (Husband of Aysha & father of Yasser) & Martin (Husband of Leyla & father of Marat) & mother of Andy (Husband of Kelsey) yesterday but we have a visitor named Jennifer Morgan (Sister of Marnie & Paul & daughter of the late Aunty Vera & Uncle Reg) who is staying here (She now lives in Wellington (Although I haven't been to Wellington since 2016 but next time Pops, Carole & I are going to Wellington, we should stay at Jennifer's) with her mothers house after spending many years in Los Angeles, California before COVID-19 had happened last year) & just came here yesterday until tomorrow to see her niece playing in a school basketball tournament which is called HoopNation) but Super Rugby Aotearoa news just come in last night as the Blues (Led by 'Big Red' of Tom Robinson who is filling in for regular Blues skipper Patrick 'Paddy' Tuipulotu who is ruled out with a broken shoulder) own the Hurricanes (Who had lost both Du Plessis Kirifi (For a cheap shot on Blues first five Otere Black) & captain Ardie Savea (For going through the middle which should had not deemed both a penalty try & a yellow card (And I mean that officiating was dreadful because it was one of the most controversial decisions in the relatively short history of Super Rugby Aotearoa (That was a marginal call but you label it as controversy corner) to the sin bin) by 10 points at Eden Park in Auckland a night after the Highlanders (No longer bottom of the table as well as the 1st team to outsmart the champion Crusaders side in Super Rugby Aotearoa since the Hurricanes last year & there was one player that Pops told me who was having a blinder, & it was Highlanders centre Scott 'Scotty' Gregory (The Northlander who once played sevens rugby for the All Blacks sevens) as well as the Highlanders & Hawke's Bay halfback named Folau (Which I cannot say his surname because it sounds like an expletive or should I say profanity/foul language) who could be the All Black in waiting (And he is one of several players fighting for a spot at the All Blacks as the 3rd choice halfback to join both Aaron Smith (One of Folau's Highlanders teammates who plays for Manawatu in the newly named Bunnings Warehouse NPC (Formerly known as the Mitre 10 Cup) competition) & Brad Weber (One of Folau's Hawke's Bay teammates) along with Chiefs halfback Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi (Of Bay of Plenty) & both Crusaders halfbacks Mitchell Drummond (Canterbury) & Bryn Hall (North Harbour) but Pops told me that Folau has injured his knee meaning that he is gone for the season) & Highlanders first five Mitchell 'Mitch Hunty' Hunt (Well, he could be close of becoming an All Black) who had a great game as well & don't forget there is Connor 'CGB' Garden-Bachop (Brother of injured Hurricane Jackson & the son of former Highlander, Hurricane, All Black player & Samoan international Stephen Bachop & the late Sue Garden as well as nephew of former Canterbury, All Black player & Japanese international Graeme, cousin of the Mauger brothers of Aaron & Nathan & the great nephew of speedway legend Ivan) as well because he scored the last try of the match off a Crusaders mistake) but I wonder the headlines would probably say: CHAMPION CRUSADERS STRUGGLE AGAINST HIGHLANDERS) completed the biggest boil over in Super Rugby Aotearoa as they knocked over top of the table & now previously undefeated Crusaders in an upset win (1st time since 2015 (Which was World Cup year in which the last time the All Blacks triumphed at the Rugby World Cup) that the Highlanders upstaged the 10 time Super Rugby & once defending Super Rugby Aotearoa champions, the Crusaders in Christchurch & it was their title winning year for the Highlanders who in all of a sudden appeared their 2nd Super Rugby final (The 1st time that the Highlanders appeared in the Super Rugby final was in 1999 during the Super 12 era where they hosted a home final against the Crusaders at the old Carisbrook (Known as the House of Pain) in Dunedin but they were unable to overcome the long haul flight from South Africa to lose on their 1st attempt of winning the Super 12 title against their southern rivals because there was no party at Tony Brown's place (Including Afato So'oalo's winning try by making a chip kick over the top as he outsmarted the Highlanders defence which proved to be the game changer) & won their 1st Super Rugby title by outwitting the Hurricanes in the last all New Zealand final at Sky Stadium (Known as Westpac Stadium at the time) in Wellington (Including a winning drop goal by Marty Banks to put the Hurricanes out of reach which proved to be the turning point) as well as the biggest winning margin for the Highlanders (Although it featured the return from a hip injury of the hat-trick hero against the Chiefs in Hamilton & live wire winger, Jona Nareki (One of Pops old students along with Vilimoni Koroi at the old Aramoho School in Whanganui which is now a defunct school) against the Crusaders in a epic great southern derby clash at Orangetheory Stadium in Christchurch to begin the 2nd half of the 2021 Super Rugby Aotearoa championship season.

