JESS TOUR REPORTS
From the Sailors...Since leaving Cherbourg
The last day in Cherbourg was spent as a free day as the Regatta had finished the previous day. We spent the day exploring the maritime museum, where we were able to see a very strange attraction that showed us an introduction to underwater exploration (this included a very unexpected video of us being made using hidden cameras). After that it seemed that there was a lack of energy in the group and the afternoon was spent sleeping and shopping (Ice-Cream as well).
The next morning began with an early start on the road heading towards the half way point on the way to Berlin. The journey was halted a few km's down the road to rid the van of a very offensive smell - Brad's shoes were then banished to the boat trailer!
The team arrived in Aachen a few hours later, staying the night in a youth hostel. We had a great meal and tried the german spritza - a mix of coke and fanta with dinner. We then left early the next morning.
The team arrived in Berlin later that day, the sailors were split up into pairs and billeted with different families, Brad and Niko were billeted with Mia and Jack and their parents, sleeping in comfortable beds in the house's attic, while Virginia and Sienna stayed with Katrina and Miana, enjoying the good food and hospitality.
From Richard and Austin - In Berlin we were billeted with Mark and Kiki they had two children one was 13 and one was 8 however they were both away training in Kiel in the optimist. We had so many interesting stories that have come from our time in Berlin, for example when we went for a run around the lake that they live next to, we realised we would be late back to dinner because the distance was greater than we expected. We decided to swim to the other side of the lake so we were not late to dinner. After dinner we went into Berlin at 9:00 at night by ourselves and went to see Harry Potter and we did not anticipate that we would be there till 12:00 at night when the movie finished and we did not get back till 1:30 in the morning. We had an awesome time in Berlin.
From Sienna and Virginia - Our family had four children, three girls and a boy. Although the oldest wasn't there and the young boy was training in Kiel. Getting billeted was an amazing experience as we got to see how life is in Berlin. They were a very caring family, with Anna and Raphael feeding us well, as they took us out for ice-cream. On our afternoon off, we got to explore the suburb of their house, do some intense shopping, and enjoy a cookie milkshake. All in all it was great fun and we would do it again in a heartbeat.
From Brad and Niko - We stayed with Mia (13yr), Jack (16yr), and their parents. When we first arrived Jack was still in New Zealand on an exchange trip and would be arriving back on the Tuesday. Being billeted was a nice change to the accommodation we had on the tour, eating home cooked meals was definitely one of the benefits of billeting. The beds were also wonderfully comfortable. All in all it was a nice stay in Berlin enjoying the hospitality of our family.
Report # 17 - 23/7/2011
From the coaches...
For the Steinhude Meer Regatta the sailors have changed combinations. In Berlin the new teams had the opportunity to train in preparation for the regatta. Sailing together are;
Virginia and Sienna
Austin and Niko
Richard and Brad
Yesterday the sailors spent the day repairing their gaskets and doing other maintenance on the boats. They didn't make it out for a training session.
Racing commenced at 12pm today with strong westerly winds 20-25 knots and a short sharp chop. The fleet of 38 boats struggled in the hard conditions however the race officers still managed to get 2 races in.
After sailing on the lake in Berlin and now Steinhuder Meer I wish we had lakes to sail on in WA. Although the sailing conditions are trying, for access and spectating it is fantastic. The club is a two storey building with a grassed area about 20m wide out the front. A hard edge has been constructed where small yacht and rescue craft are moored - this area is carved out of the reeds and water lilies. Racing happens just behind this so it is very pleasant to sit on the veranda enjoying a refreshment and watching the racing.
Race 1 was not so successful. The girls were late for the start, and there was swimming all round. Austin and Niko retired with a snapped boom and after one race all boats headed back to the club. Racing commenced again at 3.30pm. We managed to borrow an old boom for Austin and Niko however we were unable to fix the gaskets that had fallen off the other two boats. The sailors will be very experienced fitting gaskets by the time they get back.
The day was finished off with a BBQ dinner at the club where the sailors could admire the 'best capsise' on the big screen and be glad of the hot food. The final sail for the JESS2011 team is at 10am tomorrow.
From the sailors...
With a late start on the first day of sailing at Steinhuder Meer we set out in a nice 20 knot wind with small waves like in the river. All the sailors got a shock with the really cold wind chill factor, but off we went with a quite bad start by all and the girls 1 minute 10 sec late for the start. Austin and Niko were coming 11th when they capsized with the kite up and got their mast stuck in the mud twice and as they were trying to get the boat up the boom snapped as it was also stuck in the mud.
