Wednesday 10 February 2010

Week need

Tomorrow we go to Pro Vela to see Alan Hillman and to meet the other Spanish Moth sailors to sail in a place that's currently 14 degree's. That is 14 degree's warmer than here but its been a bloody long winter and it doesn't seem to get better. I really need a break. I thought the America's Cup would lead me out of this depression but like scared heavyweight boxers they've run for the skirting boards at the slightest sign of danger. I spoke with Alan Block today and he thinks the cup should be melted down, and I agree. It's time is up. It should be used as the new Moth Mr Universe trophy. If nothing else we have the guts they lack. Sailors like my hero Admiral Lord Nelson would laugh at them. "So the nasty nasty swelly man might get you? Oh come here poppet!"

My boat is in a box now, ready and waiting to go to Dubai. I guess I am too and I will surely be one of the favorites if the ambient air temperature is less than 5 degrees. It has not been higher in the all the training I've done, which isn't much, and when I did sail, I would probably have only scored 5 out of 10. Still we'll see. England expects, but they can expect it of the other English this time can't they lads?

But what of all this talk of pumping onto the foils and stuff. Well let me tell you the rule is academic 'cos you can't get a Moth onto the foils with two pumps. Full stop, or err.. Period. Anyway I dont mind either way, I just think the class has a good track record of managing change and the processes in place to discuss this. Every member has a vote no? We must put the class first.

But I like the Worlds, my greatest friends I see there, I get to meet new people, customers and competitors, and I see ego's made and ego's broken. Who the fuck knows what will happen, but as Nelson once said, "No Captain can do very wrong if he places his ship alongside his enemy"

Bertarelli and Ellison would do well to remember that.

8 comments:

Chris said...

Well said!

phillippe oligario said...

Enjoy the spanish hopsitality and heres hoping the bionic knee gives you an unfair advantage.

Good luck to you and the rest of the UK squadron...

Anonymous said...

No captain can do very wrong if he places his ship alongside THAT OF THE enemy!

Please get your quotes right you are becoming an embarrassment!

Phil

Anonymous said...

Did you know that us Thorpe boys are actually related to Lord Nelson? True story

Good luck for the Worlds mate.

"Gentlemen, when the enemy is committed to a mistake we must not interrupt him too soon."
Horatio Nelson

Unknown said...

"14 degree's"? Are you trying to make yourself appear half your age by adopting the excessive misplaced apostrophe culture of the next, literacyilicly [sic] doomed, generation? Does it work with girls?

Phil Stevenson said...

Point of correction.
Moth class decision making process has been working OK but its not based on any system where every member gets a vote.
Most recent decisions have been made either by the executive or by those members present at the AGMs held at each World Championship.
No one has been critical of most of these decisions but most of the Class members from around the world do not participate and do not have any say in these decisions.
The WC attendees increasingly represent a fairly elete group who's opinions about future class direction may not represent the majority of weekend moth sailor so caution might be needed in future.

Anonymous said...

Is moth sailing a sport or just a rich mans hobby?

Louise Kennedy said...

Good luck in the Worlds Simon x