And here is the list of round 7 matches being played in Super Rugby Aotearoa of 2021:

Highlanders Vs Chiefs (Their most recent meeting was this year in which the Highlanders won at FMG Stadium Waikato in Hamilton against the Chiefs with Highlanders winger Jona Nareki scoring a hat-trick of tries during the game (And what a performance from him) but the last time the Chiefs beat the Highlanders was in round 17 of the 2018 Super Rugby season at ANZ National Stadium in Suva, Fiji)

& Hurricanes Vs Crusaders (The last time both of these sides met was this year in which the Crusaders took top honors against the Hurricanes at Orangetheory Stadium in Christchurch in round 2 but it's been 9 months since the Hurricanes had last beaten the Crusaders & it was in round 7 at the same ground).

And finally in other rugby news such as Hurricanes midfielder & ex-rugby league player Ngani Laumape has signed (Although he has not yet officially signed) with a French club which is rumored to be Stade Francais because he might miss an opportunity to play for the All Blacks (New Zealand's shot at redemption (After losing against England (Who missed out on claiming rugby's most treasured prize, the Rugby World Cup, as they lost to South Africa (Who will begin their title defence against Scotland in Pool B) in the final) at the last Rugby World Cup in 2019 (Well, the AB's disappointing defeat against England at the semifinal of the Rugby World Cup in 2019 is like the fine margins of 2007, the disaster in 2003 & the desperate disappointment in 1999 as well as past failures in 1995 & 1991) begins against the host nation & opponents in Pool A, France, in the opening match of the tournament) at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

So that is my 409th blog of the year 2021 (MMXXI) & my 29th of this year.

P.S. And there are some rugby players who tried out in other sports such as Fijian born Wallaby Filipo Daugunu who originally tried out at a soccer goalkeeper who wanted to follow the footsteps of current world class elite international soccer goalkeepers such as Manuel Neuer of Germany & Hugo Lloris of France as well as Pita Gus Sowakula who was once a basketball player (He once played for the Otago Nuggets in the New Zealand NBL in 2014 & went to college in the American state of Iowa) & tried to follow in the footsteps of the big 3 superstars who played in the NBA, Michael Jordan (The Chicago Bull), the late Kobe Bryant (The LA Laker) & LeBron James (The Cleveland Cavalier (Formerly), Miami Heat (Formerly) & LA Laker) & there was a New Zealand cricketer who once played rugby during his 1st XV schoolboy days, Daryl Mitchell (Son of former All Black coach & current England assistant/defence coach John) because he wanted to follow the footsteps of world class cricketers such as India's Virat Kohli, England's Joe Root & Ben Stokes, Australia's Steve Smith & David Warner & New Zealand's Kane Williamson & he took up cricket because cricket was a safer sport than rugby & a few others who are now rugby players including Jordie Barrett (Who once played cricket as a pace bowler during his secondary school days), Kaylum Boshier (Former New Zealand under 19 cricket captain at the 2018 Under 19 Cricket World Cup) & Salesi Rayasi (Filipe's son who originally played basketball in secondary school level before eventually becoming a rugby player) but don't forget that there is Russell Coutts who was a Olympic gold medalist in the Finn class over in Los Angeles, California (Known as LA &/or the City of Angels) in 1984 & a 3 time America's Cup winning skipper (Twice for Team New Zealand in 1995 (When it was held in San Diego, California against the Dennis Conner led Stars & Stripes aboard the Young America yacht) & 2000 (When it was held in Auckland against the Prada Luna Rossa Challenge of Italy) & once with Alinghi in 2003 (When it was also held in Auckland against the Dean Barker led Team New Zealand) who once played rugby union at junior age grade level.