In the second race the girls got around the course without swimming although they had a rather nice water feature coming out of the centre board case. Richard and Brad swam but finished the race.
Report # 16 - 22/7/2011
From the coaches...
On the 16th July we set off early to drive to Berlin. We took a small diversion to the coast to see the Normandy beaches and the many memorials to those lost in World War Two. Our half way stop over was Aachen. Unfortunately we didn't have time to look around as we headed off first thing the next morning.
As with all tours there always seems to be someone with particularly smelly shoes! It didn't take long in the van to pin point the culprit and banish the offending shoes to the trailer. I will let the sailors fill you in with more details...
We arrived at Berliner Yacht Club late in the afternoon and were met by our host Andre. Three families from the club hosted the sailors and made them very welcome. The first day we unpacked and did our first training session on the lake. It was quite a novelty to sail out through water lilies and reeds and the views around the lake were beautiful. In the afternoon Andre arranged for the team to sail on the jewel of the club the 1907 'Illusion'. Our skipper Axel and the Junior representation Hanalina took us on a tour of the lakes pointing many palaces, castles and landmarks along the way.
On Tuesday Andre and his daughter Mia took us on a tour of Potsdam where we saw the spectacular Summer Palace gardens. The sailors then had the afternoon off to relax and spend time with their host families after our planned training session was cancelled due to lack of wind.
Wednesday morning we were very lucky to be taken to the German house of Parliament. Normally you need to book up to two weeks in advance to get security clearance to enter the building and then que for hours to get in. However as Kiki, Austin and Richard's host mum worked in the building she is allowed to take visitors in and offered to take the team. After this we did a hop on, hop off bus tour of Berlin. We visited the check point Charlie museum and had lunch at Alexanderplatz. We then headed back to the club for a twilight race that was held between the near by clubs on the lake. Richard went out on a H boat and Brad, Sienna and Virginia went out together with Kiki and Mike on their boat. Earlier in the week Scott bumped into an old JESS friend Hans who offered to take Scott and Julie out on his Streamliner (a big 505 with two trapeze and a keel]google it!). At the last minute he was unable to sail and let us take the boat for the race. Scott skippered whilst Niko and Julie were on the trapeze. Austin was the gopher doing everything and anything and was critical to making the boat run smoothly. After the race we were invited back to the club for a BBQ and presentations.
Thursday morning we had our last training session, packed the boats (in the rain because of course it didn't rain until pack up time) and headed to Steinhude Meer. We arrived early evening and were met by the club coach Ralf who made us very welcome. When Wolfgang spoke to the club and advised that we were coming the club arranged for us to stay in the cabins at the yacht club. This is fantastic as we are staying meters away from the club and boats in two cabins. The sailors are all in one cabin and Scott and Julie are in the other with all the gear.
Friday morning - as I am typing the sailors are rigging the boats ready for a training session. The temperature is cool and there is a good 20 knot breeze across the lake.
Report # 15 - 14/7/2011
From the sailors...
The last day of French nationals held light winds and fairly blue skies. All boats left the beach in gear one, set up for the light wind weather, 5-10 knots. Boat tuning was done out on the water near the course, but once the on station flag came up, all boats began setting themselves up for the start sequence of the first race.
Race one had heavy bias to the pin end (A boat was able to start on port and cross in-front of the entire fleet), Brad and Virginia had the most pin end start and headed far out to the left side of the course with a small group of boats. Sienna and Austin had a mid-line start and went right heading out towards pressure, with Niko and Richard following a similar course.
The boats that went right seemed to be making ground, but upon tacking to cross back to the mark, where slowed greatly as they were forced to cross the opening of the sea wall where there was a steady current forcing them downwind, this accompanied with a knocking breeze as they sailed across the opening greatly heeded there progress. The boats that went out to the left rounded first with Brad and Virginia just outside the top ten boats.
The two JESS boats that went right rounded the mark mid fleet, but gaining ground on the downwind. The downwind leg saw Brad and Virginia make up ground rounding the bottom gate mark eighth, and going out with clear air to the left side again. Austin and Sienna rounded the bottom mark next closing the gap on boats ahead. Richard and Niko weren't far behind also gaining ground on the downwind.
