March seems like a good time for a sail to Mexico...

...and July seems like a good time for a sail to Hawaii!

Happy New Year, Westward fans!

Here in Washington, D.C., the new Congress is getting to work and the snow is falling, so of course I'm thinking about sailboat racing (and, I promise, boss, higher education policy). More specifically, sailboat races that end in the warm waters of Cabo San Lucas and Honolulu.

Sam and Willie still have the bug, so Westward races in 2015!

First up, some TLC for our fine lady. Westward spent a lot of the summer of 2014 (after her return from Puerto Vallarta) at her favorite spot--Howland's Landing. So over Christmas, an intrepid crew of cousins and uncles spent some time cleaning and unloading toys.

Zack and the Boat Whisperer getting into it with the bilge.

 They also inspected the sails and rig and made lots of lists.

These guys hoisting...

...this guy!

This is actually somewhat terrifying.

Westward will also be spending some time at the shipyard, having some repairs done. Then, she'll sail in some local races to get the crew work down. Finally, in March, she'll head to Mexico. In July, look for her on the Transpac starting line!

Westward is pretty excited to get back out on the starting line (for those of you who might be questioning my sanity at this point, boats definitely have feelings...and Westward can even write blogs). The humans are pretty excited, too!

We'll keep you updated on how the preparations are going and how you can follow us!