Chris
Well its not got any warmer, I literally froze my tits off yesterday, I was so cold yesterday I was so glad they only decided to do three as I had broken my mainsheet bungee which made tacking nigh on impossible in the breeze. In fact it cost me three places in the last race yesterday when I fucked up a tack to the finish line.
Today was blue sky and some people would say warmer…I disagree, It was baltic cold and I think I figured out some bad news in our hotel. Every morning they ask what room number I am in and I wonder why… well this morning i was grumpy and tired and didnt want a cup of tea…. they didnt ask… so I think we are being charged per cup of tea…… errrr seriously??
On that note.. did you know that in Switzerland they charge you 5 chuffs (chfs) to cut your pizza in half if you are sharing it…. I mean come on, there is no shame in it either, they are ruthless, no wonder they all have so much bloody money.
Anyway, back to the racing… today was much better and I think I have remember how to sail my boat finally.. although it still feels very off balance. I was chugging up the first work in the first race today and think i got an 8th… I lost a few places on the finish but hey ho. Second race was good, was 3rd all the way round then screwed the last work again and finihsed 5th.. can you see a pattern here hahaha. Last race was good and I didnt give any places away. I was 4th at the first windward mark and had a good race with Rob Gough and Chris Rast. Think I was 6th in the last race. I was pretty much glued to Rob Gough all day and we had some ding dong battles in the second and third races. All in all its good, I will have jumped up the fleet after getting a 71st and snapping my boom on the first day.
Now im going to get chicken Cordon Bluuuuuuuuurrrr and try and finish it tonight as its the biggest bit of chicken i think ive ever seen in my life.
it did not rain today…. RESULT!
Yes im lying. Its farking freezing. Today is the first day ive seen the blue sky since we got here innit. I went for a sail yesterday on the raptor and I didnt like it. I was quick upwind but only in a certain window and slow as a fat horsey downwind.
Im gonna do the practice race today back on my old friend the north. I cvan make it go upwind and it just gives and gives and gives downwind so I should be back on the downwind pace of most. Arnaud has it wound up downwind like ive not seen him before, even giving Si a pasting.
Switzerland is weird, I had lots of things to say but now it comes to the blog I forget. I am rather concerned that having 85 boats on the start line is not a good thing to be doing here but lets wait and see. I’ll blog again in a few days when I can be arsed.
So flying tomorrow am and reading about how much sailing everyone is doing. I have done close to the massive amount of hours that is ZERO in the last five week!! Hmmmm, I hope I can tack ok cause it looks bloody freezing already. I hope there is wind too!!
Other than that, I hope the plane let me on as I have slightly more gear than expected.
Not sure who hijacked my blog with that last post…. haha I can’t remember writing it though, must have been well tired after getting off the plane. Anyway, jumping another plane on friday morning so should be in Silvaplana on friday night. Gareth is coming with for a holiday and a bit of relaxing.
The Ramadan moon sighting committee are meeting tonight to tell us Ramadan starts tomorrow…. I wonder if they get paid to be full time moon sighters or if it is just a hobby….
I was looking a the weather forecast online and Silvaplana looks cold and raining today, with a max temperature of 3 degree’s, im hoping this is wrong as I do not do cold water or air temperatures very well. 3 degree’s….. isn’t that the kind of temperature where they keep nuclear warheads and such things out of James Bond films?
If anyone has a link to results from the US nationals that would be sweet as I am bored off my rocker in Ramadan and three days till I can play with my boat in Switzerland!
Well to bring all the technical chit chat down a litte, I think I just peed myself a little with the thought of gagging / tying Adam to a lamp post at the Euro’s and nicking his boat……….. I weed myself thinking about nicking his boat, not tying him to the lamp post by the way… that would just be weird. Errrr…..
I have been off radar in the UK doing family things and attending long lost friends and childhood pals wedding etc etc… There were 90 bottles of champers and 70 guests at the wedding in the Warsash sailing club last friday night. I landed at 7am in the morning and drove down there to start boozing by mid day. Low and behold when I surfaced in Boro on Sunday afternoon I read that Adam has only gone and laid the Eagle… I’m not 100% sure what happenned to Saturday in case you were wondering.