The second upwind played out similar to the first with the left side paying. Brad and Virginia rounding in sixth place with a small group that had a comfortable lead on majority of the fleet. The next few downwind legs where fought out hard and even on the last upwind leg to the finish Brad and Virginia where able to nick a boat and finish in fourth. Austin and Sienna getting a twenty seventh and Niko and Richard getting a thirty third.
The last race of the regatta did not have as bright results as the first race that day, with the start having a black flag and then a general recall. It was found that Richard and Niko were over and had finished there racing for the day, (along with a third of the fleet) headed in. Brad and Virginia also headed in after the recall as Virginia had been very unwell early and had pushed herself through the first race, but was not getting any better. This left Austin in Sienna out for the last race, who had a reasonably start at the boat end (which was now heavily favoured). From there I'm unsure what occurred on the course (as I was heading in with Virginia) but they finished the race in twentieth.
Silver fleet results for the regatta are as follows;
Brad & Virginia: Overall Result: 11 Results: 33, 29, 27, 23, BFD, 2, 18, 12, 4, DNS
Sienna & Austin: Overall Result: 24 Results: 28, 27,25, 30, 12, 13, 24, 32, 27, 20
Niko & Richard: Overall Result: 28 Results: 31, 25, 31, 31 35, 26, 1, 20, 33, BFD
Report # 14 - 13/07/2011
From the coaches...
The fleet has now been split into Gold and Silver fleet. Our three boats are all in Silver. Today we had a turn of events with a 1st, 2nd, and 13th place finishes!
From the sailors...
Today brought good and bad moments for all sailors with familiar conditions and a few waves. The wind in the first race was fully extended trapeze weather although it dropped off throughout the second and third races to 5 knots. During the first race Virginia and Brad had a good start and enjoyed the clear air from being at the front of the fleet. Niko and Richard had a great first beat but lost a lot of boats just before the mark. Austin and Sienna were doing quite well but didn't go far enough to the right of the course. Virginia and Brad made up some more boats on the downwind and rounded the second top mark in second place. They held this position until the end of the last reach where they overtook the boat in first just around the mark. Unfortunately they tacked off to early and were beaten right on the line.
The second race was brilliant for Richard and Niko. After a shocking start they hit the right side of the course hard and finished up second around the top mark. They held this position until the next beat where they finished up first around the top mark. On the final reaches and downwind they steadily increased their lead and finished in front by quite a bit. Virginia and Brad had a good start however they didn't go far enough right and finished in the middle of the fleet.
The third race was long and tedious with the wind dropping right off. There weren't any outstanding results however it was still a pretty good race.
Our conclusion at the end of today was that Scott's idea to wear a bright yellow headband sailing was not such a bad idea because our copies seemed to bring good luck.
Report # 13 - 13/07/2011
From the coaches...
Wet. That is the best way to describe today. It rained from 10am till 5pm non stop. Once again I was very glad that I was able to opt out of going on the coach boat. The race committee had an easier time today with the wind being stronger and more consistent than yesterday. Today was a good lesson in race strategy. The pin was heavily biased however so too was the right hand side of the course due to a strong tidal effect coming from windward. The sailors are starting to plan their race and consider where they want to be on the start and up the first beat. They are now on their way to achieving this.
From the sailors...
Day 2 of racing delivered 3 races ranging from 8 to 15 knots. The weather was cloudy and raining, much to Scott's disappointment on the coach boat. The right was favoured for the whole day until the wind dropped which made the left favoured and a heavily biased pin.
Brad and Virginia didn't have the best of racing today scoring mainly around the 28-33 area. Going right for most the races helped Brad and Virginia link their good start but other parts of the course unfortunately didn't work for them. Austin and Sienna had a good day finishing the day off with a top fifteen finish.
Richard and Niko had an average day and had one really good start but that was spoiled by a general recall.
Report # 12 - 11/07/2011
From the coaches...
Day 1 of the French Nationals got underway with a postponement flag on shore. The forecast was not promising however the breeze did pick up to a moderate 5-8 knots and the first race commenced around 12pm.
The fleet of 80 boats is divided into two fleets. Richard and Niko are in fleet A, whilst Virginia, Brad, Austin and Sienna are in fleet B with our fellow Australian's Doug and Patrick.