And just to let you know it's my cousin Paige Williams (You may remember her as the beautiful daughter of my biological aunty Cathey Middelplaats (The Arlo worker who is with the other John Mitchell & mother of Paige as I mentioned before as well as Nico & Luca (Cathey & John's sons as well as Paige's younger brothers) who is having her birthday is tomorrow as she turns 27 because I haven't seen her along with Cathey (Who just had her 54th birthday last month on the 16th of March (It was the day that the Peter Burling (Who was influential & inspirational leader of the syndicate during the regatta) led Emirates Team New Zealand (Who had appeared in all but one America's Cup appearances since 1995) won race 9 (Considered known to be as the best race of the 36th America's Cup match which hailed to be one of the greatest, classic America's Cup races of all time) of the America's Cup against Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (Which featured the likes of Jimmy Spithill, Francesco Bruni & co in when they became the challenger of America's Cup 36 (They completely outperformed American Magic (Who was the best of the 3 challengers in the America's Cup World Series in December last year) in the semifinal of the Prada Cup before they stunned INEOS Team UK (Who had their biggest turnaround when they won every race in the round robin emerging as the top qualifier & had gone through to the Prada Cup final) in the final of the Prada Cup in which they won, repeating their feat in 2000 when they won the Louis Vuitton Cup against AmericaOne before they unsuccessfully went on to challenge for the Auld Mug against Team New Zealand to be on match point at 6 - 3 (Just like in race 4 of the 30th America's Cup on Russell Coutts 38th birthday (The day before the America's Cup was still New Zealand's cup after the Kiwis took victory in race 5 to complete the 1st successful defence of the Auld Mug outside of the US) on the 1st of March, the Prada Challenge of Italy actually led on the 3rd cross (They could've picked up their 1st win of America's Cup 2000 should they chose to tack) but had chosen not to tack as the New Zealanders went on to win the race in style with Coutts equaling the late Charlie Barr's all time record of 9 straight America's Cup wins (Coutts (Who had left Team New Zealand along with Brad Butterworth, Simon Daubney, Murray Jones & Dean Phipps (And 4 other New Zealanders) after the success of 2000 to join Alinghi which had been part of that successful campaign in 2003 (Billed as a loyal defeat to Team New Zealand led by Dean Barker who took over from Coutts until he left in 2015) had elected not to compete in the next race (So he missed out an opportunity of breaking the all time record of 9 consecutive victories in the America's Cup set by Barr), therefore handing the reins of the helmsman duties to the young back up trial horse skipper Dean Barker in race 5), the day after ETNZ won both races (Including race 8 which was arguably the worst race of America's Cup 36 & the weirdest, bizarre race in the history of the Auld Mug after Luna Rossa copped a boundary penalty 4 times whilst off their foils meaning that Emirates Team New Zealand (Who went off our foils whilst going for the lead then we were speeding up again when Prada was leading & were on the cusp of something special before they came off their foils & got pinged by the umpires 4 times for sailing outside the boundary line) would take the lead at mark 3 whilst Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli were still off their foils & win the race (Although the race was originally going to have 6 legs but it was shortened to 5 because of the time limit according to the race committee) after coming from behind to complete an unbelievable comeback or should I say an incomparable turnaround) to go 5 - 3 up against Luna Rossa & the day before Team New Zealand crossed the line to win race 10 (It was before the race that the Auld Mug was on the line) in the best of 13 first to 7 against Prada by winning the series 7 - 3, & went on to retain sailing's holy grail as well as the Everest of sailing, the America's Cup on St Patrick's Day last month), John, Nico & Luca since 4 years & 10 months ago (The last time she sent me an email was 3 or 4 years ago before she left to go to London with her partner Jarrod Ahearn for a job but last year, Pops told me about Paige & Jarrod who are both safely back home in New Zealand before the corona virus had happened & I heard a comment from Pops that the couple has now got a flat) when we went to see both of them a day after Me, Pops & John Coburn (Who nearly suffered a cardiac arrest a couple of months ago but how did he manage to survive?) went to an All Blacks test match (My only AB's rugby test that I've once been before) against Wales at Westpac Stadium (Now Sky Stadium) in Wellington but I would really like a big shout out to her wishing her a happy 27th tomorrow.

And my best friend from Malaysia, Sophia Ong (Who I have not seen since 2017 when Pops (Who is with Carole) & Sherylle-Anne took me to Leon & Hanne's place (Although the soccer mad Leon Benbaruk (Who I haven't seen last year along with Hanne) is no longer together with Hanne (Their marriage had ended after their rocky road relationship had been going downhill but Hanne still lives here in my hometown of Whanganui (Who I have been living there since 2007 after spending 16 years in Raetihi) & is now living in Auckland with his new partner Michelle (Whom I never met) & she is the daughter of Alex & Evelyn & the elder sister of Amelia & Jason & loves rap & rock music (Sophia's favourite rock bands are 3 Doors Down, Korn, Linkin Park & Nickelback) & has been to China in 1999 & Japan in 2001) sent me a reply on her email that she sent to me about that she is pregnant & is due to give birth to her son named Shaia next month on the 28th of May (And I know that she's married to some kind of Welsh dude back in 2018 (A year before Dad was married again with his new wife Raewyn & Andy married his new wife Kelsey).

And finally there is something that teachers train their kids & teens at schools in order to avoid becoming outlaws unlike a world leader like a president or a prime minister is in fact the law enforcer.

