Thursday 28 August

So.. I am now back in NZ, got in yesterday on the team flight..  Where there was a rather large mob of people waiting to see the team, and the medalists...

The entry into NZ was a little crazy! I just wanted to get out of there and get home, but we had to wait for the whole team to find their luggage (a little difficult when there are 200+ identical bags to sort through) - Then let the medalists exit first - Which was fair enough... But that created a bit of a wall, so exiting the airport terminal took a little while.

It really is great to be home!  It was a great trip, an incredible experience, one that I will never forget, but still a little hard coming out the end of it all with a results that I am not happy with.  But then again, that is part of sport, and will in now way discourage me from continuing on, it is just a reminder that I have a lot to work on, and need to go into the London Games with no weaknesses. As looking back at this event, I knew going in that I had certain strengths and weaknesses, and was hoping that the weather would be nice to me… Turns out it did for half the event, but the wind really showed up my issues, and it is only fair that I was beaten by sailors who had mastered all the conditions, and now I have something to aim for in 2012.

It has been a rollercoaster ride of a month, greats highs and lows, and now coming out the end of it, I have even more determination to be more honest with myself, in relation to my true weaknesses, as I see that as the only way I can truly move on from here… In order to give myself the best possible shot at a medal in 2012. 

So time for a bit of time off sailing (ok well not all sailing – just Radial sailing) – I already have plans to do a bit of keelboat sailing, as well as maybe a bit of a blast in a foiling Moth, and a go in a 470 at the Winter Champs next month… Trying to have a bit of fun, and branch out a bit – as really, my reason for sailing is because I enjoy it – So I need to get back to those basic roots!

Then it is back to Uni next year – To try and complete another year of my Engineering degree (I have so far done 1 of 4 years) which will be a great shock to the system, as I haven’t done any math for the past three years… So not quite sure whether to look forward to it or not…

Saturday 12 July

I am now in Hong Kong, having spent the last 12 days in Qingdao, China (Olympic venue), so I had no access to my site (as it is blocked in China for some reason)  but now I am back online.. And it is definitely time for an update..

We drove down to Holland straight after racing on the last day of Kiel, a nice 5 hour drive, stayed the night in Medemblik, then flew out of Amsterdam that afternoon.  From there we flew to Frankfurt, Shanghai - where we collected our luggage (well my luggage anyway.. Foxy's didn't turn up, and eventually arrived in Qingdao the day before we left) and then got in a taxi for a 45 min drive to the domestic airport, then one more flight to Qingdao and we were there... Bit of a long day..

The next day we went down to the yacht club to get our charter boats, but the guy never showed.. So a bit of a wasted day..  The next day we got our boats, and got rigged and ready, and then sat around for a few hours waiting for wind, with the visibility down to about 50m at times.. We eventually called it off as there was zero wind, and zero visibility..

The rest of the trip was much more successful, I got plenty of time on the water, although some of it was a little freaky.. One day there was a massive thunderstorm, with pelting rain, and massive crashing thunder (great fun!)  Then we had a few days of fog, and I mean serious fog.. Foxy had a GPS on the coach boat which was well utilized, as there were times when we had absolutely no idea where we were.  The fog was so thick, while I was doing starting drills - always within 100m of the coach boat, they were still losing sight of me in the fog (I would put some pictures up.. but there is really not much to see!)

There were also hundreds of Chinese boats on the water cleaning up the green algae that has taken over the region, these guys were out everyday in very old looking 'ducaduca' boats (the sound they make...) with rakes and nets, hauling in the green stuff..

They are doing a very impressive clean up job though, with the army on the beaches everyday, raking the algae out of the water, loading it onto trucks, which you can always spot due to the pretty terrible smell.. and taking it away.. to where we don’t know.. But I bet there is a new mountain being built somewhere in the region.. a rather smelly one.

So yep, a very interesting trip!

The training side of it was also good, I have now ticked off all the things I went to Qingdao to practice, so I am very happy with my progress, and really starting to look forward to the Games!!