Tide was once again a factor in the racing and had a big effect on the start line. After a number of general recalls and black flags, all the Aussie's got away with clean starts. At the start of the race the wind was fairly consistent however the tide was underestimated by majority of the fleet. Many boats reached into the top mark with spinnakers after the tide pushed the fleet above the lay line.
As the racing progressed the wind lighted off and became less consistent. The second race was shortened and eventually they abandoned racing for the day.
From the sailors...
Today was the first day of the French Nationals.
Today the wind was about 3 to 5 knots and dying. The committee only managed to fit in two races before the wind completely died. It was an average day in the office with the light wind getting the best of all of us. Before we went out the French officials had a go at us for not having the boats set up right. Brad and Julie quickly fixed up the problems, putting rivets in the end of the boom to stop the sail going past the black band and re-doing the black band.
Report # 11 - 09/07/2011 & 10/07/2011
From the Coaches...
Back in France again, we have settled into a daily routine of baguettes and croissants for breakfast helped down with a generous serve of hot chocolate. Our accommodation is approximately 2 minutes walk from the yacht club and is right in the centre of town. The sailors are in two rooms with 3 beds each with a small ensuite. We were lucky to be visited by ex JESS sailor Brad Martin and his family who drove 5 hours to come and support the team. Luckily Brad just happened to have his sailing gear in the car and he was able to crew for Richard as Niko was unwell. Brad and Lucie then very generously treated the whole team to dinner.
Since we have been here we have had rain, cold winds, no wind and hot weather! Winds have been fresh 15-20 knot breezes easing late in the day to 10-15 knots. Despite the whole team reading the sailing instructions, we were taken by surprise when we noticed the start boat gearing up to head to the course. Luckily we planned to train anyway so we quickly had lunch and got the boats on the water for a pre regatta challenge (invitation race). With Niko and Virginia not feeling 100%, only two boats went out today and Brad jumped in with Richard.
Two short races were held and both races had general recalls. The two boats struggled to start well in the windy conditions however more and more they are improving and understanding what they are trying to achieve. Virginia came out on the coach boat with Scott and valued the new perspective she attained from the experience. Austin and Sienna did well to finish in the 30's in the first race, whilst Richard and Brad did well in the second race finishing 21st out of a fleet of 50.
PS. Niko is looking and feeling much better after a day of rest and is looking forward to getting back on the water.
From the Sailors...
With the wind blowing at about 15/20 knots and light rolling waves we set out for our first day of training. We were joined by our new training buddy's Dugg and Patrick who we had dinner with last night. The race area was in-between an outer sea wall to stop most big waves and an inner one which had the yacht club on the other side. Water in the race area was deep so no chance of bending a mast like in Flanders - which is lucky since Richard was the only skipper to keep the boat up right.
With Niko not feeling to well for the afternoon section Brad Martin, an ex JESS sailor jumped in for a ride. In the evening the team went out for dinner with Brad, Lucie and Zoe.
The second day started off with a nice sleep in, a late breakfast and a free morning to wander around the city and write messages back to home. After a rushed lunch and a bit of swapping skippers and crews around Austin, Sienna, Richard and Brad went off to sail a pre race before the regatta which we found out about 10 minutes before we had to set off. Virginia not feeling too well went on the coach boat to watch and Niko went back to bed still feeling sick.
Report # 10
Final day at Flanders from the sailors...
The last day of racing was the toughest yet, with stronger winds than the last few days, leaving the slipway just after 9:30. For the first time in the regatta, boats were able to sail quite easily out of the channel without having to struggle profusely with the tide.
Once out in the open water all three JESS boats swapped to their strong wind settings as it was easily blowing above 15 knots. The first race saw no perfect starts off the line, but all boats managed to tack off and find clear air afterwards. At the top mark Austin and Sienna rounded first out of the JESS boats, followed closely by Virginia and Brad, then Richard and Niko. Due to kite issues Virginia and Brad were able to overtake on the reach. They were then able to hold out until the second downwind, where they capsized because of the abnormally long tiller extension getting jammed in the corner. The two other JESS boats passed by and finished with Austin coming in front of Richard at the finish.
