The following is a draft that I wrote for the Etchells Class Newsletter…
The planning behind John, Tom and myself winning the 2010 Etchells Worlds in Howth, Ireland had it’s beginnings during the campaign for the previous year’s Worlds in Melbourne. In that campaign John and I were joined by Ben Ainslie. Ben’s sailing pedigree is un-matched and to sail next to him on the etchells and hang out with him ashore was a very positive and memorable experience.
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Currently moving across the european continent, dealing with the volcanic ash interuption to air travel. Have been reflecting on how I got into this “sitchie”. one thing I have is time. So I started jotting down some thoughts.
2010 so far has been very hectic. In Feb I spent almost three weeks in Dubai with Team Artemis in the RC44 class. Then straight to Auckland for the first three weeks of March. Again with Team Artemis, but this time in America’s Cup class boats at the Louis Vuitton regatta. Then home for a week spent preparing to rent out our house for 12 months and for us to move to the UK.
Whilst I love what I do (and it is always nice to be busy with work), April has been a challenge…… (more…)
Hi to my massive readership (Mum, I hope you are well).
Just a note to say G’day and update you on where things are heading for me.
My last trip saw lots of positive stuff happening, as far as work going forward is concerned. Basically, I spent six weeks in total with Team Artemis. Three weeks were in Dubai and three in Auckland. Team Artemis are a Swedish owned sailing team that have been campaigning hard in the TP52 MedCup circuit, as well as the RC44 class for the past few years. The team recently made public their desire to put together an America’s Cup bid. The team is well resourced and well organised. See the website here. (more…)
Well, after no blogging for five months, i guess it is time to saddle up again and not let the dream die!
Have been chockers with either work or family activities for the past months.
Hamilton Isalnd Race Week on the RP66, Loki was not a great one. the boat was optimised towards the heavier breezes, but it was a very, very light week. We were slow when the wind was below 10 knots (which was 90% of the time and we were very sticky in the really light. A good experience though. However, one design is the way to go.
In November I joined the BMW Oracle team for the Louis Vuitton event in Nice, France. It was a good event, sailied in America’s Cup class yachts. a great learning experience for me to get back into the AC scene after being away since 1992. I was acting in a coaching / support role for the team. Heaps of talent there. The team had a disappointing result, which reflected their split resources with the impending multihull Deed-of-Gift America’s Cup match coming up in Feb.. But for me, it was a great oppurtunity and a massive learning experience.
December was full of coaching and sailing work at home in Sydney. Mainly coaching Etchells, the 18ft skiff and Farr40’s, as well as sailing Etchells and a Mumm30 at the Rolex Regatta.
New Years eve was spent overlooking Sydney Harbour Bridge at Guy Stening’s house.
Today the Etchells Nationals start and we are getting ready. i am sailing on the bow, with John Bertrand on the helm and Tom Slingsby in the middle. We are at Lake Macquarie, north of Sydney.
Anyway, life is good.
Standing By. Lake Macquarie.
Just about to board the long flight back home to Sydney….
I have just attended my 9th Star Worlds. However this time it was in a coaching role. I was working with the Kiwi team of Hamish Pepper and Craig Monk. (more…)
Again, a long time between updates. Sorry Mum.
Happy to report that the reason for no blogging is that things have been busy for the past couple of months. i am currently sitting in Frankfurt airport, waiting to board the plane home after an epic 7 week trip in europe. The year was looking decidedly quiet back in April, but the europe trip saw a few events string together for me and I have not had a day off the whole time I have been in Europe. (more…)
After receiving complaints from most of my small readership, I thought I had better respond and post a quick update.
Things have been quiet since the Etchells Worlds in Melbourne. Work has consisted of helping the Farr40 team Transfusion prepare for their Worlds in Sardinia, some etchells coaching on the harbour, working on various Stars at our little Pittwater fleet and starting the planning for the Gotta Love It 7 team for next year’s 18 footer season. i have also done some days as coach for the CYCA’s Youth Sailing Academy. So, keeping busy, without being out of control.
It’s been an opportunity to spend some time with each of the kids and be a part of the family. This is something I missed out on in the years and months leading up to the Olympics last year.
Been doing a fair amount of bike riding, mainly with Twirler in the magnificent Kuringai national park on the west side of Pittwater. I also bought a paddle ski and have been getting to the point where I do more paddling than swimming (very unstable). It’s nice to get out on the water and do a workout that balances out the bike-riding a bit.
Off to Europe for the best part of six weeks very soon. On the agenda is Holland Regatta in the Star (with Flavio Marazzi of Switzerland). Then sailing on Lang Walker’s superyacht Kokomo in two regatta in Sardinia. Finally, the Transfusion boys arrive to sardinia and I work with them as coach for their worlds. Back home early July. not many plans beyond that, other than sailing with Stephen Ainsworth and Cameron Miles aboard Loki for Hamilton Island Race Week in late August.