News that I have just missed over the last weekend (My last blog before the Easter weekend)

Well, Carole & Pops are both back from Taupo after Pops attended the Ardmore reunion but there is some news that I have missed since they're both away (I had to look after the house until yesterday) such as the Hurricanes hammer the Highlanders for their 1st win of the Super Rugby Aotearoa competition at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin after Hurricanes fullback Jordie Barrett scored all the Hurricanes points as well as getting a hat-trick of tries during the match (I wonder he will say that Barrett might make a statement to the All Blacks selectors (And the headlines would probably say: BARRETT 30 HIGHLANDERS 19) as well as becoming the 2nd player to get a hat-trick of tries in Super Rugby Aotearoa this year along with injured Highlanders winger Jona Nareki to move up to 4th ahead of the Highlanders who are now bottom of the table then the Blues blew a halftime lead to lose against the Chiefs who had Damian McKenzie (Who is fighting for places along with Jordie Barrett to be the premier fullback in the country for the All Blacks since the departure of Jordie's brother Beauden Barrett (Who is now in Japan playing for Suntory Sungoliath in the fully professional Japan Top League) scored in what was believed to be the winning try in the battle of the Bombays at FMG Stadium Waikato in Hamilton to move up to 3rd in the standings behind the Blues (Who are 2nd behind the table topping Crusaders who had just taken a bye) then in the cricket news such as the Black Caps winning the 1st T20 against Bangladesh (Who were without some key men) at Seddon Park in Hamilton with South African born Black Cap Devon Conway scoring an unbeaten 92 but was 8 runs short of a century.

And here is the list of round 6 matches being played in Super Rugby Aotearoa of 2021:

Crusaders Vs Highlanders (Their most recent meeting was this year in which the Crusaders won at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin against the Highlanders in a great southern derby match in round 1 but the last time the Highlanders beat the Crusaders was in round 16 of the 2018 Super Rugby season at Forsyth Barr Stadium)

& Blues Vs Hurricanes (The last time both of these sides was this year in which the Blues took top honors against the Hurricanes at Sky Stadium in Wellington in round 1 but it's been 8 months since the Hurricanes had last beaten the Blues & it was in round 6 at Sky Stadium).

So that is my 408th blog of the year 2021 (MMXXI) & my 28th of this year.

P.S. And I went with Pops & Carole to La Quattro last night (A day after Pops & I went to Caroline's on Monday night in honor of Pops return from Taupo at the Ardmore reunion where I had a chicken salad) with the whole family where I had corn chips with quacamole dip for starters then the chicken fajita for dinner (And I had a little bit of the Churros for dessert) a day before Pops got me a new America's Cup book called Gulf Wars: How We Kept The Cup from Whitcoulls, reflecting on Emirates Team New Zealand's 2nd successful defence of the America's Cup this year to go with my America's Cup book collection (Along with Black Magic: Team New Zealand's Victorious Challenge, Back To Back Black Magic, The Team New Zealand Story 1995 - 2003 & Lone Wolf: How Emirates Team New Zealand Stunned The World).

Super Rugby Aotearoa round 4 wrap (2021 edition) + my 1st post America's Cup blog

Well, this is my 1st blog after the 2021 America's Cup which Emirates Team New Zealand prevailed with a vital win in race 10 against Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli when they took the series 7 - 3 in Auckland to defend our beloved Auld Mug & win our 4th America's Cup crown overall (1st time that a non American syndicate that had won the America's Cup then retaining it twice but Team New Zealand's success of this years America's Cup (They followed it up from Bermuda in 2017) is like an ending of a good Hollywood movie which was truly a happy ending but I am so proud to be a Kiwi (Or should I say a New Zealander) because of the success of the America's Cup that we had this year) but I'll be doing a wrap of round 4 of this year's Super Rugby Aotearoa season as the Chiefs (Who had Bay Of Plenty player Kaleb Trask taking North Harbour man Bryn Gatland's place at first five for the Chiefs (Although Trask was even a better player than Gatland) as well as Chiefs player & Waikato man Luke Jacobson who won a turnover penalty at the breakdown (The Hurricanes got penalized for holding on (Not releasing ball) then scoring the winning try which proved to be the game changer/turning point in which Jacobson was the standout player of this match) came out of nowhere with an likely upset win against the Hurricanes (Who are now bottom of the table after 4 rounds) at Sky Stadium in Wellington (First rugby match to be held in New Zealand since the 10th & final race of the 36th America's Cup which took place 4 days ago) & snap an 11 game losing streak (1st win since last year & 1st under interim head coach Clayton McMillan) before the Crusaders remain unbeaten in the competition (They're 4 from 4 going into their bye next weekend), continuing their dominance against the Blues (By extending their winning streak against the Blues to 12 but the Crusaders winning streak against the Blues began was in the return fixture in Christchurch in 2014) at Eden Park in Auckland (And the 1st sporting event to be held in the Auckland area since Emirates Team New Zealand's triumph in the America's Cup in the city of sails of Tamaki Makaurau in Auckland which took place on St Patrick's Day).

And here is the list of round 5 matches being played in Super Rugby Aotearoa of 2021:

Highlanders Vs Hurricanes (Their most recent meeting was last year in which the Highlanders won at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin against the Hurricanes in round 10 in a match was played without spectators because of the corona virus but the last time the Hurricanes beat the Highlanders was in round 5 of last years Super Rugby Aotearoa season at Sky Stadium in Wellington)

& Chiefs Vs Blues (The last time both of these sides met was last year in which the Blues took top honors against the Chiefs at Eden Park in Auckland in round 7 but it's been 2 years since the Chiefs had last beaten the Blues & it was in round 9 of the 2019 Super Rugby season at FMG Stadium Waikato in a match that Damian McKenzie wrecked his chances of playing in the 2019 Rugby World Cup for the All Blacks in Japan due to a serious injury sustained during the match).

