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| Busy start line - 41 boats |
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| Reaching action |
Tuesday 26 November 2013
420 End of Seasons
Just back from the 420 end of seasons.
Great weekend. Not quite the results we wanted but one less set of turns for hitting a mark and we would have made 15th which was about what we were hoping for. And anyway it was a process regatta and we learned loads. Next up is a weekend at Cumbrae with DK. Lots to work on for team Jo Jo.
Saturday 9 November 2013
November News
I can't believe it is almost three months since we last updated this blog! And yes I have turned into Victor Meldrew.
So what has been happening since July? Team Jo-Jo left their "training alongside" weekend and headed down to Pwllheli for the 420 UK Nationals where they continued to improve every day but did not quite achieve their days one and two target of gold fleet but at least this gave them the chance to sail at the front of the silver fleet on days three and four and prove to themselves that they had the potential as a team to lead the fleet and achieve single figure results if they cut out the rookie errors like capsizing on the spinnaker reach! They also learnt a cruel lesson about checking the points situation and staying close to your opposition on the last day when they where caught on the wrong side of a huge shift during the last race and dropped more then ten points on their main opponents to miss out on a possible podium.
After the Nationals it was back to Scotland with great results at Largs and Loch Lomond to build confidence and some time for some self-coaching time working on communication and boat handling before the Inlands at Rutland and the Autumn Championships at Torbay showed their continued steady improvement with results in the top ten and low teens now becoming a regular feature.
Midst all this sailing there was the small matter of returning to school with both girls making a splash - Joanna was embarrassed to be interviewed on the National Television News at Lockerbie Accademy and Joanne was delighted to be appointed as a House Captain at the Mary Erskine School.
An invitation to represent the 420 class at the RYA Scotland Champion of Champions Event was a real confidence boost and allowed a chance to practice their new skills against a very determined and competitive adult fleet of mixed handicap dinghies at an event where for once there was no pressure at all. Despite prevailing light winds the girls showed their mettle winning several of the starts and showing the old timers that Youth (and Ladies) 420 sailing is alive and kicking in Scotland!.
In October the girls were selected for the RYA Scotland Development Team but celebrated that by heading all the way South to Itchenor to take advantage of a 420 Class October residential training week and had a great week with Jonny and Tom working on their boat handling. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TnVcZd72Ebs
This weekend they are at Grafham Water as one of 36 boats at the Class Open Training and in two weeks they will be heading back there for the End of Season Championships 2013. It has been a great year.
Away from 420 sailing we were delighted to have Sammi home from her season with Neilson at Lemnos. She had a particularly good last month when she was seconded across from the beach team to the Ski team and she has been loving her work as a waterski instructor. What a surprise she had when she discovered the Scottish National Waterski Centre is at Hillend in Dunfermline - just a few minutes drive from our home.
After a summer in the sun Sammi has developed a taste for windsurfing and so she spent the three weeks that she was home on e-bay and the internet buying up cheap masts, booms, sails, boards, harnesses and all sorts in preparation for a relocation to Malta where she is going to be windsurfing her way towards Christmas when we hope to have her home again. What a job we had compressing all that kit into an Easy-Jet compliant baggage allowance! Vaccum Bags R Us.
So that is my November update. Jo and Jo have prelims and Highers next spring so they have to be highly organsied if they are also to complete their planned programme of training and fit in some International Reagttas too but it is all great fun. Sammi has no firm plans after Christmas but is available for coaching duties until Easter when she plans to return to Greece.
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| Team Jo-Jo |
After the Nationals it was back to Scotland with great results at Largs and Loch Lomond to build confidence and some time for some self-coaching time working on communication and boat handling before the Inlands at Rutland and the Autumn Championships at Torbay showed their continued steady improvement with results in the top ten and low teens now becoming a regular feature.
Midst all this sailing there was the small matter of returning to school with both girls making a splash - Joanna was embarrassed to be interviewed on the National Television News at Lockerbie Accademy and Joanne was delighted to be appointed as a House Captain at the Mary Erskine School.
An invitation to represent the 420 class at the RYA Scotland Champion of Champions Event was a real confidence boost and allowed a chance to practice their new skills against a very determined and competitive adult fleet of mixed handicap dinghies at an event where for once there was no pressure at all. Despite prevailing light winds the girls showed their mettle winning several of the starts and showing the old timers that Youth (and Ladies) 420 sailing is alive and kicking in Scotland!.
In October the girls were selected for the RYA Scotland Development Team but celebrated that by heading all the way South to Itchenor to take advantage of a 420 Class October residential training week and had a great week with Jonny and Tom working on their boat handling. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TnVcZd72Ebs
This weekend they are at Grafham Water as one of 36 boats at the Class Open Training and in two weeks they will be heading back there for the End of Season Championships 2013. It has been a great year.
Away from 420 sailing we were delighted to have Sammi home from her season with Neilson at Lemnos. She had a particularly good last month when she was seconded across from the beach team to the Ski team and she has been loving her work as a waterski instructor. What a surprise she had when she discovered the Scottish National Waterski Centre is at Hillend in Dunfermline - just a few minutes drive from our home.
After a summer in the sun Sammi has developed a taste for windsurfing and so she spent the three weeks that she was home on e-bay and the internet buying up cheap masts, booms, sails, boards, harnesses and all sorts in preparation for a relocation to Malta where she is going to be windsurfing her way towards Christmas when we hope to have her home again. What a job we had compressing all that kit into an Easy-Jet compliant baggage allowance! Vaccum Bags R Us.
So that is my November update. Jo and Jo have prelims and Highers next spring so they have to be highly organsied if they are also to complete their planned programme of training and fit in some International Reagttas too but it is all great fun. Sammi has no firm plans after Christmas but is available for coaching duties until Easter when she plans to return to Greece.
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