FOR THE LOVE OF THE SEA by Jennifer Bohnet

of being home Tom had taken up his role as Operations Director and by ten o’clock most mornings he was in his wheelchair in front of the computer.
    A day after the self-steering was back and refitted, Polly took off on her much needed sea trials. The plan was for her to go down channel, get clear of the shipping lanes and spend some time sailing the Atlantic before turning and making for home.
    Standing in the cockpit, Polly kept a firm hand on Clotted Cream’s tiller, concentrating hard on maintaining a steady course trying to keep her excitement under control.  
    Once out in the river mouth she moved forward to hoist the jib sail and felt a tremor of exhilaration flood her body as the yacht responded to the pull of the small sail by leaping forward into the waves.
    Already the spray on her face and the feel of the boat moving beneath her feet was filling her with happy anticipation.
    Ahead of her lay the channel with its busy shipping lanes and then the relatively open space of the North Atlantic Ocean, space in which she would begin to get to know Clotted Cream’s idiosyncrasies before they started on her dream voyage together. It was a voyage on which she was determined to show everybody just what she was capable of.
    Cassie and Bill followed in the launch as Clotted Cream made her way out of the river and into the Channel. As Polly cut the engine and hoisted the main sail, she turned and waved goodbye.
    “See you in three days,” she shouted as the yacht began to speed through the water. Minutes later she was a mere speck in the distance.
    Bill turned the launch and slowly they made their way into the river mouth and battled their way against an outgoing tide towards the harbour.
    Bill needed to collect some spare parts from the garage and Mai had asked Cassie to pick up a prescription for Tom, so Bill took the launch alongside the public quay.
    “See you back here in what? Ten minutes?” Bill said as they went off in opposite directions.
    Errands completed, Cassie popped into the newsagent’s on her way back to the launch. She wanted a copy of the local paper.
    Standing by the till waiting to pay, she glanced at the front page of the paper and felt her body stiffen.
    Under the headline “Local Girl Keeps Family Name to the Foresail” was a colour picture of a smiling Polly on board Clotted Cream . Halfway down the page was another picture - an old black and white one of a beaming Miles. Cassie recognised instantly as having been taken after his Round Britain win. His last race.
    Bill was deep in conversation with James when Cassie got back to the quay.
    “Anything interesting in that rag this week?” Bill asked.
    “Oh yes,” Cassie nodded, holding the front page up for them both to see.
    “It’s a good picture of Polly,” Bill said. “What do they say about her?”
    “I haven’t read it yet,” Cassie answered. “The other picture rather took me aback. I wasn’t expecting it.”
    “I read the article earlier,” James said. “Apart from the terrible headline, it’s a good report. Wishing her bon voyage and all that. The picture of Miles was just to make the family tradition link – how she’s following in Dad’s footsteps.”
    “That’s the last thing anybody wants to happen in this race!” Cassie snapped at him, bursting into tears.
    “Can we go, please Dad,” she begged as she scrambled into the launch.
    Bill started the engine as a stricken James untied the ropes and cast them off.
    “Cassie I’m so sorry,” he said. “I didn’t think before I spoke. I wouldn’t upset you for the world, you know that.”
    Cassie shook her head and tried to smile.
    “I know James. It’s just that it’s always at the back of my mind.”
    There was no time for anyone to say anymore as the launch moved further away from the quay. James stood watching for several moments before sighing and heading back to his office.
    They chugged their way up river with Bill at the tiller.
    “He’s a nice