So that is my 407th blog of the year 2021 (MMXXI) & my 27th of this year.

Protect The Land: New Zealand triumph in the America's Cup

Emirates Team New Zealand made history & man, was it so sweet. That's it we did it! The America's Cup still belongs to New Zealand! Elation! Absolute elation! Look at them aboard their yacht, they're losing it, you can just see the pain, when it's close it hurts & much more, look at their elation! Pandemonium! Absolute scenes! Me oh my I have enjoyed that, yes boy!

Well, for the 2nd time in history (And 4th time overall), Burling's men in black (And red) of Emirates Team New Zealand (Which had competed since 1986/87 after Australia's success by winning the Auld Mug in 1983 as the New Zealand Challenge in the Louis Vuitton Cup then Team New Zealand in 1995 in which was successful in San Diego & now ETNZ since 2007) has completed the ultimate job, the America's Cup (Which is the sport's oldest prize as well as the pinnacle in international sailing & one of world yachting's most prized possessions) is still ours after beating Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli in the epic 10th & final race of the 36th America's Cup match (Both races have been originally scheduled but only one was required to claim yachting's ultimate prize yet again just like in Bermuda 2017 because it has been a familiar & similar story to all Kiwis (And I mean what a victory, what a great victory) to remember by 46 seconds at the city of sails of Tamaki Makaurau in Auckland in front of a huge flotilla of boats on race course A (The one in the Hauraki Gulf that Team New Zealand were able to follow it up from San Diego way back in 1995 in Auckland in 2000 then they failed to defend it in 2003) that we used to claim the series at 7 - 3 on St Patrick's Day (AKA Green Day) today on the 17th of March 2021 (We first did it on the 13th of May 1995 (Mother's day back in New Zealand on the 14th of May in 1995) when we 1st won the America's Cup against the Dennis Conner led Stars & Stripes (Whose boat was slower but had found a new way of twisting the rules when they allowed to use their rivals boat which is Young America) in San Diego then we did it again on the 2nd of March 2000 when we defended the cup against the Prada Luna Rossa Challenge of Italy in Auckland, then we once again did it on the 26th of June 2017 (It was on the 27th of June New Zealand time in 2017) by winning the America's Cup against Oracle Team USA after 17 long years in Bermuda & now, we have done it again today by following up our success from Bermuda in 2017 by defending the cup against Pitbull Jimmy (Spithill) & co of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli in Auckland meaning that Emirates Team New Zealand is now a 4 time champion of the America's Cup (The 1st non-American syndicate to win the America's Cup then defending it twice) but I was like oh my word when ETNZ crossed the line to take the win & defend the Auld Mug (Well, I was over the moon & had been getting goosebumps when I watched the America's Cup programs I recorded it on TV when we triumphed yet again on home waters (Well, at least we didn't give up the fight during the series but I wonder the headlines would probably say: THE AMERICA'S CUP REMAINS IN KIWI HANDS or more like: THE AULD MUG STAYS IN AOTEAROA) & we did follow our legacy when we retained the America's Cup way back in 2000 because I am so relieved about it) so here's the live updates provided by Newshub (It'll be the 1st time that I'll be doing live updates of the America's Cup):

Kia ora, good afternoon and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the America's Cup series between Emirates Team NZ and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli off Auckland.

Defenders Team NZ are poised to retain the trophy, after building their match advantage to 6-3 on Tuesday, needing just one more win to raise the 'Auld Mug' aloft.

While the first six races of the best-of-13 series were shared between the rivals, the Kiwis have swept the last four and established some dominance over the Italians, who must now win all the remaining races to snatch the Cup.

More importantly, Team NZ have well-and-truly broken the early trend of leaders at the first mark continuing on to win the race. They achieved that again yesterday, when they rode a puff of wind near the top gate to pass Luna Rossa on the penultimate leg and held that advantage to the end.

While Tuesday's action took place on Course C - the spectator-friendly 'stadium course' - race director Iain Murray has created a hybrid of Courses A and B - the northernmost tracks - to capture the expected northeast winds.

The best spots to view racing from the shore are Cheltenham Beach, Narrow Neck Beach and Takapuna Beach Reserve, Takapuna Beach, Milford Beach and any of the other East Coast Bays. 

Like yesterday, the breeze is expected to be in the 10-15 knots range for today's first race, but dropping later.