When I first read it I thought, bloody hell that means I am going to have to spend even more fucking money on my boat on something that will actually melt in the Dubai summer heat. But on reflection, I sail in a development class and getting pissed off with movements forward and spunking money is just plain conservative and something no Moth sailor should ever hear themselves whispering. If that happens, get out now and move up in big boats that someone else owns. On that note, I did decide not to go to the European’s the day before yesterday as Im broke, but after a quick chat with Adam on skype…. who cares, you only live once right and I might as well spend the cash while I am still young enough to go backrupt and not really care. I’m also going to bribe him somehow (booze is out, perhaps lifetime supply of tea) for a go before I get back here!!
If I don’t make it though its because the PoPo have stopped me because I have not paid for my car yet… so please call me mum and let her know I’m ok and if she could pop down to the Hilton in Dubai, i’ll be in the third room on the left with my mate Pradeep!
The mothweb has been very quiet for a while and Adam has set it going again… anyone else got anything interesting to post? I don’t so I’ll stop the ramble. I had a Zanex to help me sleep off the jet lag last night and I think it might still be in my system… this post is a bit haywire!!
peace peeps and I’ll see some of you next week… is anyone passing by Zurich airport at 14.00 pm next saturday afternoon and have spare roof rack space?? Hook a brudda up!!
Its that time of year again when you are not allowed to eat ouside, or smoke or generally do anything. Ramadan is fast approaching the UAE and Dubai Moth fleet. Thankfully I am going to be away at the Euro’s for ten days of it…… which is a bloody good thing. 80 odd entries is a very good turn out and will make the start line pretty interesting if its windy.
I have not sailed for three weeks now, its just too hot and there is no point going sailing in 50 degree’s to get sunstroke and learn nothing. Its not even worth it to try and keep sharp, so I am flying into the Euro’s on the Thursday and will hopefully be sailing late friday night. Spend most of saturday on the water too. I am not sure I am going to get involved in the dash for cash… I have never been very excited by it to be honest and I do not think its a particularly fun experience worrying about crashing into other people is not what I’m into. I only took part in the US dash for cash half heartedly and didn’t do the one in Dubai as I had the flu. I’d rather go crusing with my friends and just go sailing, funny what money does in the world.
I got my first speeding ticket in my new car last night.. that didn’t take long. Woopsie, I was in a bad mood and driving pretty quickly, as you can in Dubai without fear of the PO PO pulling you up. Good thing here is I won’t loose my license. Its more of a wallet bashing.
I am moving house next week as well… again… all in all, I am so farking broke at the moment I could do without the trip to Switzerland, but I am committed I suppose.
Anyways people.. Peace.
So i just bought a new car. I got a Subaru Impreza WRX, which I am looking forward to getting tomorrow. Not sure its gonna fit any of my sailing kit in there but whatever. I’m very jealous of everyone in Europe doin so much sailing as we are on our off season, I really cannot be bothered to go on the water.
Having said that, not long till I jump on a plane for the Euro’s. I’ve been listening to a lot of Hill Top Hoods’ album of late and I recommend to anyone that likes hip hop to get it on the go.
Now, what upgrades can I do to the new ride… undercar neon lights perhaps…. or new air filter… or new engine tune…. oh dear, another can of worms opened.
I have just about got used to be being heavier. I have been trying to work out the main difference’s that it has cause me.
Firstly I am a lot stronger, which makes life so so so much easier with vang and downhaul. I have had to shorten my bridle a bit to make the adjustments.
I am also now actually able to put the bow down through gusts intead of just dying and not taking full advantage to get across them. Being heavier means that I cannot sail my boat as heeled to windward as I used to, when the rudder tips come out there is a much more pronounced effect for some reason. before I could float the rudder through waves and not really have it affect my sailing but now I need to make sure its in all the time. I think it stems from when the rudder tip comes out you need to bear away slightly to keep your power on and keep the flow attached. with being heavier I need to pull away further to keep the power, especially if all this happens in a lull. Sailing the boat flatter negates this problem but I need to sail lower upwind in general now, not a major as I have never had a problem with height upwind, maybe I am actually sailing closer to where I should be now instead of sacrifcing speed for height. Its taken a while to figure out new modes with the sail, especially downwind where I have been struggling a little really, but it seems to be coming together. From going from blistering downwind at the Dubai Worlds to not really knowing whats what has been frustrating.
The boat seems to make much more creaking noises now, which is a touch unerving but whateva rite!? If it breaks I’ll pay someone to fix it 
. None if this up to my elbows in carbon in 50 degrees. So its the UK nationals this weekend in Torquay. I think Simon or Arnaud will win it, one of those two is going to turn up in Australia with a lot of titles under their belt I think.