Thats it for now.
Well, things did not pan out exactly the way we would have planned, but it has been a wonderful week regardless of the results.
Jason Muir’s Queensland team of Paul, Bucky and Matty did a fantastic job of sailing a very composed and consistent event and won with a race to spare. Going into the second last race, we held the event lead by a point or two. We had a wonderful start in the race, heading to the left side, but unfortunately for us, the wind went right slowly by a factor of 15 degrees and we were in the 30’s at the first mark. On the run and the next beat, we needed to throw the dice a little to get back into a point where we could at least challenge going into the last race, but as is usual in these situations, we went backwards with each throw to the side we worked. We finished 32nd and the Jason’s team came 8th. Regatta over. Well done to the Queenslanders! We also dropped a place further to 3rd overall, with Team Barry from Melbourne overtaking us. These Gen Xers (or is is it Y…. stuffed if I know…anyway, they are whipper-snappers of about 30 something years old) sailed a nice event to cap off many years campaigning together in the Etchells. Well done to Damien, Sloth, Andy and Wareboy.
Basically, the Black Flag start disqualification mid-regatta cost us the breathing space of any room for error. Jason and his team made no big errors and were always there. End of story.
To sail with JB and Ben in both Adelaide and Melbourne was something I will always treasure. JB is someone I have always had a large amount of respect for. That level of respect went up a lot yesterday when I witnessed how well he responded to the tough day we had when the dream of winning the 09 worlds ended. He is a class act and a wonderful role-model within our sport. Ben, as we all know is the most decorated sailor of the modern era. However, i got to see him operate close-up. What an absolute professional and polished guy he is. An absolute honour for me to be associated with these guys….John and Rasa opened their home and their hearts to both Ben and I and also to my little family. Wonderful people and a fantastic chemistry in our wider crew family that also included Ernie Lawrence and of course (in the days prior to the event) the world’s best sailing coach, Victor Kovalenko.
My final word is to say that from all of these sailing events there is a lot of silver-ware that the winners carry home. However the thing we ALL walk away with is the memories of who we sailed with, who we sailed against, who ran the event and how we each interacted with all three of these entities on AND off the water. In that sense, I have been a big winner, as I will only ever have positive memories of the 2009 Etchells worlds on every count. Well Done RBYC, the huge team of volunteers and the Melb Etchells Fleet.
Over and out from Melb. Time to resume the real business in life of wrestling with three rug-rats who put real perspective into my life!
Dog.
We had another decent day today in finishing second to GT, Wharo and MJ by half a length.
More breeze today, which was good for us, as we seem to go well in more wind and it also takes some of the “lottery” element out of play that can sometimes occur in the lighter breeze. However, it was from the north and anyone that knows the top end of Port Phillip, knows that the northerly is a fickle breeze.
We started ok near the middle but took an early opportunity to get to the right. It took a long time for the right side to show promise, but when it did, it paid pretty big at the top of the leg. From there we had a very tight three boat race with GT and also two-time winner Stuart Childerly from GBR, with Jason Muir’s very consistent team snapping at our heals in 4th. There was a massive gap back to 5th. We finally claimed the lead on the last beat, but GT hit the right layline looking for a shift and it went his way. Well done to them. They have had a tough week in the light air. They were fast today.
Yesterday was up and down. On a positive note, we placed 4th in the second race of the day. It was a nice comeback, as we were around 10th after a lap. The downer for us a disqualification in the first race of the day for starting prematurely. Basically it was operator-error. Hard to describe the feeling when our number got called out over the radio. Not good, but that’s the sport.
With three races to sail we have a very slim lead to Muir’s team. Their worst is a 10th, so they are in a great position. Two races tomorrow with a very dodgy forecast, so still early days. Lots of golf left in this hole. There is also a plethora of very talented teams in the mix. For me, it is simply a matter of doing what I do to the best of my abilities and to support my team-mates to do similar. Having a ball sailing with John and Ben.
So, just the one race today after an hour’s delay for the limp sea-breeze that eventually got going sometime around 1430.
We had a nice start in the middle of the long start line and were fast enough out of the blocks to be able to let Ben do his thing and play the shifts and pressure up the middle. We led by 30 secs at the top mark and extended slightly on each leg to win by a minute or so.
For us it was a very nice day of sailing. For others it looked tough back in the fleet. 85 boats make a lot of bad air and chop and it is tough getting through all of that in light air in an under-powered boat like the Etchells. Sailing is a great leveller. We know we are just a poor start away from having to go through that sort of race ourselves. For now though, it’s all positive for us as we enjoy the challenge of the racing and the oppurtunity John has provided for us to be here sailing with each other.
Two races scheduled for tomorrow, but the forecast is not promising. More light winds on the menu. The following day looks even worse. We’ll see.
Hi Chucky!