Team NZ helmsman Peter Burling always appeals as an ice-cool customer, but his team will not want to take this contest into a final day. They need to finish it today, or the spectre of Jimmy Spithill and his 2013 San Francisco comeback will weigh heavily on them tonight.

First race is due to start at 4:15 PM, with the second scheduled for 5:15 PM if needed.

3:20 PM: Beautiful day on Auckland harbour and crowds were dribbling into the viaduct area early today to celebrate St Patrick's Day. Can you imagine the celebrations tonight, if Team NZ can seal the deal?

Mayhem!

3:26 PM: Conditions very still out on the course, but expected to pick up later. Maybe we only get one race again today...

Wind reading at the head of the course of seven knots, barely above the 6.5 threshold.

4:01 PM: Team NZ are already out on the course and up on their foils, so that's hopeful. Weather experts out on the course are hoping for 12 knots of wind.

PRE-START: The Italians will have port entry for the first race today and the chance to dictate terms in the start box, although that has now become less important than it seemed earlier in the series, when every race went to the port entrants.

Eight knots on the start-line and wind building outside the course, so looks promising for a timely start.

Race committee has postponed the race, due to light winds shifting to the right, so new start time is 4:30pm. Will we get a second race today?

Officials are shifting the course, so the wind blows directly up the course. This happened last night, when we ran out of time for a second race.

4:26 PM: Race delayed further until 4:40pm, just to add to the tension. 

But the wind has arrived, gusting to 13 knots, and both teams are now reviewing what size sails to use in these changing conditions.

We're basically just to match the course orientation with the wind direction now.

4:28 PM: Fan fact, Luna Rossa have won three of the four races on Course A during this series, so they feel at home here.

Race committee pushes race out to 4:45pm.

4:38 PM: Wind at 12 knots on the start-line, and the course seems to be aligned and ready to go.

Another fun fact, there have been no passes on Course A during this series, so the start becomes important again.

START: Race committee has completed wind sampling and the race is live (Well, from my point of view according to the race committee that the breeze sampling has been complete meaning that there is live racing).

Remember, Italy first into the start area. They arrive on time, Team NZ follow and turn to track their rivals to the right boundary.

Italy tack at the boundary and NZ turn the other direction, closer to the start line. Luna Rossa may try to cut them off here...

Both boats trying for the right side of the line.

Team NZ has the right and immediately tack that way.

1ST LEG: Italy have a slight lead, as they head to the left side of the course, NZ to the right.

Both tack back towards the centre and Team NZ seem to have the advantage by 100m.

The Kiwis have 50 has the cross in front and immediately tack over the top of Luna Rossa, who immediately tack back left to split.

As they head to the right boundary again, NZ have 90m on their opponents.

The boats are still wide apart, but Italy have their noses in front now, leading by about 20-30m.

They cross again and NZ are ahead by 10m. Luna Rossa continue right, NZ left.

Team NZ will round the top gate first, aiming for the right mark. Luna Rossa will take the left mark seven seconds back.

2ND LEG: Team NZ head down the left side of the course at 43 knots downwind. Their lead reaches 250m, before the tack back towards the centre.

The boats will cross again, with NZ 130m ahead. Both content to sail their own races, NZ heading right and Italy left.

Team NZ jibe back left, where the better wind is, they still lead by 100m.

Luna Rossa arrive at the boundary and jibe right. They will cross 100m behind, but Team NZ immediately jibe to cover them.

Team NZ jibe late to take the left mark at the bottom of the course, with Luna Rossa only nine seconds behind.

3RD LEG: Both boats heading to the right side of the course, with Italy in the wind shadow right now. NZ lead now 250m.

The Italians tack right and Team NZ continue a while, before following to cover.

Both boats continuing to shadow one another back and forwards across the course, NZ 260m up.

Luna Rossa tack back to the right of the course and the margin grows to 300m.

Italy reach the right boundary and tack back to centre, Team NZ are now heading right and will cross 300m ahead.

Team NZ will lay for the top mark from the right and tack on the lay line now.

Luna Rossa will lay from the left, but the Kiwis beat them to the gate, rounding the left mark at halfway. Italy continue to the right mark, now 27s back.

4TH LEG: The Kiwis' lead is now 400m and the shore crew must be loosening the corks on the champagne.

Team NZ travelling at 41 knots downwind, where they are strong. The lead stretches to 500m.

Both boats heading right now, but Luna Rossa arrive at the boundary and jibe. They are now 630m behind.

Team NZ lay for the bottom gate, taking the right mark and heading upwind for possibly the last time this regatta.

5TH LEG: Italy follow at 37 seconds behind. The lead is 470m on the water.

Both boats heading across the course to the right, Team NZ just covering their opponents to make sure they can't find something different.

They tack left, but Italy are making no headway into the lead, which holds steady at 490m.

Luna Rossa tack right, but Team NZ may continue to lay from the left.

They tack on the lay line and line up that top gate for the last time????