Righto, I know there will be others that enter but whateva, I’m doin a form guide because I need a healthy dose of tinternet mothage as it was 53 degree’s the other day and I have had a rubbish week. Do you ever have one of those weeks where nothing seems to go as you would like… I just had one… It was topped by me going to see Karate kid, which one of my mates said Jackie Chan should get a oscar for….. what was he smoking when he watched that piece of garbage. Anyway, the film started and they forgot to turn the lights off in the cinema and we were sat next to some moron who was talking on the phone to his mate in the same cinema…. why pretend to be mates if you can’t even go to the cinema together eh?? Its not what I would call a kung fu movie… there was only one bit of kung fu in it from the old master…. plus…. he did not even do his wall run!! Vintage Jackie would have scaled a 70 foot wall to kick some other bad ass in the head in the good old days. Wow, that turned into a bit of a rant. So to the form guide from the current entry listage.
1) Arnaud Phs…..his: The Euro master and its kind of on his home patch. Is running some new funky looking sail that he says is a weapon. The only question mark over his mental state is if he runs the nets or not, which he should be demoted for just for spending 30 hours making each one.
2) Simon Payne: Current World Champ. Reminds me a little Rodger Federer or Tiger Woods. Not interested in the small events but has the killer instinct in the big ones. If its light he will win it, if its windy (which is apparentley the forecast) then I think Arnaud has the advantage.
3) Rob Gough: Mr 30 knots. Mr I like big air. Mr I go sailing when its almost freezing. Maybe he is Swiss in disguise?!
4) Mike Cooke : British National Champ, has not done a lot of sailing but the sounds of it but is very confident in his own boat and design. British Nationals will be a good marker. I have only ever seen one Ninja so no idea on reliability and speed. Can’t see them matching the top mach two boys though.
5) Chris Rast : He blogs fast. He went to the Olympics. He’s gotta be pretty fast right? Brad Funk gives him big ups so thats enough for me. Unless Brad put his boat together….
6) Adam May: Always there or there abouts regardless of how much sailing he says he has done. Suffers from lack of sailing against others on a regular basis. Is now main stream after his stint on CNN.
7) Tomaz Copi : The quiet achiever in Dubai, alwasys seemed to get to the first mark in a good spot no matter where he started. Pretty good talent to have in a big fleet sailing race I think.
JPZ : Cracking pace in practice, just needs to send that into the racing. Will be a bit more at home on the flatter water of a lake. Will have some wicked gizmo going on that looks like it came from outer space.
9) Eelco Boers : Famously went past Si Payne like he was anchored in Weymouth. I think he will be the first BR. Sailing on the BR will hold him back downwind in any sort of breeze.
10) Olivier Vidal : Don’t know a lot about Olivier, but I sailed against him in 29er’s a couple of times when I was younger, he was good then and for lack of knowing anyone else thats going I thought I’d chuck him in here. Some peeps say he sails balls to the wall, good way to sail a moth!
I cannot see the Assassin’s being on the pace no matter how much gusto they have been given from NZ. I will be pleasantly suprised if one is on the pace for an entire race. I just cannot see one getting through 16 races without a major breakage. Im turning up with my boat on my back as I cannot afford the airfreight, hve not done a lot of sailing and have been boozing way too much. I’m gonna enjoy it and use it for some big fleet experience. Would like to do well obviously, but want a holiday from the heat more than anything else.
Went for a spin in the most breeze I have been in for a while, about 17 maybe 18 knots! Even Glenny was coming for a play but he had some probs and didn’t make it off the beach. In any other class people would read that and go ‘wow he must have had a major’. In the moth fleet its normal for your sail to be over in 20 seconds sometimes, its just the luck of the draw. I think thats why there are not too many uptight dicks in the fleet.
Anyway, he took my boat for a bit of a sail, as he was keen to get out and do some sailing….. Rob turned up on the Assassin and rigged up. Had a good little sail with him and by the looks of it he has finally got it sorted to sail downwind without being killed and sent to heaven three or four times each run.
I had the thing absolutely wound up and was really motoring without having to spill, which is a first and it feels so good, more pies please. I cracked tacking again so thats an improvement. So all in all i learnt a lot, had a sweet as sail, saw a turtle, raced a kite surfing chick.. well actually, perved at her first then sailed past her! I was cruising upwind on 16 knots, amazing really comapred to two years ago when we thought 15 upwind was quick hey boys…. time flies!
Peace!
