Entry no. 7 : Magic Dragon – Rod Halling
St. Helena Race 2024 – Magic Dragon
When the Halling family realised that they would be leaving Cape Town for St Helena around the same time that the race starts, they thought it would be a great way to begin their South Atlantic crossing, as they make their way home to the UK. They are currently 27,000 NM into a 4¼ year circumnavigation on board their boat, Magic Dragon of Dart, an Oyster 55 built in 1995. So young were their three children when they left that they decided to leave all light wind sails behind as they could not face the idea of dousing a spinnaker whilst reading bedtime stories. Three oceans later they continue to adopt the same mentality, now prioritising a cup of tea over gybing. Indeed, they aim for no more than one gybe per ocean crossing.
For the race, Magic Dragon will be fully stocked with fuel (1 tonne), water (1 tonne), food (at least 3 months worth), beer (not enough for the fleet unfortunately), ground tackle (0.5 tonne), books (0.3 tonne) and toys (endless) so will be delighted to assist if any boats run out of reading material or other items mid passage such as Monopoly money. The only downside is they may need to heave-to in order for Magic Dragon to catch up for the transfer.
Dorothy (12) plus twins, Peter and Vera (7), are convinced that Magic Dragon could win. Their parents, Rod and Jane, are simply hoping that they arrive in time for the festivities!