The wind picked up steadily to the predicted 25 knots just before the second race began. Soon after the start, rolling waves built quickly, and rain began pelting down. All boats were tested on the way to the top mark, with the odd few going for a swim on the way. Around the top mark was Virginia and Brad sneaking in just before Austin and Sienna, followed afterwards by Richard and Niko. Flying along the reach, Virginia and Brad rounded the wing mark after rolling a few boats after going high, rounding the mark at high speeds with Austin and Sienna close on there heels. While Austin and Virginia (2 Boats) were rounding the wing mark Richard and Niko had capsized half way along the reach, they broke the top baton, lost the trapeze wire from the top of the mast, and losing there rudder (Coach boat picked it up), unfortunately ending their race.
Heading downwind were the remaining two JESS boats when a heavy squall came through whipping up the waves to even bigger heights, the rain also grew stronger, greatly affecting visibility. The downwind soon became a matter of staying in control and avoiding the half of the fleet that were now upside down. Both boats pumping downwind (as the "O" flag was up) making up heaps of placing's. With winds blowing a steady 30 knots in the squa,ll boats flew downwind, until catching wave Virginia and Brad spun out and turtled. Austin and Sienna worked hard and stayed up right, through the squall and the remainder of the race. Unfortunately after dropping the kite halyard and bringing the boat back up, Virginia and Brad found their port trapeze wire missing from the mast (Not to mention Brads gloves now in shreds). Retiring from the race Virginia and Brad joined the growing number of boats heading for the channel. Austin and Sienna went on to be the only JESS boat to finish that race. Completing the race in very respectable position. After getting the boats up on dry land the damage was assessed: 2 right angled bent wind indicators, a broken baton, a rip in the sail from the baton snapping, one front tank containing a few litres (Virginia), all three port tanks with a few litres, lost a rudder (found it though), and a pair of shredded gloves.
After a hard day of sailing and putting the damage aside, we were all still happy that we just got to experience some wild rides out on the race course. Also special mention to Austin and Sienna who were able to work hard in the heavy weather and finish the race with the other remaining boats.
Concerning the result of the protest that was mentioned in a previous report: It was found that Virginia and Brad had done a sufficient penalty for the incident, therefore the protest was dismissed, but we were still in the wrong and have exchanged insurance details for minor damage of the starboard rear gunwale.
Report # 9 - 05/07/2011
From the coaches...
Three more races were completed today with winds ENE 10-15 knots. Today the sailors experienced a stronger tide and were victim to its effect on the start line and around the marks.
From the sailors...
Today the conditions where very challenging, due to the tide being almost as strong as the wind. Although the wind picked up in the afternoon to 10-15knots, which was enjoyed by us all. The first race started with 3 general recalls as the tide kept pushing the fleet over the line, eventually the race got underway with little wind. The first reach was tough as the tide pushed everyone to leeward of the rhumb line, this created havoc at the marks with lots of penalties being done. Towards the end of the first race the tide became stronger than the wind, which affected all the JESS boats. Austin and Sienna were forced through the finish line while it was on station, by a French boat, being disqualified. Richard and Niko got stuck in irons at the bottom mark, while Virginia and Brad had two attempts at rounding it before they were successful. This was all in vain, as the race time limit expired shortly after, before any of us could finish the race.
The second race saw a complete shift in the wind direction and speed, picking up slightly. This made the boats hard work for the crews because they were constantly in and out on the wire, although the wind kept building to a steady 15knots by the time the third race started. This was started with no general recalls allowing it to get underway quickly. First to the top mark out of the JESS boats were Austin and I, followed closely by Virginia and Brad. With Richard on their tail, but they lost some ground because of a 360 penalty turn.. By the time the fleet was rounding the second top mark Virginia and Brad had over taken Austin and Sienna. On the final reach all the boats were going fast. Brad and Virginia lost a lot of ground as they snapped the clip on their spinnaker pole and were unable to complete the reach with their spinnaker. This allowed the other JESS boats to gain some ground on them. Despite this, they pipped Austin and I on the line, with Richard and Niko not to far behind. The whole team is looking forward to the final two races and our free day the day after, as we all need a sleep in, although some need it more than others.
Report # 8 - 04/07/2011
From the coaches...
Races 6 and 7 were raced in slightly more wind that the forecast predicted. A low pressure system is making its way down towards us and it will bring quite strong breezes and rough conditions by Thursday. However as with any weather forecast we will have to wait and see. Today we had 12-15knots of breeze and seas of about 1m - quite similar to Freo, but murky water and tide.
