Best sailing moment: Winning the Whitsun Cup with two 1sts and a stonking hangover
Worst sailing moment: Falling out the boat while leading the beat during the SWern Champs!
Hi there, I'm Ben and that's my crew Liz in the photo with me. Liz and I have known eachother since were were nippers, abandoned on the beach at RSC while our parents raced each other in Fireflies - Outrageous!
It's the last day in the Museum for me before we head to Torquay, and it is packed in here. The wet weather is driving everyone to our front door; the queue right now (12:30) is out the door onto the square. The office staff will be washing dishes over lunchtime again today.
Kong (my Firefly) is on her trailer ready to go first thing Saturday morning. Last minute repairs to the centreboard and mast are just about done. The forecast for the champs looks like a mixed bag at the moment. Saturday's wind says 17 gusting 36mph - YIKES! Liz and I do best in light to moderate winds, with a combined weight of 19 stone. But when the wind gets heavy we hand the advantage straight back to the competition.
Still, can't wait to get there now and get stuck in.
We had some last minute practice last night during club racing at RSC. I sailed a friend's boat for a change. Up the first beat we tacked, I put my feet where my toestraps usually are and leant out hard - and fell straight into the water. Whoops, his toe straps arent quite where mine are. Glad to provide some cabaret! Seriosly hope neither of us fall out in the Nationals.
The first thing we have to do on arrival in Torquay is go through measurement. Each boat is carefully checked it complies to a few key measurement rules, like weight (each boat is hoisted under weighing scales), length of jib poles, distance of shrouds from transom etc etc. We all want to be as near to the limits as possible, but fingers crossed Kong passes the checks!
Talk to you from Torquay -
Ben
