Update #19 - 29th August 2000
Only 47 days before departure day!

"Kennards make your job easy" ..... a big welcome aboard to the Kennards Hire team. Through Peter Lancken (Managing Director) and Rose Lines (National Marketing Manager), Kennards Hire have invested in a 10 day sponsorship package. Kennards are a very professional hire organisation with branches in NSW, QLD, VIC and SA. Peter and Rose were able to see that "look in the eye" and sense the passion that I have for this endeavour and have chosen to be involved at a most critical time. A very big thank you to both Peter and Rose.

Yesterday saw the Olympic torch relay pass through our beautiful City of Lake Macquarie and I was very fortunate to be involved as The Master of Ceremonies at Speers Point Park. The early morning celebration saw the flame arrive at around 9.30am and moving on again approximately 1 hour later. Whilst the flame was in our keeping, various school choirs and cultural groups brilliantly entertained the large gathering. The sense of anticipation prior to the arrival of the flame and the tingle down the spine as the flame was carried to the stage to light the cauldron was just sensational. It was indeed a wonderful community event and I thank Lake Macquarie City Council for asking me to be involved.

Reality check!! Back to the job at hand and how to pay for it!

Excuse me, would you like to buy a raffle ticket? Russell Cummings, Pauline and Jodie at LMYC have helped put together a raffle to help out with my funding crisis (sounds like a government department).

There are some beaut prizes:

1st - Weekend on Lake Macquarie on a charter yacht compliments of Apollo Yacht Charters
2nd - Men's Yves Saint Laurent watch compliments of Citizen watches Australia
3rd - St George footy jumper framed and autographed by the team compliments of Steve Lamb
4th - Case of Peschar's premium Hunter valley Chardonnay
5th - Dinner for two at the Saltwater Grill at LMYC
6th - Hire voucher from Kennards Hire worth $100

Tickets are $2 each, 3 for $5 or a book of 50 for $75. Contact me at tony@sailsolo.com if you would like some tickets.

My daughter, Holly (8), has not been well of late with some very bad recurring stomach pains that the doctors are not able to diagnose the cause of. The poor girl can have up to 7 hours of awful pain in a 24 hour period and is doubled up on the floor not able to move. There have been a few visits to hospital emergency. It is a huge worry and I wish we knew the cause. At times I haven't been as good a father as I would like be because of this project.

Take care.

Tony Mowbray