Austin and Sienna had a great start to race 6. All three boats had similar places to the top mark however Richard and Niko made great gains on the second beat and jumped 11 places. This did wonders to boost the boys morale and they went on to sail well the next race but were unfortunately black flagged - as were Austin and Sienna! Virginia and Brad sailed consistently however were involved with an incident at the bottom mark and they are being protested. The protest starts in 5 minutes so I will report more on this tomorrow.
Despite the black flags we are seeing more and more consistent improvement. Compared with Kiel, they are getting better starts more consistently, tacking out of dirty air quicker and starting to think more strategically about their race.
Report # 7 - 03/07/2011
From the coaches and sailors...
Races 3 - 5 Flanders Regatta
Conditions for racing were lighter than yesterday with 5-8knots and flatter water. Race 3 was an education on sailing in tide. All boats suffered the tidal effects on mark roundings and there was a lot of trouble crossing the finishing line. Austin and Sienna recovered from a late start to achieve 38th place. Richard and Niko were ok until they got stuck in tide at the finish boat.
Austin and Sienna 38
Virginia and Brad 48
Richard and Niko 51
Race 4 -
Race 4 began with a great start from Austin and Sienna who managed to port tack the fleet. The reaches let the sailors down however - they have now learnt about being in the 'over taking lane' rather than the 'being rolled over lane'. The bottom gate was very narrow and created an enormous congestion of boats. Luckily for Virginia and Brad they got through before the real chaos started. Richard and Niko slipped through without many problems however Austin and Sienna weren't so lucky and were caught in the middle of it.
Virginia and Brad 18
Richard and Niko 46
Austin and Sienna 51
Race 5 -
After a not so good a start Richard and Niko manage to gain a number of places on the down wind leg. They were doing well until they picked a wrong shift on the final leg to the finish. Austin and Sienna and Virginia and Brad were neck and neck for most of the race with Virginia and Brad just beating them on the last leg.
Report # 6 - 28/06/11-2/07/11
From the coaches...
Bonjour from team JESS 2011. Paris has been an intense but exciting time. Our drive to Paris was hindered by several traffic jams and a now very unpopular GPS (now known as dum dum rather that tom tom) that thought driving us through Paris was a good idea. We arrived in Saint Fargeau, at ex JESS sailor Brad Martin and his wife and daughter, Lucie and Zoe's house late in the evening and enjoyed some local Pizza's before heading off on the train to Paris.
Day 1 - Staying in Montemartre, we were a short distance walk from Sacre-Coeur. From here the sailors had their first overview of the city and its famous landmarks. We walked the narrow streets, soaking up the Parisian atmosphere, passing the Moulin Rouge before taking the metro to Notre Dame. We picked up fresh baguettes, a selection of cheeses, cold meats and salads. We had lunch and watched the world go by from Point Neuf. We also visited Scott's favourite patisserie shop - to ensure a thorough experience of French cuisine. On the journey back to our hostel we went to Galeries Lafayette where the girls had 1 hour to do as much shopping as they could. Until this point in the trip, Austin and Richard had developed a reputation for their lack punctuality when meeting back with the group. When enquiring as to the reason they were back early they said 'this shop is just full of girls stuff'. They hadn't realised the menswear section and food hall (including homemade chocolates and lollies) were in the adjacent building. We then enjoyed a traditional French dinner of escargot, duck confit and much more.
Day 2 - With the temperature dropping 10 degrees from 32 - 22 we headed to Versailles. We toured the palace first, the formal gardens and then Marianne Tourette's garden. After another picnic lunch we took the metro to La Defense, then climbed the Arc de Triumphe, walked along the Champs Elysees and back to the hostel. We had another French dinner this time with delights such as raw beef, creme caramels and creme brulee. After, we headed back out to the Eiffel tower and in JESS tradition, we took the stairs!
Day 3 - The day started off with a metro trip to the Louvre. Not having time to do it justice we went to the Musee O'rsay and viewed paintings by many of the famous impressionist artists. We then went across town to a small market and had lunch in a park. Due to popular demand we headed to Les Halles for some more shopping opportunities and I have to report that the girls bought matching overalls. After French crepes the girls had more energy for shopping and headed to the streets of Montemartre.