NZ round the right mark and head downwind towards the finish - and the Cup!

6TH LEG: NZ sail past Luna Rossa, who are still heading for the top gate, powerless to make an impression, now 49 seconds behind.

The margin is 650m on the water and Team NZ are steaming.

Jimmy Spithill looks forlorn on Luna Rossa, as he falls further behind.

FINISH: There is nothing more for Italy to try to steal victory - they can only take their hats off to the Kiwis.

NZ hit the left lay line and head to the finish...

They win! Team NZ have retained the 'Auld Mug'! (That's it, Emirates Team New Zealand take the victory in race 10 & the party has started for Team New Zealand! Flawless execution).

Now they can celebrate (''The America's Cup remains New Zealand's Cup!'')...Luna Rossa trail home 46 seconds behind.

RACE 10

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli v Emirates Team NZ

Team NZ win by 46 seconds, win series 7-3 (''Sailing's most treasured prize, the Americas Cup, stays in New Zealand!'' (As said by Sky NZ's Stephen McIvor on the world feed commentary along with former America's Cup helmsmen from America & Australia respectively, Ken Read (Ex Stars & Stripes) & Nathan Outteridge (Formerly from Artemis Racing), Olympic gold medalist Shirley Robertson & INEOS Team UK's David 'Freddie' Carr)...''The Auld Mug is Aotearoa's again!'' (In the famous words of famed rugby, cricket & now sailing commentator (Who used to work with Sky NZ before joining Spark Sport & TVNZ in 2019) Scotty J 'Sumo' Stevenson on TVNZ's coverage of the 36th America's Cup (Stevenson was with former Kiwi America's Cup sailor Peter Lester, foiling expert & SailGP skipper Phil Robertson & reporter Jesse Tuke (Brother of now twice America's Cup champion sailor for ETNZ, Blair) as the other commentators).

And what went right for Emirates Team New Zealand to win an America's Cup like this? Because consistency was the key & it was a motivating factor of winning the final race (Imagine the last race of the Americas Cup is like a final of a soccer, cricket or rugby union world cup because the America's Cup race is sorta like a soccer, cricket or rugby union match (Soccer last 90 minutes (There are 2 45 minute halves as well as stoppage time) while cricket has 3 traditional formats of the game (A test match lasts 5 days (There are 2 innings per side), a one day international lasts 50 overs (There's just a single inning per side) & T20 lasts 20 overs (Same as ODI with 1 inning per side) & rugby union lasts 80 minutes (And there are 2 40 minute halves) but the partying has just begun yesterday in Auckland & the rest of the country here in New Zealand on St Paddy's Day celebrating in honor of the tremendous & glorious win by the Kiwis from our perspective who had to sign off the 36th America's Cup match in style with a faster boat called Te Rehutai against the Italians who had to give it their all during the competition (Well same story but same result for ETNZ just like in 2017 which injected new blood (And at least we were rejuvenated) such as the dynamic duo by Olympic silver & gold medalists Peter 'Pete' Burling & Blair Tuke (The perfect or should I say the best New Zealand sporting pair since the days of Hamish Bond & Eric Murray which dominated the rowing world from 2009 until the last Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 & there was Joe Sullivan who was once an Olympic champion with Nathan Cohen in rowing in 2012 but decided to retire from the sport to pursue a career in firefighting & is now a twice an America's Cup champion with Emirates Team New Zealand (First he was a cyclor in 2017 then a grinder this year) & the other crew members I barely remember apart from Glenn Ashby (Now a twice America's Cup winner along with Burling & Tuke) was Ray Davies (Who is the coach aboard the New Zealand yacht & back-up helmsman to Peter Burling), Guy Endean, Steven Ferguson (Son of Olympic kayaking legend Ian who was originally tried out a a swimmer then took up kayaking & is now a sailor), Finn Henry, Marcus Hansen, Carlo Huisman (The Dutchman), Josh Junior, Mike Lee, Andy Maloney, Simon van Velthooven (Olympic bronze medalist in cycling in London 2012) & Marius van der Pol (Ex military officer) in Bermuda where we had to write all the wrongs after the pain & agony in 2013 which resulted in a ultimate comeback by Oracle Team USA dubbed as the miracle of San Francisco (We tried to win on match point just days before the comeback from Oracle had happened but we were robbed because the time limit had been expired) & I mean, what a way to finish for our very own defenders Emirates Team New Zealand to end an America's Cup like this, what a race for our viewers right around the world (Although the penultimate race of this years America's Cup match was arguably the best race ever during the 2021 edition when Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli were leading during the race then they lost the lead to ETNZ who overtook the Italians before the penultimate leg & we crossed the finish line to be on match point (Well, to start with, the America's Cup was at stake going into race 10 when Team New Zealand dominated the race after trailing at the start meaning that the oldest trophy in international sport, the Auld Mug, stays in New Zealand) compared to the worst race of America's Cup 36 which is race 8 in what was to be the weirdest, bizarre race of all time in the history of the America's Cup after Emirates Team New Zealand fell off our foils while attempting to go for the lead of the race handing Luna Rossa a huge advantage before their hopes of victory had taken away when they fell off their foils (And at least they were fallen flat when they lost the lead) & got penalized for sailing outside the boundary line not once, not twice but 3 times by the umpires when ETNZ found puffs & got back up to speed before we surely won that infamous race when race 8 was reduced to 5 legs from the original 6 according to the race committee & I love the last 3 races of the America's Cup but I prefer race 10 by the way as my favourite race of this years America's Cup match when Team New Zealand won & completed our 2nd successful defence of the Auld Mug just like in 2000 we were we able to follow that legacy & to follow up our victory in Bermuda in 2017 (Our 3rd America's Cup win in Bermuda in 2017 is just like our 1st America's Cup success in 1995 in San Diego (And from San Diego 1995 to Auckland 2000 & now Bermuda 2017 to Auckland 2021) & that surely is the stairway to yachting heaven...What a day out at the Hauraki Gulf.

