Tonga. It is not by mistake that these are called the Happy Isles. We had loved it 26 years ago, and we still love it today. One of our first days in Neiafu, we visited the local municipal market. We were a little late in the day for the market, but a few of the stalls were still open. Betty, manager of one of t the stalls was impressed with my rudimentary ability to speak Tongan and was eager to teach me more. We chatted a bit about our trip to Neiafu 26 years ago and she was excited...

After crossing the start line in Bora Bora we had a slow first day. Winds were light, but eventually they built up and we had some good winds but really uncomfortable swell on the beam making for rolly conditions. Pleasant conditions for the start line for Leg 5 We didn’t do much those first few rolly days and I was mostly useless. The side to side motion made things uncomfortable and I was a queasy. Our new crew mates were troopers and while they too were getting their sea legs they were...

Bora Bora is the place of mystical beauty and may embody what many people imagine when they dream of the South Pacific. I couldn’t stop thinking of the songs & lyrics from musical Bali Hai as I wandered down the streets. Compared to the other islands we'd been to in French Polynesia, Bora Bora has a more ‘American’ vibe. More people spoke English and it just felt less ‘French’. (Je ne sai quoi?) Tourists seemed to be more predominately from the US. We supposed that with a WWII US...