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With only a month to go until the Europeans its train train train and yesterday Mike Lennon and I rigged up our Mach 2's for another evening session. Now I would vote for any government who abolished daylight saving, it fucks up animals, kids and heavy drinkers but last night I had to concede that the ability to sail until eight o'clock is a good thing.

Anyway it was a nice sail, my boat felt awesome and I could have gone down wind in the bouncy waves off East Head all day. The ride height was rock solid and although my trusty KA MSL10B sail is getting a little worn out, having twice been run over by the life boat, I reckon I was going pretty fast.

So last night I was thinking about different types of sailors. I thought this time, rather than considering individuals at the event, I'd look at categories of sailors instead. Here are mine, I'm sure there are more...

- "The Contenders". People who are as good as you, if not better, and can beat you. Deal with them by training harder, going faster, sailing better. Recognise that they will beat you sometimes, but you just need to beat them more than they beat you. Respect and learn from them. Buy all local stocks of Ibuprofen so they can't.

- "The Emerging". Up there in a few races, often inconsistent, but possible stars of the future. See if you can coach them, and possibly charge for it.

- "The Completely Insane". Wild eyed and look like they've just been fired out of a cannon, with a boat that looks like something off "The Gadget Show". All their ideas fail, but one, which ensures the survival of the Moth class for the next few decades. Good in the light, see if you can figure out why for an albeit brief period, they went twice your speed. Don't make any sudden moves..

- "The Mobile Chicanes". Give a wide berth, you don't know where they are going, and nor do they. Often the best people to socialise with after the racing.

- "The Troopers". Solid, tough and quiet with a tip top conditon but now outdated boat. Always finish and good sailors. Trust worthy and fair on the race track. Always have tools you can borrow.

-"The Ow! brigade". Often seen walking aimlessly round the dinghy park after the race holding either a piece of broken boat, or limping/bleeding by way of silent explanation of their performance. Encourage, help 'em with their boat and lend them a plaster.

-"The Delusional". Dangerous this lot. Talk the talk and feel qualified to comment on your boat and criticise you, do everything apart from get results. Rise above and ignore.

-"The DNF's". Not a competitive bone in their body, retire when they feel like it, enjoy every aspect of being at the event, not just the racing. First of three to board the lay day coach. Well rounded complete people. Envy them..

Swiss Air

A really wonderful picture of Jean-Pierre Ziegert sailing his new Mach 2 on the Lake of Geneva at the weekend.

Image courtesy of Loris Von Siebenthal – Myimage©

Feelin' Hot.

Oil of Olay (Ulay) recently ran an ad about the seven signs of aging. From a marketing view point it’s a good campaign. The “seven” signs though are utter rubbish, starting at fine wrinkles, moving through uneven skin tone and ending at skin dryness. It’s all waffle.. Most sailors, even the girls I know, have all three.

There are of course more relevant ones, which although don’t immediately generate the primeval desire to purchase face chemicals, should be discussed.

The problem is that the seven signs of aging are a purely personal psychological phenomenon, and are often event specific, but here are mine.

1. You intend to drive to Queen Mary sailing club, where you’ve been 50 times before, but before you know it, you are at the Twickenham rugby stadium, where you've been once before.

2. You are appalled at the £30 entry fee, which is a tenth of your monthly mortgage payment.

3. You can’t tack because your knee is temporarily buggered. You do not however feel the need to put a picture of it on the web.

4. You get a 2,1,2,1 and can’t remember your results.

5. You rehydrate at the local pub, and, with your eye on three good looking girls you make polite conversation with the one who’s buying the drinks “Your wasting your time with us mate” she says, "two of us are lesbians and Julie thinks she’s got swine flu…" So you wink at the one who’s coughing.

6. You are lying on your yacht, listening to the water, watching the deep blue sky and you sleepily think “I have two boats, if I have to sell one.. It won’t be this…

7. You look into the mirror and see fine lines, an uneven skin tone and a certain dryness. McLube fixes that.

It was the UK Inland Championships at Queen Mary.
I won, the Mach 2 was awsome, so much speed that despite my best efforts, it dragged me to the front.
Mike Cooke sailed brilliantly to come second
Mike Lennon in the other Mach 2 came 3rd.
Adam was fourth
Alex Adams was 5th.

20 boats! We raced four heats yesterday and it was abandoned today. No wind. That was great, and mean't I could come home. Olay, Olay! Olay, Olay!

Lone Star

Well actually two Lone Stars. I arrived back from Dallas to see Mike Lennon rigging his new Mach 2 on the beach, helped by budding Moth sailor, and champion of the future, Marcus Payne.

