British Nationals 2019 and Lymington youth week.

British Nationals 2019.

Wow what an eventful week. Unfortunately we started the week off badly as when we were travelling down to Weymouth the tyre on the 420 trailer burst.  It was all a bit chaotic. It's supposed to be a 4 hour journey but it took 9 hours when we finally arrived in Weymouth. 

The first day's conditions were really good. The wind was 15-20knts and sun! My results were ok. We did 2 races and I got a 27th and 24th, nice and consistent though. Day 2 (Monday). The conditions on Monday were challenging, super shifty, choppy, 10-15knts. I had 1 good race which was a 15th, a 23rd which was good but then one ok race which was a 26th. On Tuesday it was super windy! Once we got down to the club all racing was cancelled for the day as it was 33knts gusting 43, so there was lots of waiting around. We listened to a talk from lots of professional sailors then me Rory, Molly and Henry all went off to Chesil beach to watch the rolling waves and get blown over by the wind. After that me Molly and Henry went off to the cinema with more of our sailing mates.

420 training in Weymouth

On Wednesday it was still pretty breezy (20-25knts). The qualifying series was finished and I made gold flight. I found the racing in gold flight much harder. We did 3 races, 2 bad 1 good. 37th, 41st and a 24th. In the evening me and Molly tried out 420 sailing with Tim Rush which was really good fun. Thursday's wind was much lighter, 9-10knts. I was especially worried about the last two days as I knew they were very light. It really wasn't my day. I got a 41st, 51st and 50th. I was quite upset with my results but to take my mind off it me and Molly went 420 sailing again. The last day was 12knts and choppy which didn't make the racing easy. Only 2 races on Friday. I didn't do the best (43rd,44th) but I just went out and enjoyed the last day. It was a great week, challenging conditions, may have not done the best but still enjoyed it as much as ever!

Lymington youth week 2019. 

Me and Molly downwind

This year in youth week me and Molly were sailing a 420. We were so exited as it was our first 420 event together but also very nervous as they are much different to optimists. Looking at the forecast for the week it made us more exited as all week was going to be 20-25knts. On Monday we got a 4th and a 7th. The 4th was good for a first time but the 7th wasn't the best. We got a 7th because we capsized and bent our mast very badly so we had to go in. Seeing the mast up closer was much worse. We were quite annoyed as that was our first time sailing the boat, nice and new then it bent and as we had to sail with it for the rest of the week and it would affect port tack. On Tuesday we didn't let the fact that we had a broken mast stop us having the best of fun. We went out and got a 2nd,3rd and 4th which was really good considering it was our first event together and that it was breezy. Getting to grips with boat was much harder than we thought. There was so much to learn but sailing the 420 gets me so exited for when we officially finish oppies and go into 420's. Unfortunately we lost quite a few split pins during racing so after sailing we went to the chandler and bought some new split pins and put them back on the boat.

 On Wednesday it was very windy, (25-27knts) this made us so exited! Because of how windy it was, being new to the boat and having a really bent mast, we did really well. Again we got a 2nd,3rd and 4th. Compared to an optimist you go so much faster and get lots of spray and salt in your eyes. Especially Molly as she kept on missing the trapeze and falling in as were laughing so much and lost our eye sight as there were so many waves in our face! On the way in the wind really picked up. Haydn and Oliver (my brother and Molly's brother) came behind us and taught us how to hoist the spinnaker whilst Molly on the trapeze. We surprisingly managed to do it but only for about 3 seconds as we lost our balance and capsized haha. But it was fun whilst it lasted. Thursday morning Haydn and Ollie taught us how to hoist the spinnaker properly and gybe with it as it was much lighter (10knts). We did a different series today as it was lighter. Yay finally we got a bullet! And we managed to get the spinnaker up with no problems and even gybe with it which was really good as we only learn't how to do it in the morning. In the first series we finished 4th and in the second series we finished 2nd with a 1st,4th and another 4th. 

This has been one of the best weeks sailing I've had! I've learn't so much in a week and much more learning to come. Me and Molly are both really proud of ourselves and can't wait to move into 420's. At the end of August me and Molly will be doing the 420 nationals in Hayling Island and then the late summers (optimist ranking event) in Draycote, so much more sailing to come!   #TheInsideEdge #Musto #Sailing