I am now heading home for two and a half weeks, just enough time to get used the cold of NZ, before heading back over to the China heat on the first of August.  It is all starting to feel a bit more real, with my uniform in at Yachting NZ for me to pick up, and the knowledge that the next time I get on a place out of NZ I am actually going to the Olympic Games! A little freaky.. But all good!!

Sunday 29 June

Had a bit of a bad day today, I managed to get another black flag in the first race, so that makes two.. Which is not good for the score sheet. So I had to sit out that race and watch.. Great fun..

Then the next race just went all bad, I had my first bad start and that made a bad first leg.. Which turned into a bad downwind leg, as I got stuck out the wrong side, and it all went from bad to worse.. And didn't get any better..

The next race had some highs and some lows.. I had a beautiful start and had one moment to tack, but missed it, and then it all went bad.. Very bad! I was third to last at the top mark.. Which was just brilliant.. I then had a great reach, and an awesome downwind, followed by a pretty good upwind. To round the last top mark in about 17th, then had a great last downwind leg to finish in 11th. Not the greatest result but ok considering my placing at the first mark. I just wish the last downwind had been a bit longer, as I was hauling on the boats ahead, but just ran out of runway.. So that was it..

Missed out on the medal race by quite a lot, as I am now in 15th.. The two max points black flags really didn't help.. Very annoying when I know one of the black flags was a 1st.. I think there is one race tomorrow for those of us that didn't make it, so the weather better be nice, as it is a big tow out for one race...

After racing tomorrow we have to pack everything up, and drive 5 hours back to Medemblik, then we fly out Monday afternoon to china.. Be nice to have some warmer weather!

Saturday 28 June

We are now over half way through the regatta, yesterday we had three races, where I started off well, with a 2nd, then dropped a bit with a 6th.. then had a shocker of a race.. not actually sure what I got. 

There was quite a lot of breeze, and I think I worked so hard in the first race I didn't have much left for the rest of the day, by the last race I was definately struggling to get my muscles doing what I wanted them to do..  But it was overally an ok race, with some highs and lows, and three good starts.. (so that kept me happy..)

Today was a different story, there was a bit less wind, but it was pretty shifty..  I had a brilliant start in the first race, and led around the first mark, then just kept extending to win comfortably.  The next race was also good, although at the start, the line was not set very square, so we were all bunched up at the left hand end - and as it ended up everyone down that end was scored as ocs (over the line)
So my result for the race was BFD, but I did actually win the race, I led around the top mark, but got passed downwind, then managed to get back into it and regained the lead on the last downwind to win it on the water, if not on the results sheet.

So basically a great day, after all I am here for the racing, and not the results..  And my racing today was all good.. Its nice to finally put together a few races..

Tomorrow is the last day of fleet racing, we will have another 3 races, then on Sunday there will be the medal race for the top 10 boats overall, so hopefully I can make it this time!

Thursday 26 June

Today was the first day of racing at Kiel Week, we had just two races, and I had an ok day... I had great starts, which is good as this is clearly becoming a habit.  The rest of the racing was ok, I just made a few scetchy calls.. But was still happy at the end of the day.. so overall not too bad..

I have been here in Germany for a few days, I flew into Amsterdam on Sunday morning, and then we drove an hour to Medemblik (in Holland) where we picked up the coach boat and my Laser.  Then we drove 6 hours up to Kiel in Germany..  Was a bit of a big day, it is horrible to get off a plane, then get in a car and sit again.. I am very over sitting...

So we arrived here in Kiel, found some accom, and basically did nothing at all for two days (I liked it very much - after my usual hectic trips) apart from unload the boats.. and have a bit of a look around the city of Kiel. 

There is an amazing set up over here, we are sailing out of the venue that was used for the 72' Olympic games, so it is huge, with nice big ramps and plenty of rigging areas,  I am actually sitting in the registration tent at the moment, where there is free internet.. This really is a great venue, there are chandlerys within a few minutes walk, as well as my personal favourite, crepe stalls.... The only slight dissadvantage is the weather, which is a bit hard to change... Kiel is traditionally a very cold place, although the day we arrived here it was 28 degrees, but it quickly cooled down as all us sailors arrived..

Well time to go home.. get some sleep and prepare for another three races tomorrow...