Day 4 - Transit Day - We caught the train back to Melun and had a brief stop at Fontainebleau. Here we viewed the famous chateau that Versailles was based on and bought more cheese, baguettes and salad for lunch. We headed back to Brad, Lucie and Zoe's, had a picnic lunch under the shade of their apple tree, picked up the boats and headed to Belgium. Fortunately we had a good run with traffic so we arrived just before 6, dropped off the boats and headed for our accommodation.
Day 5 - Flanders Regatta - A welcome change from Kiel, the weather is warm and the skies are clear! With a fleet of 51 420's, many who have come from Kiel, the racing is still a very high standard. Racing times vary each day as the races are scheduled to avoid low tide for the launching of boats. Conditions were good for our sailors. Seas were 0.5-0.7m with winds 7-13 knots. They completed two races and finished in the 30's and 40's - I will confirm exact places tomorrow. From a spectator point of view - The club is approximately 2km from the mouth of the river. From the club there is a boardwalk and wide avenue for cyclists that runs all the way up to the beach where you can see the sailing. It is a beautiful walk with cyclists leisurely passing on one side of you, whilst only meters away, yachts traverse the channel on the other.
Our accommodation is a chalet at a holiday park called Sunparks. There are three rooms upstairs with two sailors in each. Linen packs are provided for each bed with a doona cover and a flat sheet. Brad became a little confused by the absence of a fitted sheet and put his matress in the doona cover instead of the doona! Niko managed to straighten him out and all was well.
The large family room and kitchen are luxury after trying to cook for 8 people in a caravan! The sailors have three races today and the forecast is similar to yesterday.
From the sailors...
Our first sailing day in Flanders began with sailing out to the race course. With a light wind we set off beating head on into the famous current of the Nieuwpoort harbour. This made our progress slow in the murky, sandy coloured water and small inconsistent waves. Racing began after a tiny bit of training in the current and we almost missed the start - a close save by the JESS team.
The sailing was interesting with most of us ending up about 37/44
We are so happy to have a lovely home for us and to sit at a table and have two bathrooms - it is so luxurious!
Report # 5 - 24/6/2011
From the coaches...
Heats 7-10. Racing started with 10-15 knots of wind and gradually dropped off to 10 knots. The skies were blue for a change, however it didn't last long and the cloud cover returned.
With each day of racing the sailors are becoming more confident in getting their boats well positioned on the starts. Their first beats are still suffering as they quickly get sucked into dirty air and are not keeping their height off the start line. We are working on this bit.
Brad and Virginia had a great start for heat 7 however it was once again a general recall. Overall they are sitting 115th with one race to go. They have done well in the silver fleet.
Niko and Richard were doing very well in heat 7 rounding the top mark in the top 15. Spinnaker sets have been very good - it was a shame they went to the wrong mark and lost their good position. They are sitting 168th overall.
Austin and Sienna had a fantastic start in the 7th race and had a good first beat working the left side of the course. The results reflect this with an 11th place. They were protested in the 9th heat for barging at the wing mark and unfortunately were DSQ. There is one race left tomorrow.
Sailors left the beach for racing at 10.45am and were off the water at 6.30pm. The long days are taking their toll. All the sailors are looking forward to sleeping in the van on the long drive to Paris tomorrow.
Report # 4 - 24/6/2011
From the coaches...
Heats 3-6. With fresh winds, more rain and cool temperatures the sailors set off for 4 back to back races. After yesterdays results, Virginia and Brad are in silver fleet and Austin and Sienna and Richard and Niko are in bronze fleet.
Starting in large fleets is still proving difficult for the sailors, however we are starting to see better results. Brad and Virgina had a good start in heat 3 and sailed well to achieve a 22nd. Richard and Niko were consistent however retired after they lost their main halyard in the last race.
Austin and Sienna had an eventful day with a small prang, a capsize, loosing the main halyard and a hole in the dry suit. To be more accurate, Sienna managed to just about rip the whole foot off her dry suit - she caught it on the side stay on the way out to racing. It took the whole team about 2 hours, 6 attempts and an entire tube of glue to attach the new foot. Needless to say the next person to damage their dry suit will not be popular! Unfortunately after they capsized Austin and Sienna also lost their main halyard and retried from races 5 and 6.
Hot chocolate drinks were very popular with the sailors after racing. They were all pretty cold and exhausted after 6 long races and uncountable general recalls. After a dinner of seafood pasta all the sailors were straight off to bed!
Report # 3 - 23/6/2011
From the sailors...