And here is the article about Emirates Team New Zealand's remarkable victory according to today's Whanganui Chronicle newspaper:

Cup Holders

Team NZ flawless as they lock up the cup yet again

Early in the America's Cup match, Peter Burling came under fire for his performances in the pre-start in their clash against Luna Rossa. But yesterday afternoon on the Waitemata Harbour, Burling produced a superb pre-start to seal a famous Cup victory. The more comfortable Team New Zealand got in a racing environment, the better their all-round performance got &, in what was the final race of the series, Burling had the number of his Luna Rossa opposite Jimmy Spithill in the starting box. Claiming the preferred side of the race course out of the start, Team New Zealand went on with the job to claim the America's Cup for the 4th time. As Team New Zealand celebrated, Spithill addressed the race committee & thanked them for the event, before addressing his counterparts. "Pete, if you can hear me, congrats, mate, to you & the whole team." Spithill said after the race. "We need to go have a beer with the Kiwis" added the Aussie co-helmsman. From the beginning of the race, it was clear both teams were trying to set up an entry onto the course on the right-hand side. A superbly sailed start & well executed tack immediately after the starting line saw the Kiwis take that desired side of the course & protect it on the opening leg of the race - tacking in the face of Luna Rossa when the first cross came. While the right-hand side was preferred from the start, the shifty conditions meant it was a matter of connecting the best puffs to try & make gains. Luna Rossa sailed a good second leg, reading the conditions well & gaining ground on Team New Zealand. But while they were gaining some ground in terms of metres, Team New Zealand found two seconds more on the second leg. Neither team rounded the gate particularly well, but with Luna Rossa sailing in the dirty air of Team New Zealand coming into the bottom mark, Team New Zealand were able to put some space between the two vessels. Before long, a lead of less than 100m expanded to more than 300m midway through the third leg as Team New Zealand began to put the hammer down. That showed in the gap between the boats at the halfway point, with Team New Zealand extending their lead threefold. That lead only grew on each of the next two legs, with the defender locking away the Auld Mug in impressive fashion.

Gate margins

Gate 1: NZ 7sec

Gate 2: NZ 9sec

Gate 3: NZ 27sec

Gate 4: NZ 37sec

Gate 5: NZ 49sec

Final: NZ 46sec

And finally my last thoughts before I wrap this blog up? It was fantastic! Absolutely incredible! Well done Peter Burling (New Zealand's America's Cup hero now during the modern era (Because Russell Coutts was the original Kiwi America's Cup hero) as well as being the self proclaimed America's Cup master during modern times) but the age of Burling continues as well as the dynasty of Emirates Team New Zealand lives on due to our success in the America's Cup which happened on Wednesday but I'm going to remember race 10 of America's Cup 2021 for a long time) & the one who hoisted the Auld Mug aloft during the post race presentation ceremony meaning that the America's Cup is still in New Zealand's hands while his teammates sprayed champagne whilst celebrating). Go Kiwi! (See you in possibly 2023 (They must take place a year before the Paris Olympics in 2024) when the next America's Cup takes place, not in Auckland in New Zealand (Because of the syndicates think that it's expensive to come down under) but elsewhere like Cowes in Portsmouth but INEOS Team UK representing the Royal Yacht Squadron might be Emirates Team New Zealand's new challenger of record taking over from Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli representing Circolo de la Vella Sicilia).

So that is my 406th blog of the year 2021 (MMXXI) & my 26th of this year.

P.S. And me, Pops & Carole went to Thai Villa for a celebratory dinner as a result of our incredible victory in the sailing today because we had a korero there & had the satay noodle stir fry which I quite enjoyed & had a wonderful time there to wrap up the day.