Mike went out and won the "Toe in the Water" Charity pursuit race at Hayling Island SC, sailing off a handicap of 586! An incredible result which has well and truly buggered any chance of winning for the rest of us, but its nice having someone else to blame for a change ;-)



Malte Muenke is the only moth sailor in Texas. we met up with him on Sunday and he kindly let me sail his boat on a lake not unlike Grafham Water (but a little warmer) It's a prefect place for a moth sailing with great launching and more Texans should give it a go! We met Malte at Lewisville Lake Park and we'd nearly found him before we were stopped by the police for speeding, but sooner or later, Malte, the copper and my friend Michael were all chatting about Moths and watching as I went for a spin.

We have the Inland Championships this coming weekend, and with Mike clearly going fast it should be a good shoot out!

A semi by the sea

I read in the Telegraph Newspaper that "The over 40's may benefit from Aspirin".

Benefit? Its bloody essential! I was using it 20 years ago and right now I'm on the cusp of moving from Ibuprofen to Volterol, just to keep me sailing. Slow news day in the UK I guess but not here..

I'm in Dallas and I like it very much. The people are friendly and all have nice teeth. And in this politically correct part of the world they are desperately trying to re brand "Swine Flu" with a name that doesn't make pigs feel bad.

Although I thinks the word "pigs" could do with a little work too.

It's a shame that Swine Flu started in Mexico, they don't seem to have much luck and personally I think its a just a conspiracy, and another excuse not to give 'em a green card. They really should re brand that country "Mexican't"

The only thing I don't like about Dallas is people keep using that hateful word "beverage". Why cant they say "would you like a drink"? It spoils the rep of this hard drinkin' tough lone star state and reminds me of washed out salesmen. JR didn't like a "beverage" he liked a drink, so did Sue Ellen. I bet Davy Crockett, whilst successfully defending the Alamo from the second Mexican't attack in 100 degree's of heat didnt go "fuck me I could do with a beverage" did he?

Although it might have been a good idea, because they didn't repel the third attack and they got..err.. mullered.

The biggest breakthrough in my sailing this week has been the discovery of a Zhik "Loo Rip" feature in my new super warm wetsuit. Although I forgot to shut it the other day and the sudden and immediate jet of super cold water that hit my gonads as I launched effectively turned a decent life size model into a "double O" gauge replica. To quote James Blunt I really did have "a semi by the sea"

Above is a nice picture of the Mach 2 that appeared on Sailing Anarchy. Photo taken by Ingrid Abery

A game of two halves..

As I ran down the pontoon all the other boat owners just looked at me in that same way that people look at you on planes when your the last guy to board and the pilot's missed his slot. I was late to get "Callisto" out of the lock, I'd put her in the day before but the business meeting had run on. I slung my laptop in the cabin, started the diesel and turned hard right out of Thornham marina. Three miles later my admiration for Ellen MacArthur went even higher as I struggled to get a main and genoa down by myself in a force 6. Also I must have looked odd as I was still wearing business casual and Hugo Boss wasn't dealing too well with the Solent.


That was friday night and on Saturday we sailed the Glyn Charles race. Handicapped to oblivion we tried hard, it was windy and rough and staring 10 minutes after the 49ers was just too big a gap to make up on that course. I had to stick it in twice to stop myself hitting a wall of glass fibre. It was just so busy out there. Once I went involuntarily down the mine so hard that I just got me nose the right side of the shroud as I went past. Mental note, put a May stick on this prototype, like the production Mach 2's. Other than that the boat was great.


Mach 2 images courtesy of http://www.ingridabery.com/

Martin Harrison sailing his low riding Axeman was 6th. A brilliant result.

I'm off to Dallas on Wednesday for a couple of days, if there are any Moth sailors out there, it'd be great to see you!

S

Glyn's race

It's the Glyn Charles Pursuit Race at Hayling Island Sailing Club this Saturday. Please do come, whether you sail a moth or not. It's open to all dinghies and small racing keel boats with a handicap number below 1432. Glynn was lost in the Sydney Hobart race some ten years ago, he loved Moths and this race is about remembering him, raising money and having fun. There is a stunning array of prizes and although you will have to go some to win in a Moth (Our handicap number is currently 586 courtesy of lapping those mobile chicanes, the International 14's, 3 times last year). Who cares..

Necessity breeds invention, I need a break and I'm going to give it a go in my Mach 2. The weather forecast looks good, I've got me porridge and its time to light the afterburners. Holiday for two anyone?

OK, well just come down and watch, and see the boat too.

Talking of invention its was great to hear, at the recent Olympic dinner at Hayling, some of the enterprising business ideas that my friends have had to beat the recession. My "best lateral thinking award" went to Mark, who recognising the DNA that ensured success for the "French Connection" clothing company (FCUK), was along way down the road to announcing the launch of his own clothing brand "CNUT"....

I can just see that one on "The Dragon's Den..."

See you Saturday?

S