Our first day of racing was intense and cold. The dry suits served their purpose when the rain pelted down but while we waited for the starts the two thermal layers were not enough.
The JESS boats were split up into the three randomly selected fleets of approximately sixty boats each. With such chaotic start lines there was no escaping the general recall flag. Richard and Niko had fourteen general recalls in the two races before they were black-flagged. The other two fleets were a bit more cautious and only had three general recalls between them.
With the shifty wind and the inconsistent wind speed the races were challenging and we experienced twenty knots plus with poor visibility and eights knots with beautiful sunshine. We are looking forward to the rest of the week and are struggling to understand the weather forecasts (eg. thick clouds with blue skies).
From the coaches...
Heats 1 and 2. With such a large number of 420's competing in Keil week, the fleet was split into three starts of approximately 60 boats. Our three boats were all in separate fleets, making it difficult to follow boats around the course. The advantage however, was that we were able to focus on one boat for each start. Opportunities for starting practice were plentiful with all bar one start (which was an individual recall) having at least two goes before getting the fleet away.
Prior to the first start of the day we were hit with our first front. This brought 25 knot winds and heavy rains. Needless to say, it was at this point I decided that going out on the coach boat was not necessarily a smart move. Wind conditions continued to vary throughout the day, ranging between 8-25 knots.
The results reflect the depth of skill and experience within the world 420 fleet. Our sailors were at the back end however even in one day there were many improvements seen. The biggest lesson so far has been the importance of being in the front row on the start line with speed when the gun goes.
Report # 2 - 21/6/2011
The past few days we have been sightseeing in Hamlin where the Pied Piper originated. We also went to Hamberg where we climbed 364 stairs to get to the top of the cathedral where we had an amazing view. Then we went to Hannover where Wolfgang showed us the models of various time periods such as before and after the war. While enjoying the sightseeing we had to check the boats and load them on to the enormous dangerous looking trailer.
This morning we left for Kiel, our first regatta. We picked up the third boat, which was being repaired and then made our way to Kiel Woche. After a little bit of miss understanding with the caravans, we finally settled down in Kiel. We took a stroll down to the marina where we bumped into fellow Aussies. Then we came back to sought out our sleeping arrangements in our rather cosy caravan, while preparing a dinner of chicken curry. Tomorrow we de-rig the trailer and set up the boats and go for our first sail in Kiel Woche- which we're all hanging out for.
Report # 1 - 20/6/2011
Hello Australians,
We have successfully arrived in Germany after a long plane trip and a little bit of a dilemma with the cars, as the Germans had doubted Julie's ability to drive. Then we made our way to Alfeld, hitting speeds of around 200km per hour. After the torrential down pore of rain. Then Marianne and Wolfgang welcomed us to there amazing five-story house with an endless mountain of food. With everyone finding it difficult to turn down Marianne's delicious cooking. So we ate it all. We took a nice stroll through the beautiful village of Alfeld and found out how quiet the Germans are as we were the loudest people in the town. On our first morning we took a walk to the top of the hill (mini verging on huge mountain) which was vertical at points. Next we climbed the lookout and were able to see in all directions for miles. After that we headed down to one of Marianne's huge feasts. That afternoon we went into town to look for overalls, but were unsuccessful!!! (Brad is currently doubting the fashion sense of overalls) But the girls KNOW that they look frigging amazing!!! (Brad still doubting) Then we all piled into the mini (Bird) poo covered bus to go strawberry picking with Wolfgang...boy we were in for a surprise. As his instructions were to eat as many as you could while still conscious. Then we purchased 12Kg of strawberries which we now have to eat!
On the sickening drive back (Strawberry overdose) Austin found he'd left his camera in a pram with a pink eyed baby at the strawberry farm. Once returned to Wolfgang's house Austin was made to clean the monster of a bird crap off the JESS van. Lots of video evidence was taken. Dinner was another delicious torrent of food, followed by a basket of strawberries. Trying to get to sleep with the sun flowing through the attic windows has been very different. Due to Austin's elaborate ability to continuously talk, he has been banned from talking, indefinitely. That night's dreams included overalls and lots of strawberries.
Today we have a "Fabulous" run up a hill planned and more overall hunting (Brad still doubting). The trip has been a blast so far and everything is flying by very quickly. So until we post again, goodbye
And love from Sienna, Virginia, Brad, Austin, Niko and Richard. xoxoxoxoxox
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